Abraham Lincoln is undoubtedly the most admired and written about American president, but his wife, Mary, has remained a historical enigma.
On Friday, July 15 at 7:30 p.m., JoAnn Peterson of Kingwood, WV, a presenter with the West Virginia Humanities Council History Alive! program will be portraying Mary Lincoln at Blackwater Falls State Park in Davis, WV. During the program, you will learn what Mary’s family life was really like, peeling back the curtain to take a peek inside of the Lincoln household – the sacrifices Mary made to be married to Abraham Lincoln, the Lincolns’ indulgent style of child rearing, tales of their boys’ escapades, and family quarrels because of divided loyalties during the Civil War.
The West Virginia Humanities Council created the History Alive! program as a means of exploring history by interacting directly with noteworthy historical characters. Each WV Humanities scholar has carefully researched the writings, speeches and biographies of the characters they portray and whenever possible, use their original words. The audience will have the opportunity to ask questions both of Mary Lincoln and Peterson, when she “breaks character” to answer as the researcher and not the historic figure. The West Virginia Humanities Council is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing educational programs in the humanities for all West Virginians. For 40 years, the Council has been providing educational programs in the humanities across the state. For more information call The West Virginia Humanities Council at 304-346-8500 or visit the website: www.wvhumanities.
Peterson premiered her first-person portrayal of Mrs. Lincoln at the West Virginia Book Faire in Martinsburg, WV in 2010 and has been researching the character since 2009. Of her portrayal, Mick Souter, the Bard of West Virginia Education said, “…her presentation was vivid and artistically compelling. Mrs. Peterson’s portrayal is a truly riveting, historically accurate, and biographically insightful experience that I thoroughly enjoyed.”
In addition to Mrs. Lincoln, Peterson also portrays Jenny Lind, the Swedish Nightingale; Margaret “The Unsinkable Molly” Brown of Titanic fame; and adventurer, reporter Nellie Bly. She is currently researching her next character – Shirley Temple Black and has recently written and performed, “A Mother’s Heart Divided, A Civil War Story in Song”, about a woman living in the new state of West Virginia, whose husband is fighting for the Union and whose son has joined the Confederate forces. The poignant story is intertwined with songs from the Civil War era.
Peterson writes and directs murder mystery plays, is the owner of Mountaineer Country Tours, serves as Executive Director of the Preston Community Arts Center, and portrayed Julia Pierpont in the WV PBS documentary, “West Virginia: Road to Statehood”. A professional actor and singer, Peterson’s stage credits include the role of Mother Abbess in “The Sound of Music” at West Virginia Public Theatre, and Mrs. McAfee in “Bye, Bye, Birdie” at Cumberland Theatre.
For bookings, contact Peterson at 304-329-6336 or mountaineer@atlanticbb.net.
