John Katz (left) briefed Selectmen Steve Zemo, Barbara Manners, and Rudy Marconi during the final preparations for the reenactment. John served on the organizing committee for the Town Meeting, and also played the part of patriot farmer Silas Hull, who argued, "It’s freedom or slavery, freedom or slavery. For they always be Lords seeking your blood and your sweat and your land. You can give them no quarter."
Militia Captain Timothy Benedict, played by RHS junior Craig McGowan (photo, right), kicked off the debate by offering the motion "I move that this meeting does, upon reconsideration, disannul the resolves entered into and passed on the 30th of January, 1775 and adopt and approve of the Continental Congress and the measures directed to in their association for securing and defending the rights and liberties of the united American colonies."
Militia officer Philip Burr Bradley, played by Bob Jewell (left), explains the effect pf Benedict's resolution, "with this vote, we would reverse our vote of January 30th, which resolved in part that we “acknowledge his most Sacred Majesty King Goerge the third to be our rightful sovereign . . . and that we publickly disapprove of and protest against said Continental Congress and the measures by them directed.” So with this resolution we would disapprove our disapproval and agree to support the boycott of British goods.
Mercy Wilson, the wife of French and Indian War Veteran Ezekiel Wilson, played by Jamie Mosedale (right) argued for loyalty. "Mr. Moderator, and I guess I’m a King’s man still. Canada is English now. The French aren’t coming down the river or the lakes with their murdering red devils any more. And a little tax on tea is no price at all to pay for that. No, Mr. Moderator, I don’t think that we should go against the King," she said.
Another Loyalist was Hezekiah Smith, a West Mountain farmer played by Diane Schrier (left). She decried the Boston Tea Party: "It seems to me that the trouble came about when they dumped the tea. The tea was property. Now you wouldn’t take it kindly if somebody was to come storming into your dooryard and dump your corn into Mamanasco, and pour your milk down the brook, and turn your hogs loose in the woods. No sir, you wouldn’t take kindly to it. You’d go to the authorities and ask for protection. Now that’s what the King is doing in Boston. He’s protecting property, and by doing that he’s protecting property everywhere, including property in Ridgefield. I say we’ve got to help the King, not hinder him."
Fulling mill owner Hugh Cain, from East of Great Swamp, played by RHS history student Mike Short (right), spoke disparagingly of the Loyalist speakers. "First we hear from a fence sitter, then we hear from a tightwad, then from an old soldier who never got over hearing the drums roll, then from a scaredy cat. Don’t you people have eyes and ears? Who shut up Boston, so they’re about to starve? Who give Canada back to the Pope? Who closed down the assembly and the town meetings in Massachusetts? Who sent in nine regiments of red coats and quartered them in people’s houses? It was the King that did it, the King and Parliament. All the talk about taxes and drums and property and three pumpkins isn’t going to change that one stinking bit. If you want to stay free, you got to act free. Vote for the Congress, vote for Congress and for Liberty." The stirring call to freedom elicited thunderous applause from a full house.
Tom Elliott (left) played Mr. Burns, a recent Scottish immigrant to Ridgefield. He explained that in Scotland, the lairds owned all property, and explained, "You ken I been from Scotland but a wee time and some o’ you would hae me a stranger yet. Aye. so be it. But I hae some things to say you dinna ken. I hae in Ridgefield, like monny a mon, lond o’ my own. you dinna ken what it means to hae lond ‘til you ham it. In Scotland, bonnie land though she be, yell no hae lond o’ yer own for tis all held by the Lairds. Aye, ‘tis all held by the Lairds. Ye’ll rent lond and yer a crofter and the Lairdll pipe you wit yer claymore to ‘his banner when there be fighting a foot n tax you when there beandt. Ye’ll nae sit in meeting like a’ this. Ye’ll touch yer forelock and keep clear o’ the sommit streams for the very fish belong to the Laird. reminded everyone that.'Tis not so in Ridgefield. You be free men walking yer am lond and no Laird, no Duke, no Count to say you nay. you be free men with yer am lond. Keep it that way, Laddies. Pray God you keep it that way." Tom affected an extremely authentic-sounding brogue for the role.
There were some key "behind-the-scenes" roles too. RHS history student Katie Boucher served the critical role of microphone handler. The 21st Century technology was dubbed a "talking stick" when it was necessary to remind cast members to speak into the mike. Katie did a fabulous job of following the script and anticipating where the mikes would be needed next.
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