You’ve seen the trailer, met the cast, and soon you can view a preview of “The Angel of Marye’s Heights.” Stay tuned.
While you are waiting: Here’s a link to my latest interview for Patrick Whalen of Uncommon History. It’s a real privilege and I thank him.
Posted by ny5/pinstripepress
at 11:27 AM EST
Updated: Thursday, 17 December 2009 10:18 PM EST
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In anticipation of our official preview of The Angel of Marye's Heights, I would like to introduce you to the cast and crew:
MEGAN HICKS
According to her website, “Megan Hicks survived the Baby Boom with her sense of humor intact.” She lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where she writes, tells stories, produces award-winning audios, teaches origami, and makes trash art. Megan is a direct descendant of Scotch-Irish peasants, who tells original & traditional stories, folk & fairy tales (intact & fractured), historical fiction, literary tales, family stories, and ghost stories ranging from pleasantly shivery to truly grisly. Exposed at a tender age to oilfield humor, tv evangelists and fairy tales, she brings this quirky legacy to storytelling audiences of all ages. Visit her website at www.meganhicks.com.
JOHN CUMMINGS
An avid historian, John is a native of Northern Virginia with a life long interest in the American Civil War. Since moving to Spotsylvania County in 1999 he has authored numerous articles for local and national publications in addition to his first book. John currently serves as Chairman of the Friends of Fredericksburg Area Battlefields, Director of the Spotsylvania Battlefield Education Association, and was a former Chairman of the Spotsylvania Courthouse Tourism and Special Events Commission. He also served as a historical consultant for the former Federal Hill Foundation.
DON PFANZ
Donald C. Pfanz is a popular staff historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. A native of Gettysburg, Pa., Pfanz graduated from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg in 1980, then joined the National Park Service. He first served at Petersburg National Battlefield and Fort Sumter National Monument before joining the Park Service in central Virginia. Don has written two books to date: Abraham Lincoln at City Point and Richard S. Ewell: A Soldier's Life and has appeared in multiple Civil War documentaries for the History Channel.
RICHARD WARREN II
Young Richard comes from a very talented family of ten. At the tender age of 9, Richard did a home-school project of a living history presentation. Since he had a love of the Civil War, he decided to do a presentation on a lesser known "hero", Sgt. Richard Kirkland “The Angel of Marye’s Heights.” Richard did such a wonderful portrayal, that he caught the eye of Michael Aubrecht, a Virginia historian and author who introduced him to filmmaker Clint Ross. Richard has had numerous opportunities and occasions to re-enact his presentation and has been invited to perform in additional theatrical presentations since.
SEAN ALLEN PRATT
Our (tentative) narrator Sean Allen Pratt's resume in film, television, and theater is extremely impressive and he has played many complex and dynamic characters over the course of his career. His credits include on film: Gods and Generals, Tuck Everlasting, Iron Jawed Angels and Ladder 49; on television roles: The District, Homicide and The Wire; and on stage: Oedipus The King and The Game Of Love And Chance. In addition to his acting, Sean holds seminars and workshops for actors looking to break into the biz. Visit his website at: www.seanprattpresents.com.
CLINT ROSS
Michael C. (Clint) Ross is a Writer, Producer, Director, and Editor. He is a recent MA graduate of Savannah College of Art & Design in Film and Television. He grew up in Athens, GA, and was a carpenter for nearly 10 years before spending time as a Young Adult minister in his hometown. After a personal and life changing conversation with Ken Wales, the Executive Producer of the film Amazing Grace, Clint pursued an education and career in film.
MICHAEL AUBRECHT
Michael has dedicated his studies to the histories of Major League Baseball, the Civil War, and more recently, the Founding Fathers. He has published multiple books, as well as hundreds of essays for Baseball-Almanac, The Free Lance-Star, Mort Kunstler Enterprises, Civil War Historian magazine, and Patriots of the American Revolution. Michael also hosts a popular Internet show titled "The Naked Historian." An experienced tour guide, speaker and radio guest, Michael is vice chairman of the National Civil War Life Foundation and the founder of The Jefferson Project. Visit his website at www.pinstripepress.net.
THE CREW
Left to right: Nazar Loun (1st Assistant Camera), Zach Graber (Director of Photography), Michael Aubrecht (Co-Producer), John Cummings (Uniforms & Equipment Supervisor), Michael C. Ross (Writer, Producer, Director, Editor), Clayton DeWet (Sound Mixer). Not pictured: Darren Dick (Motion Graphics)
Posted by ny5/pinstripepress
at 10:04 PM EST
Updated: Thursday, 17 December 2009 8:00 AM EST
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Thank you Sir.
Today’s Free Lance-Star has a short article about Peter S. Carmichael, the historian who delivered the keynote remarks on the battle's 147th anniversary. In it, Mr. Carmichael discusses our tendency to romanticize war as opposed to acknowledging the horror that it truly is. He uses Richard Kirkland’s story as a potential detractor from the memory of an engagement that resulted in a slaughter. I could not be more pleased with his comments as Clint Ross and I have gone to great lengths in our upcoming film on Kirkland to portray the misery and suffering that was witnessed by our main character.
According to Carmichael: "Every war, no matter how vicious and brutal the enemy might be, demands our awareness, our knowledge of what our troops are enduring on the front, or we lose our political check on how our nation wages war." He added that so, too, people can lose sight of what the Kirkland monument expresses: "the great universal riddle of being a soldier."
Ironically, I just saw two newly edited sections of the film this weekend and the expert commentary and dramatic recreations are anything but romantic. Our story’s focus is completely built around the question of why a man would do what Kirkland did and why we remember it so today. Beyond a story of humanitarianism, it is equally presented as a commentary on the brutality of man. Mr. Carmichael’s comments are an indirect validation of our efforts and proves that we are definitely on the right track. We hope to post a preview segment of the film here by the end of the week. Stay tuned.
On the anniversary of the Battle of Fredericksburg...
Here is the new trailer for our documentary film project on Sgt. Richard Kirkland. Titled "The Angel of Marye's Heights," this film combines expert commentary and dramatic recreations to tell an amazing story of courage and compassion. The official website will soon be launched by Clint Ross Productions. Our anticipated release date of the film is February 2010 and the National Civil War Life Foundation will be hosting the movie premier and reception here in Fredericksburg. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for a sneak preview and details on how you can help support this project.
PS. Here are the transcripts for my lecture on Richard Kirkland for anyone interested in learning more about the life and legacy of this remarkable man.
NIFLA Online Auction
Today I was invited to contribute to an online auction hosted by a wonderful organization here in Fredericksburg called the National Institute of Family & Life Advocates. Starting on March 1, 2010, NIFLA will be auctioning off a number of fun and unique items to raise money for their efforts. The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) is a charitable 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization which exists to provide life-affirming pregnancy help centers the best legal education, consultation, and training possible.
I have donated signed copies of The Southern Cross and Campfires at the Crossroads and I am also putting together a very special tour: In the Steps of Stonewall: this one-of-a-kind experience will take (up to 4) guests to local sites tracing the last days of Confederate Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. The 4+ hour tour includes: Chancellorsville Battlefield sites, Jackson's wounding Trail and Monument, Jackson's arm burial-site at Ellwood, Jackson's Ambulance Route, and the Stonewell Jackson Shrine. Additional stops may be added as time permits. Date/time to be determined.
Visit the NIFLA auction to see what items are up for bid. You can also donate items.
