I had reported several months ago on a Living History drama with music that I am writing entitled The DuPont Story A Family A Company.
The mission is to take the live multimedia presentation into schools throughout the state. I chose watershed events of the family/company over the past 200 + years and have completed research at Hagley.
Last month I met with 5 Associates of the Dept of Education (DOE) to certify that the show subscribed to not only Social Studies/History Standards but also Visual & Performing Arts and English Language Arts. It was thrilling to see the enthusiasm of these educational professionals. While I initially envisioned the hour production only, collectively they suggested creating a specific “Unit of Instruction” for the project and that my troupe would present as a culmination of the study.
A Delaware contingent – including some of the Associates – had recently returned from a trip to our Sister City, Nemours France. Next spring the trip is reciprocated and my troupe would be invited to stage the show for them.
The more I read about the family and company, the greater my passion grows. There is no state in the Union that has been impacted by a family or a company as have we in Delaware. Students have no understanding of how all our lives have been enriched. Had EI du Pont not chosen Delaware over other locations to found the company and had not AI, PS and Coleman du Pont (The Triumphant Triumvirate) not bought the company from the elders in 1902, we would be demonstrably poorer in so many disciplines.
Here are some facts:
1802 - EI bought 95 acres on the Brandywine for $6700.00 from Jacob Broom (as in street)
He constructed several mills with massive stone walls on 3 sides. The side facing the Brandywine was wood. If an explosion occurred, the force of the blast was carried across the creek. “A trip across the creek” was black humor for being in an explosion; a one way excursion. (In my research I discovered that I am a product of a trip 'across the creek'. The widow of a creek traveler married another mill worker. They are my great great grandparents.)
1902 - the 3 cousins bought the company with NO money down. The trio gave the elders stock in the new company they would create. The purchase price was $12 million. The only cash outlay was $2100 for attorney fees. AI and PS soon went over the books and discovered the true value of the company was $24 million. Now, that's a bargain!
A few years later a bitter rift occurred amongst them. AI paid local kids to bring glass bottles to Nemours. They were broken and implanted on the top of the wall to...”keep everyone out whose last name is du Pont!”
1909 - Coleman trumpeted, “I'm going to build a monument to myself 100 miles long and lay it flat!”. That was Rt 13 and cost $4 million, all his own money. This opened commerce statewide. Later PS paved Kennett Pike to travel unrutted to Longwood.
1919 - PS built the middle school on PA Ave. That was just the start. Soon, 17,000 DE children were given classrooms. He also built 86 schools for Negro children, their first formal education, spending $5 million personally. That was when $5 million meant something!
1927 - then President Lammot du Pont exclaimed, “the future of the company depends upon research. It is more important than profits.” 'Fundamental' research was funded. Gifted scientists were brought to the X Station and given major resources with no particular end product in mind. Wallace Carothers was one of them.
Braunstein's on Market Street was the first retail store in America to sell nylon stockings. 4000 pair were sold in one hour for $1.15 per.
1941 - nylon parachutes were needed and stockings were discontinued production. 2200 pairs of stocking yarn went into 1 parachute.
DuPont gunpowder has been the US arsenal of democracy in every war from 1812 to WWII
For more info, join my FaceBook group – The DuPont Story
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Shakespeare times two in July
The Brandywiners mount their 79th season with “Kiss Me Kate'”, Cole Porter's greatest. A show within a show with the interior play being a musical based on The Bard's second greatest comedy, 'Taming of The Shrew”.
Written in 1948, it was Porter's response to the monumental shift in musical productions created by Rodgers and Hammerstein's “Oklahoma”, defined as the first 'integrated' musical, wherein songs and dances are immersed in a well conceived story with dramatic goals and able to evoke emotions other than laughter.
Unlike Gershwin and Berlin, poor Jewish boys from Hell's Kitchen who plied their wares for $.25 a day on Tin Pan Alley, Porter's grandfather owned a uranium mine and sent the scion to Yale. A remarkable bit of trivia about “KMK” is that Porter wrote the piece in excruciating pain from a horse riding accident that crushed his legs. Eventually, both would be lost.
