Wilkes
The play tells the story of Davey Herold, a co-conspirator in the Lincoln assassination who accompanied John Wilkes Booth during the ensuing manhunt. It asks if Davey Herold had a choice in taking part in the assassination and whether or not he actually committed a crime. It moves fluidly from his jail cell where he speaks to his lawyer, to a series of locations during the planning of the assassination, to the history-changing execution, to Davey and Booth fleeing authorities. Approximately 70 minutes.
Productions
Behind The Scenes
With James Stover
What inspired you to write this play? I wanted to write a play to discuss the definition of "Terrorist," specifically when dealing with an American Born Citizen. I also wanted to write a play that was historical and could jump locations easily.
What's your favorite part or line in the play? Why? I love when Stone says, "You are a terrorist, Mr. Herold," it gives me chills but I don't want to give away too much. I also love when Davey says, "Port Royal" (an inside joke between myself and the actor who played Davey in all of the staged readings).
Where did the characters come from? They're all based on real people and I did months of research on each of them. They were written with certain actor's voices in mind.
What did you try to achieve with this play? I wanted to spur a discussion about citizen's rights. The Patriot Act brought back laws about Americans being tried in Military commissions that were done away with following the hanging of the Lincoln Assassination Co-Conspirators. I also wanted to write a play where the main character had done something horrendous from the public's perspective, but may or may not have committed a crime.