A Road Scholar Program by Dan Haughey
In this original one-person, first-person show, Dan Haughey portrays General Ulysses S. Grant as he reflects on his rise to Civil War fame, including his time in Galena and Springfield, Illinois. This 50-minute, one-act presentation explores the formation of Grant’s character and the complexity and apparent paradoxes of his personality. It focuses especially on his early life and the war years of 1861 and 1862, emphasizing Grant’s passionate dedication to the preservation of the Union and willingness to sacrifice for that cause.
The performance incorporates a scene-by-scene slide show depicting many of Grant’s Civil War experiences and the settings of his life. This show is suitable for people of all ages but is especially appropriate for teenagers and young adults. A video of a brief excerpt from the presentation is available here.
Haughey will offer a question-and-answer session after the performance, providing an opportunity to discuss his creative process as the author and actor of the show, the scholarly research that contributed to it, and other aspects of Grant’s life, including his early hardships, his family, his Presidential years, and his race with death to complete his famous Personal Memoirs with support from Mark Twain.
This event is Free and Open to the public. For more information, please contact Claire at ccrawford@geneseo.lib.il.us.