Actor Thomas Alan Taylor cast as Theodore Weld in Sons & Daughters of Thunder.
It is fitting to announce on this special day that lauded actor Thomas Alan Taylor will play the lead role of Theodore Weld in the historical docudrama Sons & Daughter of Thunder. Today, November 23, 2013, marks the 210th birthday of Weld, the man considered to be the "Architect of Abolition".
"Theodore Weld's tireless efforts to bring about the end of slavery in the U.S. consumed his limitless energies for nearly fifty years," said Martha Good, a member of Friends of the Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Cincinnati, Ohio. "He led the effort to organize and energize the Abolition Movement more than 30 years before the American Civil War."
Produced by Emmy® nominated documentary filmmakers Kelly & Tammy Rundle, and Kent Hawley (Lane Rebels, Ltd.), Sons & Daughters of Thunder is based on the award-winning play by Earlene Hawley and Curtis Heeter, and tells the unforgettable true story of the beginning of the end of slavery in America.
"We could not be more pleased to have Thomas Alan Taylor taking on the demanding role of Theodore Weld," director Kelly Rundle said. "During his audition, he instinctively caputured the energy and passion of Weld's spiritual mission and drive to end slavery in America."
Thomas Alan Taylor began pursuing acting while studying at the University of Iowa, where he performed in 5 world premieres including Akaraui (winner of the IRAM award) and Angel Bones (O'Neill playwright's conference selection), both written by Jen Silverman. He performed at the Quad Cities' Circa '21 and the New Ground Theatre, before helping spark the new QC Theatre Workshop, where his roles included Ken in Red, Matthew in Private Eyes, Jules in boom and Erik White in the world premiere of Green River by Aaron Randolph III. He directed the acclaimed How I Learned to Drive at the QC Theatre Workshop, Treasure Island at Davenport Junior Theatre, and co-produced Lessons in Love at Davenport Junior Theatre and Love, Girl's Magazine. He currently is set to reprise his role of Erik White in Green River at Augustana College in December, directed by Phillip Wm. McKinley (Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark; Boy from OZ).
Theodore Weld was a writer, editor, speaker, and organizer, best known for his work American Slavery As It Is: Testimony of a Thousand Witnesses. Weld found the location and faculty for Lane Theological Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1833. He attended the seminary and became the leader of the "Lane Rebels," a group of students determined to engage in free discussion of the abolition of slavery, among other topics. A series of debates on slavery were held over 18 days in 1834, resulting in a decision to support abolitionism and a pledge to help 1500 free blacks in Cincinnati. When the school's board of directors prohibited them from discussing slavery, over 2/3 of the students left Lane Seminary, with most enrolling at the new Oberlin Collegiate Institute. Harriet Beecher Stowe partly based her popular book Uncle Tom's Cabin on Theodore Weld's American Slavery As It Is: Testimony of a Thousand Witnesses. Weld remained dedicated to the abolitionist movement until slavery was ended by the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1865.
Major production for Sons & Daughters of Thunder begins in December and will run through May of 2014. Production will take place in Illinois, Iowa, Ohio and Connecticut. The film is slated for release in 2017.