Veteran actor will portray Civil War general in Naperville
Despite a reputation as a bloodthirsty general, Ulysses S. Grant detested blood.
Among other things, he refused to eat meat unless it was charred, veteran actor Terry Lynch discovered in his four months of research on the “Hero of Appomattox,” the Union general who led the North to victory in the Civil War.
Personal details like that will inspire Lynch's portrayal of the former president at a History Speaks lecture at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 8, at Naper Settlement, at 523 S. Webster St., Naperville.
“He was a gentler man than people realize,” Lynch, 48, said.
During an interactive, first-person presentation, Lynch will select members of the audience to help him convey Grant's relationships with his wife, classmates at the U.S. Military Academy and the man who attended his wedding and would later serve under Gen. Robert E. Lee for the Confederate South.
It's a presentation that ignores the battles and the military strategies in favor of exploring the war's polarizing effect on relationships.
“We're connecting people with the past,” said Cindy Lackore, Naper Settlement's lead museum educator who's designed the lecture series lineup since 2003. “It's not all dates and places. It's about people.”
The series is an opportunity to answer the if-you-could-have-dinner-with-anyone question, she said.
“It's a whole ambience of being in somebody else's presence who maybe you've always wanted to meet,” Lackore said.
Lynch, who aims to educate his audience about history through acting for his company, Histories for Kids, will portray Grant in Naperville months after the 150th anniversary of the start of the war.
And Lynch's focus on the human aspects of Grant's life — like his embarrassments in business and in presidential scandals — holds a contemporary message.
“He failed at so many things,” Lynch said. “Yet he saved the union. You have to overcome your obstacles.”
The series continues Feb. 12 with Max and Donna Daniels performing as Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Lincoln. For music aficionados, Brian “Fox” Ellis will sing Gaelic folk songs March 11.
Actress Lynn Rymarz will detail the spunky story of the Unsinkable Molly Brown April 1, and Jenny Riddle will dramatize the songs of “Mary Poppins” as actress Julie Andrews May 13. The series wraps up June 10 with Ellis chanting traditional Native American songs.
Advance tickets are $6 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets purchased at the door are $7 for adults and $6 for students. For details, visit www.napersettlement.org.
If you go
What: History Speaks lecture on Ulysses S. Grant
When: 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 8
Where: Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville
Cost: Advanced tickets are $6 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets purchased at the door are $7 for adults and $6 for students.
Info: (630) 420-6010 or napersettlement.org