Lincoln, The Great Communicator tours the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area

SPRINGFIELD - Looking for Lincoln will host Lincoln, The Great Communicator in eight (8) Looking for Lincoln Communities around the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area. The performance combines live period music with conversation and narrative by President Lincoln (using Lincoln’s own words) to explore Lincoln’s use of communication as a personal and political tool and features Lincoln impersonator George Buss and Illinois folk musician and folklorist Chris Vallillo.

The eight performances will be held winter/spring 2020 at the following locations:

• Thursday, February 20, 2020, Illinois College, Jacksonville, 7 PM

McGaw Fine Arts Center, Sibert Theatre

Address: 1101 W College Ave, Jacksonville, IL 62650

• Saturday, March 28, 2020, Reddick Mansion, Ottawa, 6 PM

Address: 100 W. Lafayette St. Ottawa, IL 61350

• Sunday, April 19, 2020, Museum of the Grand Prairie, Mahomet, 2 PM

Address: 950 N. Lombard St. Mahomet, IL 61853

• Sunday, May 3, 2020, The Eagle Performing Arts & Conference Center, Pontiac, 2 PM

Address: 319 N. Plum St. Pontiac, IL 61764

• Thursday, May 7, 2020, The Legacy Theater, Carthage, 7 PM

Address: 1160 Buchanan Carthage, IL 62321

• Saturday, May 9, 2020, Decatur Public Library, Decatur, 1 PM

Address: 130 N. Franklin St. Decatur, IL 62523

• Thursday, May 21, 2020, Freeport Public Library, Freeport, 6:30 PM

Address: 100 E. Douglas St. Freeport, IL 61032

• Saturday, May 30, 2020, Lincoln Heritage Museum, Lincoln, 2 PM

Address: 1115 Nicholson Rd. Lincoln, IL 62656

All performances are free and open to the public. Lincoln, The Great Communicator is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

“This performance provides an engaging way for visitors to learn more about Abraham Lincoln and the work of Looking for Lincoln and the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area in telling that story,” said Executive Director, Sarah Watson.

This is a collaborative project involving Looking for Lincoln, Chris Vallillo, George Buss, and key partners in the eleven Gateway Communities.

This theatrical style performance is presented as a casual conversation between President Lincoln and Vallillo discussing Lincoln's gifts as a communicator and way he used those skills for the betterment of mankind throughout his lifetime. In the midst of the conversation, Vallillo will perform period music on guitar, bottleneck slide Dobro, banjo and jaw harp to illustrate Lincoln’s point and the President will quote passages from some of his favorite speeches.

Lincoln lived in a time when the power of mass communication was just beginning to come of age and his mastery of those skills would play a large role in his ultimate success as a leader. Traditional means of mass communication like books and popular music would be augmented by the rise of the Industrial revolution, steam powered printing presses, the telegraph, photography and improved transportation systems like steamboats and railroads. Those attending will have the opportunity to learn more about Looking for Lincoln and the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area.

The Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition is the coordinating entity for the 43-county Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area. It is a partnership of organizations and individuals dedicated to enhancing the communities and landscapes of central Illinois through recognition and support of their significant natural, cultural and historical legacies. Few individuals have so profoundly influenced American history as did Abraham Lincoln. Millions around the world are inspired by the story of Lincoln’s rise from humble beginnings to President of the United States, his qualities of integrity and courage and his decisive leadership – traits that carried a fragile nation through one of its most trying periods.

For more information about the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition and the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, go to www.lookingforlincoln.com.

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