Many of the same faces are back in major roles from last year's “Guys and Dolls”. Director Henry Porreca and Music Director Clint Williams helm the same stations. Debbie Hollingsworth Arnold, who starred in every show during her tenure at DE Children's Theatre, diverts from meek Salvation Army Sarah of last year to the shrewish Kate. Bob Miller, who originally purchased Candlelight Dinner Theatre from the O'Tooles, is the egomaniac Fred. Jeff Santoro, last year's lead, plays industrialist General Howell and sings a song that has nothing whatsoever to do with the plot. I've always felt Porter was obsessed in finding a play for “From This Moment On” and stuck it in “KMK” while the playwright wasn't looking.
Art Bookout as Bill and Erin Cates as Lois round out the supporting cast along with Ted Harting and Jim Conte as the malaprop twins who sing and dance a show stopper, “Brush Up Your Shakespeare.” Porter is my favorite lyricist wit.
From July 28. Admission includes Longwood Gardens. Thank you P.S. du Pont for building Rt 52, your philanthropy and stewardship of the land! Brandywiners.org 478.3355
DELAWARE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Having been in business only 1/10th of The Brandywiners fabled tradition, this group mounts for the first time one of The Bard's 'problem' plays. The sobriquet came from the ambivalence of its mission: the first 3 acts are ripe with psychological sturm und drang and the last two are comedic. The lead character suffers insane paranoia to begin the show but apparently can laugh about it in conclusion. (I guess that's why they are called psychotics.)
The most pastoral setting is provided care of the Shipleys and the Bringhursts, former squires of Rockwood Mansion. Picnic baskets are available through Greenery Caterers online.
From July 15. Delshakes.org
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM
I had reported last week on a management change at DuPont Theatre regarding DE All State Theatre. Founder/producer Jeff Santoro told me that there is a good chance they will not be returning. I suggested taking the big bucks delivered to DuPont Company and use it to air condition DE Children's Theatre.
Written in 1948, it was Porter's response to the monumental shift in musical productions created by Rodgers and Hammerstein's “Oklahoma”, defined as the first 'integrated' musical, wherein songs and dances are immersed in a well conceived story with dramatic goals and able to evoke emotions other than laughter.
Unlike Gershwin and Berlin, poor Jewish boys from Hell's Kitchen who plied their wares for $.25 a day on Tin Pan Alley, Porter's grandfather owned a uranium mine and sent the scion to Yale. A remarkable bit of trivia about “KMK” is that Porter wrote the piece in excruciating pain from a horse riding accident that crushed his legs. Eventually, both would be lost.
Many of the same faces are back in major roles from last year's “Guys and Dolls”. Director Henry Porreca and Music Director Clint Williams helm the same stations. Debbie Hollingsworth Arnold, who starred in every show during her tenure at DE Children's Theatre, diverts from meek Salvation Army Sarah of last year to the shrewish Kate. Bob Miller, who originally purchased Candlelight Dinner Theatre from the O'Tooles, is the egomaniac Fred. Jeff Santoro, last year's lead, plays industrialist General Howell and sings a song that has nothing whatsoever to do with the plot. I've always felt Porter was obsessed in finding a play for “From This Moment On” and stuck it in “KMK” while the playwright wasn't looking.
Art Bookout as Bill and Erin Cates as Lois round out the supporting cast along with Ted Harting and Jim Conte as the malaprop twins who sing and dance a show stopper, “Brush Up Your Shakespeare.” Porter is my favorite lyricist wit.
From July 28. Admission includes Longwood Gardens. Thank you P.S. du Pont for building Rt 52, your philanthropy and stewardship of the land! Brandywiners.org 478.3355
DELAWARE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Having been in business only 1/10th of The Brandywiners fabled tradition, this group mounts for the first time one of The Bard's 'problem' plays. The sobriquet came from the ambivalence of its mission: the first 3 acts are ripe with psychological sturm und drang and the last two are comedic. The lead character suffers insane paranoia to begin the show but apparently can laugh about it in conclusion. (I guess that's why they are called psychotics.)
The most pastoral setting is provided care of the Shipleys and the Bringhursts, former squires of Rockwood Mansion. Picnic baskets are available through Greenery Caterers online.
From July 15. Delshakes.org
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM
I had reported last week on a management change at DuPont Theatre regarding DE All State Theatre. Founder/producer Jeff Santoro told me that there is a good chance they will not be returning. I suggested taking the big bucks delivered to DuPont Company and use it to air condition DE Children's Theatre.
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