From notes by Ron Duquette written for the program for the play as presented on September 8, 2017
So, why a play about Plattsburgh and, more generally, about the War of 1812?
Originally, its focus was on the period after the burning of Washington (August 23-24, 1814) to Madison's receipt of the Treaty at the Octagon House (February 16, 1815), with a singular emphasis on Plattsburgh's victory as THE event that tipped the balance toward peace. It was with that in mind that the original, shorter play was written and premiered in Plattsburgh City Hall in September 2016, specifically tailored for your event.
However, the surprising (at least to us) success of the play here and elsewhere (the New York Museum of Military History in Saratoga Springs, and at Cape Vincent) suggested that a more extended treatment of how we got into the War and, eventually, out of it, might be worthy of the public's attention. And so the three of us, Kyle Jenks (Madison), Vince Puliafico (John Quincy Adams), and myself (Gallatin) bent our efforts in that direction.
This was never intended to be an exhaustive examination, by any means. You've probably noticed there are substantive gaps in the timeline - e.g., from June 1812 to March 1813, and again from July 1813 to July 1814. This is not to suggest that nothing happened; a great deal did. BUT, what happened, while germane to the overall progress of the War itself, was not as important as those matters covered in the play.
Our hope, is to encourage you to learn more about one of America's "forgotten wars." "Forgotten" does not make it "unimportant". We sincerely hope we inspire you to go discover more about this “forgotten” War.
The video trailer above is posted on YouTube for viewing. It includes a discussion of the play and the War of 1812 by Ron Duquette, who originally authored the script and portrayed Albert Gallatin on September 8, 2017 and September 9, 2016 when the play was presented at the Plattsburgh City Hall in Plattsburgh, New York.