Donning 18th-century
attire, four faculty members will once again channel their inner Founding Fathers as
part of Constitution Day activities at IUP on Monday, September 14, 2015,
from 6:00–7:30 p.m. in the Ohio Room of the HUB.
This conversation
with the Founders about their work during the Constitutional Convention of 1787
will be lead off this semester’s Six O’Clock Series. The event is co-sponsored by the Center for
Student Life, the College of Humanities, and the Department of Political
Science.
“We often hear
politicians and pundits claim to know what the authors of the Constitution
intended to accomplish,” said Gwen Torges, a Political Science faculty member
and coordinator of Constitution Day events at IUP. “So I thought it would be fun and interesting
to ask them—directly.”
This will be the 10th
time that IUP has hosted one or more Founding Father as part of its efforts to
raise awareness about the U.S. Constitution in celebration of Constitution Day
(the day in 1787 when the Constitution was signed and sent to the states for
ratification). For the past several
years, four Founders have shared their insights with IUP students: Ben Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Charles
Pinckney, and James Madison, portrayed by Political Science faculty members
David Chambers, Steve Jackson, and Mac Fiddner and History faculty member Joe
Mannard, respectively.
Portraying a
Founding Father can be both fun and intimidating.
“Portraying Alexander
Hamilton has been a fascinating and fun journey,” said Jackson, who has
played the role of Hamilton for the past eight years. “I must say that I have become much more
sympathetic to him over the years of research and acting the role. The United States today is closest to
Hamilton’s vision of what America would become, though not always in a positive
way.”
Having knowledge of what went on at the Constitutional
Convention isn’t the only challenge of portraying a Founding Father.
“The costume can be unbearably hot, the waistcoat cinches me
in a most uncomfortable way, and the wig itches, but I eagerly anticipate the
opportunity each year,” said Chambers, the first to channel a Founding Father at IUP, starting in 2007.
“It goes without saying that my knowledge
of and appreciation for Ben Franklin’s significant contributions to the
founding of this county have increased dramatically,” said Chambers. “It is the kinship that I have developed with
this endlessly interesting, deeply intelligent man that keep me coming back for
more. The opportunity to ‘inhabit’ Franklin for these short periods has
made me a better teacher, citizen, and person. If I were king of the
forest, every American would be required to read Franklin’s final speech to the
Constitutional Convention every single day. The wisdom contained in that
short address is as relevant and perhaps more relevant today as it was 250
years ago.”
Being cast in the role of Founding Father James Madison has
kept Mannard on his toes for the past nine years.
“Portraying James Madison is always fun,” said Mannard, “but
it also can be a bit daunting because one feels obligated to be ready to answer
in character most any question the audience may ask. Fortunately, my colleagues
from Political Science always have my back if I run into any difficulty. A good example of the type of interdependence and cooperation between
independent personalities that was required to frame the Constitution in the
first place.”