Of Course it is Theater Related

  

I have found that the project that was the most difficult brought me the most joy. In ninth grade English I did a project about Johnson’s Island. We were told to either pick a part out of Rebels on Lake Erie or to find another topic. Many times it was mentioned that the prisoners held on the island formed both musical and theatrical groups. This interested me as I am a drama student and the idea of learning about a theater that was 150 years old drove me to make the decision to research it. Later in the year we excavated block eight which was perfect because that is the block in which the shows were held. This may sound like the perfect project, I was interested in my topic and that was all I should ask for, but it was truly difficult.

I found that researching the activities of men from 150 years ago was easier said than done. While the documents at Johnson’s Island were superb coming from educated officers, they were limited on content pertaining to the theater. It took hours of combing through articles, discussion boards, published papers, and old documents, but I finished my project.

I could not have asked for a better conclusion to my project. I found more information than I could have ever imagined was possible. This was the one project that I truly enjoyed putting together. Most projects feel like work, but this one did not. I spent hours filled with curiosity about what I would find next and that was worth the hassle of trying to read the writing from a century ago.

I also tied this project into my own life. I was talking to my grandparents about this project and I mentioned that there was a violin that was carved on the island and used in the shows. My grandmother then led me to an upstairs closet and pulled out a violin. This was my many greats grandfather’s and he obtained it from another prisoner at Libby Prison. While I researched the life of Confederate soldiers I found that the life of a Union soldier was right in front of me. I continue to research Libby Prison and I am glad that I can continue an amazing project.

The Last Slide of My Powerpoint