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Under the Shade of the Trees  January 15 & 18, 2003  The award-winning play written and directed by Chris Mackowski Revived for the Pennsylvania Association of Community Theatres 2003 festival. Also performed at St. Bonaventure University's Quick Arts Center. (click here for infomration on the original production) Recognized by the Pennsylvania Association of Community Theatreswith an Outstanding Original Performance Award to Stephanie Mackowski.(click here for details)  Syllabus  |  The Reenactors  |  For Additional Assistance  |  From the Dean  |  Special Thanks

American History 105--The American Civil War
Dr. Stephanie Cawley
Ext. 1863

C o u r s e   D e s c r i p t i o n :
A focused study of the American Civil War and the events that caused it.

A t t e n d a n c e :
The attendance policy for the course is simple: Attendance is not required, but three absences constitute automatic failure.

Students are asked to attend one of the following plenary  sessions:

Wednesday, January 15 at 7:30 p.m.
  Regas Family Theatre, Quick Arts Center, St. Bonaventure University
 
Saturday, January 18 at 2:30 p.m.
  Mischler Theatre, Altoona PA

S c h e d u l e :
Each session runs just under one hour, with no breaks.

A c a d e m i c  I n t e g r i t y :
As history students, you will discover perspective determines truth. I am interested in your perspectives and the truths they reveal. Plagiarism defeats that purpose. Therefore, plagiarism is grounds for failure and a free trip to the dean’s office.
 
 

T h e  R e e n a c t o r s : Dr. Wangel  Dr. Stephanie Cawley, a college history professor Daryl Johnson Matt, Stephanie’s father Colleen McNamara Johanna, Stephanie’s mother Stephanie Mackowski Steph, Stephanie at age 8 Eric Van Druff Robert, Stephanie’s fiancé Jody Randolph The Woman, a tour guide, a gardener   (In the Photo, clockise from front center: Stephanie Mackowski, Cristin Winegard, Jeff Carson, Eric Van Druff, Ken Roberts, Daryl Johnson, Colleen McNamara, Charlotte Roberts, Jody randolph, and Chris Mackowski)

F o r   A d d i t i o n a l  A s s i s t a n c e : During the course of the semester, you may find it necessary to seek assistance from various staff members at the university: Chris Mackowski, dean Jeff Carson, assistant dean and stage manager Ken Roberts, technical director Charlotte Roberts, assistant technical director Pottsy, sound engineering and sound board operator James and Regina Van Scoy, hospitality coordinators Heidi Mackowski, director of admissions Brigid Flannigan, assistant director of admissions Dr. Cawley’s presentation photos by Chris Mackowski, except: Photo of Julia Jackson courtesy of The Stonewall Jackson Foundation, Lexington, Virginia "I Will Love You" by Fisher appears courtesy of Katherine Fisher, from her CD One. (Thanks, Kathy!)

F r o m  t h e  D e a n :  Perspective determines truth. The angle from which we see things, or how much of those things we see, impacts our way of thinking. Certainly journalists know this. That’s why they collect as many facts and gather as many perspectives as they can—it gives them a clearer, better vision of the truth.  Historians, too, understand this concept. Depending on the lens they choose to examine the past, they can see different things and learn different truths. They continually look for new lenses so they can look at the past in different ways. By discovering truths about our past, they can teach us about our present. It is said journalism is the first draft of history. Journalists take what facts they can to chronicle events that historians later examine and analyze. The work of the historian and the journalist go hand in hand. When I began this project four years ago, it was part of my own search for truth, a way for me to explore my relationship with my then-five-year-old daughter (who really is a Stonewall Jackson groupie). Appropriately, Under the Shade of the Trees first came to fruition on Father’s Day weekend, in June of 2002. Today’s performance is a one-hour abridgment of that script, which was originally written as a two-act drama. While much of the content of the play focuses on the Civil War and the many acts of courage and sacrifice involved during that conflict, much of the context of the play has also involved acts of courage and sacrifice. In particular, I have been humbled by the extraordinary bravery shown by Cristin Winegard. Crissy, during the original production, literally lived out parts of this script with her own father, who has since passed away. Her courage has served as an inspiration to me, particularly when my own grandfather fell ill last fall and passed away just before Thanksgiving. But even in the midst of sadness, life offers us joy: One of our cast members and his wife are getting ready to adopt a baby from China. Our original Johanna could not join us for this production because she’s expecting a baby. And for me, it has been a chance to again work on a project with my own daughter that has become a defining experience in our relationship.   My grandfather didn’t have much in common with Stonewall Jackson, but they did share one important philosophy: Do your duty. As part of that, my grandfather believed we have a duty to share our gifts with those around us. I hope you enjoy the gift we present to you today. Thank you for joining us on our search for truth. -- Chris Mackowski January 2003

Special thanks to the following individuals and organizations who have made contributions to this course:

Bradford Area High School Athletic Department
The Bradford Era 
Lee Coppola
John Eberth
Beth Eberth, Suzanne Wilcox English and St. Bonaventure’s Office of Marketing and Public Relations
Dr. Kevin Ewert
Vince Gaeto
Jeremy Garris
Tim Hill
Don Hopwood
Sarah Kloos
Heidi Mackowski
The Muse
Dr. Megan Haley Newman and The Stonewall Jackson House
Olean Community Theatre
Quick Arts Center and its staff
St. Bernard’s Parish and Fr. Leo Gallina
St. Bonaventure University’s Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Sharie Radzavich
The Stonewall Jackson Foundation
The Times Herald
Andrea Trisciuzzi
Zoe Walker-Itoh
Lisa Wright
WESB

Special Thanks to historians Keith Alexander and Frank O’Reilly from the Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania National Battlefield for their time and tours, and most importantly, for befriending a 7-year-old Yankee girl who had a love for Stonewall.

(In the Photo: PACT Vice President Dave Martin presents Stephanie Mackowski with her acting award.)

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