The Faith in History Performers will be sponsoring a Great Depression Festival and Drama, Saturday, April 28.

 The Faith in History Performers will be presenting their annual dramatic production on April 28, and as usual, admission is free. However, this year's program will be a little different.  Perhaps you have visited a Civil War encampment or a Renaissance festival sometime.  However, you have probably never seen a Great Depression festival until now. This year, in addition to a drama, the 45 home school high school students who comprise the cast, will have booths and will be portraying various people or be authorities on certain events of the 1930s. In the fall semester, the students studied the Great Depression and wrote term papers on their subject.  

 The United with Christ Church (Robinson Hill Road, Johnson City) will be hosting the event this year.  They have spacious facilities, so even if the weather is bad, there is plenty of room indoors for the event. The festival begins at 10:00 am and closes after the final play performance, around 5:30 pm.

 There are three main parts to the festival.  

 1. Drama Production - Three times in the day (10:30, 2:00 and 4:00), a separate cast will perform a one-hour drama, recreating the 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater, and the panic that followed. You'll be surprised at what people actually did when they thought the world was coming to an end. The drama is entitled, "Radio 1938."  

 2. Lunch at the '30s - From 12:00 Noon until 1:30 pm, the class will be presenting "Lunch at the ‘30s."  During this time, the cast will be performing various monologues and skits that further illustrate the person or event the students have studied.  People can purchase food and drink there or just bring their own bag lunch and sit down to enjoy the show.  

 3. Mingling at the Booths - When students are not involved in the above two activities, they will be available at the booths to talk with you. Visitors are encouraged to see all the booths.  As well, there may be other groups on the grounds, with cars and tractors from the 1930s.  

 The class is under the direction of Dr. Gerald Franz, professor of History at Davis College in Johnson City.  The classes' productions are always based upon true historical personages and events. The realistic costumes and props are made or acquired by the students and their parents.  Previous productions have spanned the millennia, including Ancient Greece and Rome, the Middle Ages, the Reformation, Napoleon, the American Revolution, the Westward Movement, the American Civil War, the 1940s, and the Cold War.  

 The play is the culmination of their two semesters together.  Working on drama together provides an excellent way for the students to gain a deeper appreciation of and an empathy for historical periods and figures. The play also provides the opportunity for teamwork and leadership training for the students, as well as allowing them to contribute a cultural gift to the community. The Faith in History Performers seek to dramatically portray real history in such a way that both entertains and informs.