|
Department of Parks
Lincoln-Hanks Wedding Part of Washington County History
SPRINGFIELD, Ky. – People who live in and around Springfield know the Lincoln story.
And they’re proud of Washington County’s role in Abraham Lincoln’s life story. His parents, Thomas and Nancy, grew up and were married there in 1806.
That wedding is the setting for a play that will be shown June 3 at Lincoln Homestead State Park near Springfield. The play, called “Dearly Beloved: The Vows of a Lincoln Legacy,” is the centerpiece event for the Lincoln-Hanks Wedding Bicentennial.
“The heritage is very important to the community,” said Stephanie Krey, who portrays Nancy Hanks in the play. Krey works as a substitute teacher in Washington County and often hears about Lincoln from her students.
Scott Fattizzi, a Springfield factory worker who portrays Thomas Lincoln, grew up outside Kentucky and knew of Lincoln’s ties to the state. But he said when he moved to Washington County “I really got an education about Lincoln.”
Kevin Lanham is Abraham Lincoln in the play. (The play features Abraham Lincoln recalling his past in a conversation with his son.) Lanham, a 6-foot-8 farmer in neighboring Marion County, has played Lincoln before.
“It’s a wonderful role to play,” Lanham said. “People adore the Lincoln character.”
The three actors have extensive acting and theater experience. Krey, 22, who attended high school and college in California, was active in school stage productions including Bye Bye Birdie and West Side Story. Fattizzi, 34, has been involved in more than 50 productions, both acting and directing, since he was a teen. Lanham, 51, graduated from Western Kentucky University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theater and has worked in various community theater productions.
The 30-minute play was written and directed by Greg Hardison, the coordinator of museum theatre at the Kentucky Historical Society.
The June 3 event will kick off the three-year Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration in Kentucky.
The day begins at 9 a.m. (Eastern Time) with the opening of “The American Experience.” Famous Americans, including George Washington, Dr. Thomas Walker, George Rogers Clark, Isaac Shelby and York of the Lewis and Clark expedition, will speak throughout the day. There will be an historic area with the building of a log cabin and other crafts. The Beechland Fair will present 1806 activities, as well as period music.
At 1 p.m., “Dearly Beloved: The Vows of a Lincoln Legacy,” will debut. A reception will follow.
All events are free. There will, however, be fees for parking and for the reception that includes a meal. Tickets for the reception are $10 and can be purchased by calling the park at 859-336-7461. A limited number of tickets for the reception are available.
For more information, visit www.lincolnhanks.net, call the Springfield/Washington County Chamber of Commerce at (859) 336-0052, ext. 3 or the park. The chamber, the Department of Parks, the Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, and the Kentucky Historical Society are sponsoring the events.
The park is five miles north of Springfield. For the June 3 event, take the Bluegrass Parkway to exit 34 and drive south on KY 55 to KY 438. Take KY 438 to the park. Signs will also be posted with directions.
--30--
The Kentucky State Park System is composed of 52 state parks plus an interstate park shared with Virginia. The Department of Parks, an agency of the Commerce Cabinet, operates 17 resort parks with lodges -- more than any other state. Each year, Kentucky parks draw 7 million visitors and contribute $317 million to the economy. For more information on Kentucky parks, visit our Web site at http://www.parks.ky.gov
|