Gettysburg Community Theatre joins in spirit of America250 with “We The People”

The Gettysburg Community Theatre joined in the spirit of Adams County’s America250 Celebration Friday evening with a heartfelt performance of “We the People the Musical” — a revue inspired by the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution.

With book by Pat Cook and music and lyrics by Bill Francoeur, the musical was published by Pioneer Drama Service two years after Cook wrote the play, “We The People,” in response to the events of Sept. 11, 2001, when the U.S. experienced a huge surge in patriotism and bipartisan unity. 

Both tell the story of members of a committee who brainstorm ideas to present a patriotic show to their town at the request of their mayor. (Here, that would be Gettysburg Mayor Chad-Alan Carr, who is also GCT’s Executive/Artistic Director.) 

A committee member suggests using the Preamble to the Constitution as inspiration, and they decide to create sketches exemplifying that the document’s power comes directly from “We The People” (the opening number).

These vignettes, accompanied by snippets of favorite traditional anthems alongside uplifting original compositions, serve as the central plot device for the musical itself and for the show the committee is planning. 

Directed by Stephanie Roelker and Buff Wills with vocal music directed by Barbara Semiatin, “We The People The Musical” is aptly performed with simple and effective staging by a cast of eleven senior actors at GCT.

Preshow on Opening Night, Carr spoke about the theater’s mission and said the “seasoned” cast members in this performance would be carrying scripts (whether they needed to or not) to encourage seniors in the acting community who might be leery of memorizing scripts to get involved in future shows.

In this production, the lights rise on passionate voices setting a lovely tone as a chorus performs the opening number and members of the committee trickle in (as written) to sit side-by-side upstage.

Kyle Meisner’s symbolic scenic projections (such as the Statue of Liberty) and lighting design, as well as Michael Connelly’s set painting (red, white and blue against the black background) sync beautifully. All costumes, including Lincoln’s iconic top hat, are onstage, and the entire cast will remain there through two acts.

The committee of six — well-played by Bryan Cooley (as Tom), Sharon Cooley (Betsy), Jim Derby (George), Holly Fox (Martha), Stephanie Roelker (Sam), and Barbara Semiatin (Abby) — begin discussing how to capture the townspeople’s hearts. 

They determine they’ll need to use their imagination to “show America” instead of talking about it. Betsy pulls out a copy of the Preamble and after some entertaining banter, all agree to match the 52-word document, phrase by phrase, to unique vignettes that explore the Constitution as a living document.

And the journey begins as other cast members — James Odell, Jr., Juice Thomasson, Brenda Walter, Buff Wills and Marshall-Work — join the committee members acting out vignettes that paint what has been described as a “Norman Rockwellesque” picture of American life.

Numbers such as “Only in America,” “Together We Must Stand” and “Oh, Freedom!” (among others) thread a common theme of love for country.

Scene 1 introduces everyman characters — a taxpayer, teacher, truck driver and mother to start the vignettes rolling. In between the stand-alone stories that follow, the committee members read each phrase that correlates to the upcoming sketch.

Versatile and engaging, the entire cast acts out situations as relatable as an affectionate father and daughter discussing her studies, a family picnic, letters home from war, grandfathers engaging in a very funny one-up competition of words, a flood scene, an immigrant arriving in America, and even neighbors arguing over crabgrass.

Poignant moments include lovely solo vocal performances In a lively history lesson that feels more like memorable entertainment (ask Marshall-Work what a red boa has to do with your constitutional rights). 

References to other historical documents — such as the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Gettysburg Address, and iconic phrases from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech and JFK’s inaugural address — also emerge.

Fox’s solo performance in “Oh, Freedom!” is lovely, as is Derby’s “I Have a Dream.” Director Roelker delivers a wonderfully grumpy character as Sam, and Bryan Colley’s recitation of the Gettysburg Address, draws tears. 

For the grand finale, the cast pays tribute to branches of the U.S. Military — the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps, — by performing excerpts of their service songs and asking veteran audience members to rise and accept tribute. 

There may have been some uneven performances and jitters affecting the pace on Opening Night (and the choreography was a little shaky), but lovely voices raised in patriotic songs and the benefit of years of stage experience overshadowed any hiccups. 

To date, both the original and the musical adaptation of “We The People” have been licensed to schools and community theaters across the country. It is particularly fitting in this year 2026 to showcase the qualities that truly make our nation great as billions of Americans celebrate the country’s Semiquincentennial. 

And it is humbling to realize that GCT’s delightful ensemble has lived decades of American history.

Presented by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Services, Inc., Englewood, Colorado, “We The People The Musical” continues through March 8th at Gettysburg Community Theatre, 49 York Street. Performances are 7 p.m. Fridays and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. General admission is $20. For tickets and more information, visit gettysburgcommunitytheatre.org.

This production is made possible, in part, by a Star Grant from the Adams County Arts Council.

GCT’s stated mission is “to inspire creativity and confidence, provide cultural enrichment, and instill a love of the theatre arts in people of ALL ages and abilities through quality education and performance

 This summer, GCT will also present “1776 The Musical” in the spirit of America250. See details on its website.

Photo by Marc Faubel