ST. MARYS, OH (WLIO) - During the St. Marys Bicentennial Celebration, a unique play is being produced that tells the story of a Civil War soldier from the town.
The play is called "Long Journey Home" and it is a dramatization created from letters that Charles Kruse and his family wrote while he was serving in the Union Army. The play will be performed in August at the remodeled St. Marys Theater and Grand Opera House. 112 letters have been transformed into a 90-minute play that gives Kruse's insight into the war, as a prisoner of the Confederate Army, and during his journey home where he died. Gary Sandy from WKRP fame will serve as the narrator and local actors will bring Kruse's story to life.
"It's a story of patriotism, it's the story of heroism, it's the story of family strife," says Todd Spieles, who compiled Kruse's letters. "It's also a love story, he has a girlfriend in the mix. There is actually some racism in the letters. But, this young man undergoes a profound conversion once they get to the deep south in the Civil War and see how the slaves are being treated," stated Todd Spieles.
While this story was unique to what Kruse went through, similar stories can be found in other communities in both the North and South during the Civil War.
"You know we had brother fighting against brother, father fighting against son. We had kids from the Hoosier State from homes made of Buckeye, fighting this incredible war that saved this Union," says Michael Hurwitz, who wrote "Long Journey Home". "I think the story is so important that people understand that their communities around the country have similar stories."
There will be auditions for the "Long Journey Home" at the Grand on May 26th from 4 to 8 p.m. They are looking to cast around 16 actors of all ages for the performance, to play Kruse, his parents, even Abraham Lincoln, and others. While the auditions are open to everyone, they are hoping to cast actors from the St. Marys and Auglaize County area for the play. The performances will be on August 19th and 20th.
Press Release from Doug Spencer: NEW PLAY TELLS CIVIL WAR SOLDIER’S REMARKABLE STORY. A new one-act play commissioned by the St. Marys Bi-Centennial Committee traces the Civil War life and service of Charles Kruse as told through the rediscovered one hundred and twelve letters he wrote home between 1862 and 1865. At twenty, Charles left his St. Marys home when he saw his duty and enlisted in the Union Army, joining the Ohio 50th Volunteer Infantry. His “Long Journey Home” is the story of a young boy navigating the unknown, and his development into becoming a man. Charles recounts the hard life of a Civil War soldier, from the rigors and routine of camp life to the horrors of battle. Fighting throughout the South, Charles was captured during the battle of Franklin, Tennessee, taken as a prisoner of war, and sent to the infamous and notorious Confederate prisoner of war camp, Andersonville. Having survived the depravations of confinement, Charles was released in April of 1865 and prepared to return home. He, along with over two thousand men boarded the steamboat Sultana, designed to accommodate only three hundred seventy-six. It pushed off the dock and headed up the Mississippi River, and in the early morning hours of April 27, 1865, one of the steamship’s boilers exploded, spewing steam and fire, destroying the boat. One thousand one hundred sixty-nine people perished – including Charles – he was lost to the great Mississippi River. The Sultana disaster remains today the worst maritime disaster in American history, killing more people than the Titanic.
The play, A Long Journey Home, tells Charles’ story through the actual words of his letters and through a multi-media presentation including period costumes, props, music, and video. The events he encountered are recreated in dramatic form, boasting a cast of seventeen and including Gary Sandy from the memorable sitcom, WKRP in Cincinnati serving as the narrator. Two performances are scheduled during the Bi-Centennial celebration, Saturday August 19th at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday August 20th at 2:00 p.m. in the St. Marys Grand Opera House/Theatre. For ticket information please contact www.grandoperahouselive.com/tickets.
A companion book will be available that elaborates on Charles’ story and includes the entire collection of letters as well as the play in its entirety. An additional educational component will be available for use in grades 8 through 12 throughout the state. Auditions are scheduled on Friday May 26, 2023, between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. at the theatre. Anyone interested is invited to attend.
