The first Missouri newspaper was published 200 years ago this Saturday.
Joseph Charless published the Missouri Gazette in St. Louis on July 12, 1808.
Marking the 200th anniversary of this event, The State Historical Society of Missouri’s MoHiP Theatre and Missouri Press Association are collaborating to present a readers’ theatre performance which focuses on Charless, the “Father of Missouri Journalism.”
The play, written by Boonville playwright Mary Barile, is drawn from Missouri newspapers published between 1808 to 1858 and collected and preserved at the State Historical Society.
A cast of area journalists will serve as readers including:
• Jim Steele, Editor-Publisher of The Fayette Advertiser and The Democrat-Leader.
• Bob Priddy, Missourinet and Across Our Wide Missouri.
• Jim Robertson, Columbia Daily Tribune.
• Darren Hellwege, KBIA 91.3 FM radio.
• Ben Friesen, University of Missouri media
• Gloria Dossett, Univ. of Missouri Department of Theater.
Music will be performed by folk musicians, Cathy Barton and Dave Para.
Tickets will be sold at the door: $5 for adults and $2.50 for children ages 10 and under.
The State Historical Society’s Missouri History in Performance (MoHiP) Theatre is dedicated to inspiring people of all ages to learn history through the medium of the theatre.
The brainchild of playwright Mary Barile, MoHiP crafts scripts from historical primary resources, such as personal letters, newspaper stories, and nineteenth-century plays, to bring to life the stories that make up Missouri’s history. Using the flexibility of the reader’s theatre concept, the productions use minimal sets and three to five trained performers do the reading, which is generally forty-five minutes to an hour in length.
For more information contact Christine Montgomery at 800-747–6366.
© Copyright 2002-2005 by Wood Creek Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
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