In recognition of the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War, nineteen Westford Academy students presented a dramatic interpretation of a series of authentic letters written by Westford residents, John and William Jubb while serving as soldiers in the war that claimed more lives of American soldiers than any other in its history. Students of Westford Academy Theater Arts’ Directing class were invited by the Westford Museum and the Westford Historical Society (WHS) to read and analyze hudreds of letters that account in great detail the horrors of war but also the beauty of fraternity, family and the longing to return home. One letter captures a soldier’s child like exuberance in seeing Abraham Licoln from a short distance and his brief but detailed account enables the reader to feel, as if firsthand, the presence of one of America’s greatest icons. The result is a forty minute dramatic work that integrates music and action driven by the words of ghosts from of our recent history.
This beautiful and stirring student presentation was featured at the WHS Annual Meeting on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 following a very brief business meeting and election of the new Board of Directors.
The letters are from the collections at the J.V. Fletcher Library.