Tonight was the first dress rehearsal for in advance of September 30 enactments at Oak Wood Cemetery. Appropriately, the stage for this was comfortably within the walls of Brecon Village — where the audience was both invariably appreciative and sharp on necesssary eyes for content details. [1,2,3]
Later this week, the troupe will present their stories to local elementary school classes here in town. Full costume, in character. It’s a bit deceiving to regard any of these performances as rehearsal, because actors’ standards for all are as high as they will be when they’re “on” from 2:00pm to 6:00pm this Sunday.
As Saline Journal readers have already seen, the times and places where these stories are told hardly bound them. Webster Ruckman grew up here, but never made it home after making the ultimate sacrifice as a Civil War soldier with the Union Army. He served heroically in no less than the Battle of Antietam. [4,5]
Previewing the story of one time Saline dry goods merchant Levi Haynes was like following the ripples of a pebble splashed in a pond. Set in the 1800s, it seemed to be the tale of impressive wealth that had come from one man’s ideas for improving crop yields here. But that analogy about the pebble could have better morphed to one of pinball machine action, bouncing from Mr Haynes to “Saline’s Photographer” Lucretia Gillett, en route to the Northern Pacific Railroad before settling back to a discussion of stereocards shown to local school children during Rentschler farmhouse tours. [6]
This article could have focused on an enacted vignette featuring Elizabeth and Robert Shaw. He was born in Yorkshire England, she in New York. Their ultimate arrival in this community became the tale of land purchases: At first, 80 acres in York Township, then an additional 220 in Saline Township. Incredibly, it seemed their story was far from finished when each died in 1890, within four months of one another.
In 1932, part of their property was purchased by Harold Gray to help create Saline Valley Farms. Their story was not to be told tonight, however. In this case, airline scheduling formed yet another boundary in 2018 Saline Rotary’s Oakwood Cemetery Enactment Tours by keeping the actors responsible for playing those parts at a prohibitive distance. [7]
As for the rest of the showing tonight, a thoroughly engaged gathering of almost two dozen saw something that was in content surely similar to what is to come next Sunday. At the same time, it wonderfully differed in ways that might well make upcoming attendees envious.
For example, all but the whole of the cast, seated in a row as they were, provided a singular snapshot of what was to come, before and after through the history of Saline. Properties not otherwise practical for the field accompanied the performers here. Comfortable audience seating freed enactors to pace delivery of their lines to elicit laughs, gasps, and personal reflections in context. Had this evening been publicized in advance, the price of admission would have well been worth paying for its value as supplement to the main event.
It might compare to watching Shakespeare Uncovered in order to more thoroughly enjoy King Lear this Thursday at Emagine Theatre. [8]
Nothwithstanding, all of the above surely serves to highly recommend taking time to attend this program, sponsored by Robison-Bahnmiller Funeral Home. [9]
As of publication time tonight, online registration continues to show many of the 22 time slots between 2:00pm and 5:30pm (the last start in order to finish by 6:00pm without rush) still available. Look for parking directions that day around the cemetery proper, and dress for a weather forecast that currently calls for temperatures in the mid-60s and partly cloudy skies.
References
- “Saline Rotary’s Oakwood Cemetery Enactment Tours” The Rotary Club of Saline Michigan.
- “Brecon Village” EHM Senior Solutions.
- “Take Note: Programming Standards For Saline Area Senior Center Reflect High Expectations Of Their Community As A Whole” Dell Deaton (August 14, 2018) Saline Journal.
- “You Should Get to Know former Saline Resident Webster Ruckman at Some Point in Your Memorial Day Schedule” Dell Deaton (May 28, 2018) Saline Journal.
- “Battle of Antietam” History.
- “On September 30 You’ll Learn More Than How Saline Resident Levi Haynes Became Wealthy With Enhanced Farm Crop Yields” Dell Deaton (August 22, 2018) Saline Journal.
- “Saline Valley Farms” Grace Shackman (August 1989) Ann Arbor Observer.
- “This September, Emagine Theatre In Saline Will Carry Live Broadcast Of King Lear And Career Finale Of Sir Ian McKellen” Dell Deaton (August 23, 2018) Saline Journal.
- Robison-Bahnmiller Funeral Home (home page).
