Hope Church members are invited to the world premiere of “Inventing America,” the pilot episode for a proposed PBS prime time roundtable series that will be filmed at Hope College’s DeWitt Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, December 4 and 5.
Created by Hope Church member Milt Nieuwsma, the program tells the story of the American republic in “live” interviews with the Founding Fathers played by professional actors. The first episode features Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin discussing the Declaration of Independence. It also may, just may(!) star Marlin VanderWilt, another Hope Church member, as Dr. Franklin.
Why ‘just may’? “Marlin agreed to understudy the part,” Milt said. “If it works out, we may launch him on a whole new career on stage and screen. If not, he’ll still have Sinterclaus to fall back on.”
Scheduled for the three main parts are Colonial Williamsburg’s Bill Barker as Jefferson, Samuel Goodyear as John Adams, and John Hamant as Benjamin Franklin. The moderator will be Marc Baer, professor of history and chair of Hope’s history department. The director is John Tammi, professor emeritus of theatre and the artistic founder of the Hope Summer Repertory Theatre.
Admission to the two Hope performances is free but reservations are recommended. To reserve call the college ticket office, 395-7890. Click here for information.
~Milt Nieuwsma, Adult Education Taskforce Member