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A RISING WIND: THE LADY ELGIN

STORY

1 W, 4 M

By Edward Morgan & John Kishline​

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Commissioned by Pier Wisconsin with support from Wisconsin Humanities Council & Irish Fest Foundation

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The wreck of the steamship Lady Elgin in September, 1860, is a story steeped in political and social turmoil on the eve of Civil War. A German reporter, an Irish patriot, a runaway slave, an idealistic sailor and a teenage Milwaukee girl tell their accounts of the ill-fated voyage and surrounding events in a rich and varied tapestry of character, humor and suspense.

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Published in The Irish American Post, Vol 11, Issue 1

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PRODUCTIONS

  • Milwaukee Public Television (Broadcast 2011)

  • Theatre MXT at Best Place Tavern (2011)

  • JM Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI (2011)

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READINGS

  • Irish Fest, Milwaukee (2005)

  • Madison Historical Society, Madison, WI (2005)

  • Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc, WI (2005)

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REVIEWS

At the Kohler Arts Center

“Morgan and Kishline have done a really good job of mixing historical perspective with a larger story of the Lady Elgin in a way that doesn’t compromise characterization and the simple art of storytelling. This is a very compelling drama.”     

- Shepherd Express

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At Best Place Tavern

“Amidst the warmth of carved wood, the hush of the stage lights and the distant murmur of patrons in another section of the bar, the story took hold. Morgan and Kishline deliver setting, style and personality quite well in a series of monologues performed by five different characters. The organic, period feel of the performance and tastefully iconic period costume design were surprisingly effective at giving the feel of day-to-day life a century and a half ago.”

- ExpressMilwaukee.com

 

“The Lady Elgin Sails Again . . . a snapshot of the psyche of Wisconsin on the verge of the Civil War."

- OnMilwaukee.com  

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