Logo Art by Sara Ann Dadds-Smith
Church Hill Theatre will be live streaming The Worst Choice, a searing—and timely—new play by John Carl Haas this February. Haas, a history professor at Chesapeake College, poses a disturbing moral question: what if General William Tecumseh Sherman had been challenged, even faced court martial, for his hard tactics during the final year of the American Civil War. By the end of the play, Haas has also challenged us to consider what we might have done in similar circumstances.
The Worst Choice is a testy conversation between General Sherman and retired General Ethan Allen Hitchcock, an officer widely respected for his ethical values. Preparing for a hostile Congressional inquiry, Sherman hopes Hitchcock will help defend decisions that hastened the end of the war. Far from supporting Sherman, Hitchcock believes there was no ethical justification for the resulting loss of civilian lives and property. While the drama unfolds in a drab Washington City hotel room in 1865, the audience is invited to imagine the destruction of Atlanta, Sherman’s army “foraging” its way to the sea, the burning of South Carolina’s capitol, and the behavior of both war-weary troops and Southern civilians. Although the discussion between Sherman and Hitchcock is fictional, the characters and historical events are real.
Professor Haas, known to many from his acting roles on the CHT stage, has written this play which works well for a Zoom presentation. Robert Thompson, Theater Department professor at Chesapeake College, plays General Sherman and CHT veteran actor Will Robinson portrays General Hitchcock. Shelagh Grasso is the Producer/Director and Michelle Christopher is the Stage Manager.
CHT is proud to live stream this world premiere production via Zoom at 8 pm on Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13, and at 2 pm on Sunday, February 14. Tickets for the Zoom connection are $20 (with discounts for students and members) and may be purchased through the CHT website: www.churchhilltheatre.org
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