Following a successful debut in 2013, the Drums Along the Mohawk Outdoor Drama is expanding its performance schedule to four shows for 2014 at Gelston Castle Estate, 980 Robinson Road, Mohawk, NY.
Kyle Jenks, the writer and producer of Drums Along the Mohawk Outdoor Drama used the plotline from the famous novel Drums Along the Mohawk by Walter D. Edmonds and adapted it for the outdoor stage.
Drums Along the Mohawk Outdoor Drama tells the story of Gil and Lana Martin, a young couple who settle in the Mohawk Valley of upstate NY to raise a family in 1777, only to find they are right in the pathway of the American Revolution. The show opens Saturday, August 2nd, 2014 and will also run on Sunday, August 3rd and the following weekend (August 9-10). Performance times are: Saturdays at 5:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm.
The outdoor drama is also the story of a local national hero Nicholas Herkimer, the namesake of Herkimer County, and a patriot of Palatine German descent who carved out a successful livelihood despite living on the edge of the frontier. The strife amongst colonial neighbors in the Mohawk Valley of upstate NY was vehement and sets up several flashpoints that spark an eventual conflagration of ongoing valley conflict throughout the war.
“By holding our outdoor drama at Gelston Castle Estate, we have the perfect venue to tell our story,” Jenks told The New York History Blog. “One hallmark feature of a great outdoor drama is the unique way in which the story and the site are inextricably intertwined. Historic Gelston Castle Estate is located at the epicenter of the hotbed of American Revolutionary War activity.”
“On the surface, it tells the story of American Revolutionary War General Nicholas Herkimer and the peoples of the Mohawk Valley during the year 1777,” Jenks said. “On a deeper level, it has all the elements of a quintessential dramatic tale, with one powerful exception: It is essentially a true story.”
An overnight, guided bus excursion which includes historically relevant stops has been created through a collaborative effort between Jenks and the Historical Society of Rockland County.
The tour departs from and returns to the commuter parking lot on Rt. 303 in West Nyack, NY on August 9th and 10th 2014. Parking is free at the commuter lot. Registrations for the bus tour can be made by visiting www.rocklandhistory.org or calling (845) 634-9629.
Deadline for tour registration is June 30, 2014. Price is all inclusive except for a “bring your own lunch” to be eaten on the bus Saturday. The historical Society of Rockland County is located at 20 Zukor Rd, New City, NY 10956.
For more information about the drama can be found at www.datmod.com. Visit www.facebook.com/drumsalongthemohawk to follow the behind the scenes activity.
For more information on the performance venue, visit www.GelstonCastleEstate.com.
These people do a great job. the costumes, especially the Native Americans in war paint, are great. Bring a comfortable lawn chair or blankets. Try to see if you can do it on a weekend when there may be an on-sight reenactment going on. That added greatly to my enjoyment, and was just lucky on my part. Try to combine it with a visit to Johnstown and the Loyalist baronet’s estate there.
A second venue just south of Lake George features an outdoor performance of “Last of the Mohicans.” The night I went was rained out by a thunder storm, and after four unsuccessful attempts to get a rain check for a future showing, i gave up. left a very bad taste in my mouth. THEY canceled for safety reasons at the thunder and lightning, and told me a receipt would be sent, but, after asking multiple times, it was clear they would not give my money back, or provide ticket to a different night. I won’t try it again – if they are still in business,. Go at your own risk.
Thank you Bob for those kind and generous words! I hope you can make it back this year. Some exciting changes are in store for our audience this year!