GreenMan Theatre Launches 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War with Civil War Play

Ken Bradley, Steven Soria, Aimee Kennedy and Tom Viskocil in "Soldier, Come Home," at the GreenMan Theatre, Elmhurst, Illinois (photo by Ken Beach)

Soldier, Come Home, a play based on family Civil War letters, launches “Civil War 150 ” at the GreenMan Theatre, Elmhurst, Illinois, produced in conjunction with the Elmhurst Public Library.

Historic family Civil War letters were the inspiration for Frank W. Wicks' play, "Soldier, Come Home"

The play, directed by Phil Hendricks, opens April 14th, 2011 and runs till April 17th in commemoration of the 150^th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War.

The play is a dramatization of the Civil War letters of Mary Luke Pringle, her husband, Philip W. Pringle, family members and friends, from 1859 to 1865, adapted for the stage by Frank W. Wicks, great-grandson of Philip and Mary. The play weaves the story of one family through the events of the Civil War.

“You don’t have to be a Civil War buff to appreciate ‘Soldier, Come Home.’  It’s about family, love, duty, and coping: universal themes for people caught in the maelstrom of war.” – Rita Bailey, Joshua Chamberlain Civil War Round Table, Brunswick, Maine

The letters are from western Pennsylvania and from several major Civil War battle sites, including Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, the siege of Petersburg, and Appomattox.

Ken Bradley, Steven Soria and Aimee Kennedy in a scene from "Soldier, Come Home," GreenMan Theatre, Elmhurt, Illinois (photo by Ken Beach)

For tickets and further information, call GreenMan Theatre at 630-464-2646. Or email isophil@gmail.com.