BATAVIA, NY – A casualty of the pandemic, Rudely Stamp’d’s production of “Now We Stand by Each Other Always” had a great three-year run touring the eastern United States from New York to Florida between 2017 and 2020. After a long hiatus, Rudely Stamp’d has revived “Now We Stand…” with a performance at the Main Street 56 Theater in Batavia on September 20th at 7:00 PM with other tour dates to follow.
Written and directed by Derek Maxfield, a history professor at a local community college, the three-act play “Now We Stand by Each Other Always” features a series of conversations between Union generals Ulysses S. Grant – played by Derek Maxfield – and William Tecumseh Sherman during the Civil War. Much of the dialog is drawn from historic sources and seeks to capture the evolving relationship between the generals over the course of the conflict with scenes featuring conversations at Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1863, Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1864 and City Point, Virginia in 1865 – just weeks before Lee’s surrender to Grant at Appomattox Court House.
The reboot also features a new face. During the pre-pandemic run, Tracy Ford brilliantly played the part of Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman. The role will now be filled by Daniel Snyder, a professor at a local community college. Folks might remember Dan from his role in “Brothers at Odds” about the Brisbane family of Batavia. Dan played the eccentric Albert Brisbane, whom he also portrays for the Batavia Cemetery’s annual ghost walk.
In addition to Maxfield as Grant and Snyder as Sherman, the play also features a supporting cast featuring Jess Maxfield as Julia Grant and a special appearance by Thomas Schobert as Gen. John A. Rawlins
Tickets are available through the Main Street 56 Theater box office at https://our.show/nowwestand-2024. For more information, contact Derek Maxfield at ddmaxfieldhistorian@gmail.com.