It is fitting that Sons & Daughters of Thunder will screen at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Harford, Connecticut in September.
169 years ago September 18, 1850 Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act—making it illegal for anyone to help an escaped slave. The law even allowed slave owners to travel into free states to reclaim fugitive slaves. This law, the Lane Debates, and other experiences in Cincinnati, all influenced Harriet Beecher Stowe as she wrote her history-changing book, Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Sons & Daughters of Thunder, screens on HBSC Thursday, September 12 at 6:00 p.m. Admission is free to the public and seating is limited. Footage gathered at the Stowe Center appears in the film.
The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center is located at 77 Forest Street. Harriet Beecher Stowe resided in the house located on the historic grounds and was a neighbor of Mark Twain. Harriet died in the house in 1896, ten years after her husband Calvin Stowe passed away.
This special screening event kicks off showings of the finished film in theatres, museums, historic sites and at film festivals in the months ahead. Check back for scheduled events and showings.
Sons & Daughters of Thunder is based on the critically-acclaimed play by Earlene Hawley and Curtis Heeter, and tells the true story of the 1834 Cincinnati, Ohio Lane Theological Seminary anti-slavery debates. The controversial meetings, led by abolitionist and firebrand Theodore Weld (Thomas Alan Taylor), were the first to publicly discuss the end of slavery in America. The meetings angered Cincinnati residents and Lane Seminary officials, who promptly slapped a gag order on the entire student body. This action was followed by a freedom of speech protest and mass exodus of Lane students to Oberlin College. A young Harriet Beecher’s (Jessica Taylor) exposure to the debates and Weld's continuing work to free the slaves sparked a flame that led her to write her magnum opus Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Sons & Daughters of Thunder is produced by Kent Hawley and Fourth Wall Films, owned by Emmy® nominated filmmakers Kelly Rundle and Tammy Rundle, a film and video production company specializing in historical documentaries for public television broadcast and DVD home video.
Kimberly Kurtenbach is the Executive Producer on the film and also stars as Catharine Beecher. Kurtenbach also served as Casting Director on the project. Thunder was shot by award-winning Director of Photography Kevin Railsback. Award-winning filmmaker Chris Ryder handled sound and visual effects. Emily Busha was the film’s costume designer, circa 1834. William Campbell is the film score composer. Tyson Danner served as Assistant Director, with Olivia Ketron and Melinda Carriker serving as Production Assistants.
The cast includes Thomas Alan Taylor, Jessica Taylor, Janos Horvath, Mark Winn, Tom Walljasper, Mike Kennedy, Don Denton, Mike Schulz, Tristan Tapscott, Anthony Stratton, Justin Marxen, Jaylen Marks, Pat Flaherty, Daniel Rairdin-Hale, Lora Adams, Joseph Maubach, Tim Stompanato, David Furness, Travis Shepherd, Mikeal Burgin, Lisa Kahn, David Juehring, Don Hazen and David Shropshire. Over fifty extras took part in Thunder.
Sons & Daughters of Thunder is dedicated to Kent Hawley & Earlene Hawley.
Partial funding for the film was provided by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, and through the Quad City Arts with a grant provided by the Illinois Arts Council Agency, Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, and John Deere. The fiscal sponsors for the film project are The Shell Rock Historical Society, and The Moline Foundation.
PRE-ORDER the Sons & Daughters of Thunder DVD (release date December 2019) and SAVE! Click HERE!
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