Thursday, January 2, 2014

Staged Reading of Land of Lincoln: Thy Wondrous Storyto be held on Illinois Statehood Day, December 3 -- Proceeds Benefit Tornado Victims



ARLINGTON, VA -- To celebrate Illinois Statehood Day on Tuesday, December 3, the Illinois State Society is sponsoring a performance of dramatic monologues of famous and infamous figures from that state's history. "Performers, Players & Legacies from The Land of Lincoln" is adapted from Land of Lincoln: Thy Wondrous Story (Jameson Books, 544 pages, October 21,2013) by former Illinois State Senator, Mark Q. Rhoads. His sister, Cheryl Rhoads, is the director of the show.

The 70-minute staged reading will begin at 7:30 p.m. at The Comedy Spot, 4238 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia (in the Ballston Common Mall). It will be followed by a champagne and dessert reception featuring a State of Illinois 195th birthday cake. Proceeds from the event will be donated to assist Illinois victims of the devastating tornadoes in mid-November.

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Colorful characters, scandals, and unsung heroes come alive in Land of Lincoln: Thy Wondrous Story, the first new history of Illinois in more than 40 years. In addition to its complete narrative history of Illinois, the author focuses on both entertaining and important stories about Illinois political leaders in Chicago, Springfield, and Washington, D.C. over the span of 158 years from 1854 to 2012, through the eyes of the Illinois State Society in Washington, D.C. The book includes some never before published photographs of past Illinois leaders of both parties and an index of more than 2,000 names.

Famous characters from Illinois' history who will be featured in the dramatic staged reading on December 3 include Walt Disney, Wyatt Earp, Mary Astor, Ernest Hemingway, Miles Davis, Sen. Everett McKinley Dirksen, Jackie Joyner Kersee, Marshall Field, Nancy Reagan, George Halas, Mahalia Jackson, Olympic gold medal winner Bonnie Blair, and Mrs. O'Leary's cow.

Tickets can be purchased at http://illinoisstatesociety.org/and are $25 in advance; $30 at the door.

Some of the skits to be performed will include:

--Mrs. O'Leary's cow will finally stand trial to find out who really started the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

--Oscar Mayer will explain why he invented the Wienermobile.

--Walt Disney will disclose why he copied an old Chicago Fire House for Disneyland.

--The creator of Tarzan will demonstrate how his character captured the public imagination.

--Nancy Reagan will describe how she fell in love with Ronnie and give secrets about five other first ladies from Illinois.

--Miles Davis will talk about his life in the world of jazz.

--Everett McKinley Dirksen will expound on his most dangerous job as a young man.

--Mary Astor will relate why she "took the fall" for Humphrey Bogart in the Maltese Falcon.

--Ernest Hemingway will expound on the liberation of Paris.

--Edna Ferber will describe the hardships for women on Illinois farms.

--The Ghost of Resurrection Mary will reveal who she might have been when she was alive.

--Marshall Field will disclose how Frango Mints got their name.

--Chicago Bears founder George Halas will report on his brush with death in 1915.

--Legendary train engineer, Casey Jones, will describe how he saved the lives of his passengers at the expense of his own life.

--Mahalia Jackson will divulge how she became the Queen of Gospel Music.

--Bonnie Blair will confide how the police officers of Champaign, Illinois, helped her win her Olympic Medals.

The Illinois story is the American story. The colorful cast of Illinois political leaders from both parties over 158 years has included both scoundrels and heroes. Illinois politics has never been a dull show, Rhoads says of his book.

In his Foreword to Land of Lincoln: Thy Wondrous Story , former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley says, "this book brings back from the past important chapters of Chicago history and places them in context. Great events such as the Columbian Exposition of 1893, the Century of Progress World Fair of 1933, and tragedies such as the SS Eastland disaster in 1915 and the Our Lady of Angels School Fire in 1958 come alive for readers"

"From the rise of Lincoln to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and from the Haymarket Riots to Ronald Reagan, Mr. Rhoads has created a comprehensive and unique perspective on the history of the United States and its 21st state," said Paul Merrion, Washington Bureau Chief, Crain's Chicago Business.

The Comedy Spot is located on the top floor of the Ballston Mall at 4238 Wilson Boulevard, near the Ballston Metro stop on the Orange line. A parking garage is adjacent to the Mall.

To buy tickets or for more information on the Tuesday, December 3 show, "Performers, Players & Legacies from The Land of Lincoln," and champagne reception, go to http://www.IllinoisStateSociety.org

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-- Fran Griffin

Third Vice President for Communications,

Illinois State Society

713 Park St., SE

Vienna, VA 22180

703-862-6741