PARADE Study Guide by Meghan Randolph

A murder. An outsider. The case that enraged a nation.

PARADE Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown Book by Alfred Uhry

PARADE is made possible by generous support from

Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown Book by Alfred Uhry Directed by Meghan Randolph Music Direction by Jakob Aebly Choreography by Marin Johnson July 26, 27, 28 and August 2, 3, and 4 at 7:30 pm July 29 at 6:00 pm (Special event with Jewish Federation of Madison) Bartell Theater, 113 E. Mifflin St. Madison, WI 53703 Tickets available online at www.mtmadison.com or by calling 1-800-838-3006. Please see page 14 in this guide for audience information. Educational Guide written by Meghan Randolph

TABLE OF CONTENTS About The Show 2 Synopsis 3-4 The People 5 Timeline of Events 6-7 Economic Issues 8 Racism 9 The Aftermath 10 Leo Frank in the Media 11 Historical Liberties 12 PARADE then and now 13 Audience information 14 About Matthew Bernstein 15 About MTM 16

Parade debuted on Broadway in 1999. The project was a promising one, with a book penned by the famous writer of Driving Miss Daisy and a score by one of New York’s most talked about young composers, Jason Robert Brown. Starring Tony winner Brent Carver as Leo Frank and Carollee Carmello as Lucille, the show featured a cast of nearly 40 actors and an orchestra of 20. It was directed by iconic musical theatre director Harold Prince (Sweeney Todd, The Phantom of the Opera, Evita and many others.) But the piece was plagued with problems. Deemed “the lynching musical” by naysayers, it suffered lukewarm reception in Broadway’s tourist market and was damaged greatly when the producer filed for bankruptcy. The show closed after only two months. The Monday after closing the performers gathered to make a cast recording, which may well have been the saving grace of Parade. Musical theatre fans across the world heard the stunning score and fell in love with the story. In spite of its short run, Parade won the Tony for Best Book (script) and Best Score and was soon sent on a national tour. Regional companies began to perform Parade when it became available for licensing, but the show’s need for a huge cast and orchestra made it challenging to do in smaller arenas. Couple the size of the show with the difficulty of marketing an unknown piece, and the show was not a popular commodity in many areas. Then, in 2007, famed choreographer Rob Ashford presented a vision for a smaller Parade...one that was character and story driven rather than large and spectacular as the Broadway verison had been. Brown and Uhry reunited, wrote new songs, added and omitted characters, and condensed the orchestra to 8. In the production, Ashford also had actors double in the various roles, performing it with a cast of only 15 people. The show opened at the Donmar Warehouse in London, a venue with only 250 seats. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Eventually the revised version transferred to Los Angeles where it was equally well received. A new cast recording was made which included most of the show’s dialogue. In 2009, the revised version became the only version available for companies to legally perform. The smaller needs and Ashford’s directorial concept endeared the show to theatres who wanted to take a risk. Setting one of history’s most provocative cases to music may seem like an odd choice. But with Brown’s exquisite music and Uhry’s expert storytelling, it has proven to be one of the most powerful pieces of musical theatre ever written. 2

ACT ONE Our story begins in Marietta, GA, 1862. A young confederate soldier carves the names of himself and his love, Lila, into the trunk of a majestic oak tree. He declares that he goes proudly to fight for “The Old Red Hills of Home” and that he will return to a South where values and dignity have been restored. 51 years later, in 1913, it is Confederate Memorial Day in Atlanta, GA, 20 miles from Marietta. The same soldier, now the prominent Judge Leonard Roan, recalls the Southern pride which has not faded even with the loss of the Civil War and the passing of time. The citizens of Atlanta, including beloved Governor John Slaton, join together to honor those who fought in the war. Meanwhile, in a bedroom nearby, Jewish, Brooklyn born Leo Frank, a factory superintendent, prepares for a day of work. This is met with the chagrin of his wife Lucille, who wants to celebrate Confederate Memorial Day with a picnic. Leo brushes her off and leaves, navigating through the town square. He sees the citizens of Atlanta celebrating and laments that he is out of place in the South, wondering “How Can I Call This Home?” Frankie Epps, a teenaged boy, finds his crush, 13 year-old Mary Phagan, traveling to the pencil factory where she works to pick up her pay. He invites her to “The Picture Show” and she coyly says no, saying that she’s not allowed to go to the pictures with a boy until she’s 16. We next see Leo Frank at work paired with Lucille Frank in her bedroom. Leo meticulously works in a ledger as Lucille wonders why she is so discontented, as she has a respectable husband and life. (“Leo At Work/ What Am I Waiting For?) Mary Phagan arrives at the factory to pick up her pay. She and Leo have a brief exchange and she goes. Early the next morning two police officers ring the Franks’ doorbell, insisting that Leo come with them to the factory immediately. “A tragedy has occurred,” one says. At the police station, African American night watchman Newt Lee tries to recall the traumatic events of the past evening, when he discovered a small body dead in the factory basement. (“I Am Trying To Remember”). The police officers show Leo the body and he is visibly shaken, identifying her as the girl who came to get her pay the day before-Mary Phagan. Their suspicions are immediately aroused at Leo’s extreme reaction, and Leo soon realizes that the officers suspect him of killing young Mary. Frank is taken into custody. Solicitor General Hugh Dorsey makes the announcement that Mary Phagan has been killed and that two suspects, Leo Frank and Newt Lee, are being held for questioning. Lucille visits a tremendously upset Leo in prison, where he assures her that he will be home by suppertime.

At Mary Phagan’s funeral, Frankie Epps laments the passing of his young friend, singing “It Don’t Make Sense”. Frankie vows revenge on the man who took Mary’s life. Tom Watson, a political zealot, sings a “Lullaby” to young Mary’s grave. Governor Slaton insists that Hugh Dorsey convict one of the suspects he has in custody. After questioning Newt Lee, Dorsey lets him go and proclaims Leo Frank the killer. Leo makes him uneasy. (“Somethin’ Ain’t Right”). Outside, reporter Britt Craig is ecstatic at the sudden turn of events and the journalistic opportunities the Frank case is affording him. Rumors abound, encouraged by Dorsey, who meets with Jim Conley, the African American janitor at the pencil factory. Dorsey begins to coach Conley, whose criminal record is substantial, on what to say about Frank when he is eventually put on the witness stand. Lucille Frank is ambushed by reporters and citizens on her way to visit Leo. She pleads with Britt Craig to try to see the other side of the story (“You Don’t Know This Man”). In Leo’s cell, Lucille tells Leo she’s not sure she can stand being at the trial. “You have to be there,” Leo says simply. As the trial begins, Tom Watson incites the rage of the town, insisting that they are going to swing the “Hammer of Justice”. Hugh Dorsey gives compelling opening statement, telling the story of a family forced to move from Marietta to Atlanta so that their children could work in a factory. (“Twenty Miles From Marietta”). Frankie Epps testifies that Mary told him Leo Frank flirted with her and made her feel uncomfortable at work (“Frankie’s Testimony”) and three girls from the pencil factory concur. (“The Factory Girls/Come Up To My Office”). The Frank’s maid, Minola McKnight, testifies that Leo was agitated the day of the murder. (“Minola’s Testimony”). Mrs. Phagan, Mary’s mother, identifies the clothes in which Mary was murdered, and sings tenderly “My Child Will Forgive Me”, spitting her hatred for Leo and his religion at the end. Finally, Jim Conley is called to testify, and tells a damning story of Leo encouraging him to watch the door while Leo took factory girls into his office. One day, Conley says, Frank yelled for Jim to come in and help him dispose of Mary’s body, expressing no sorrow for what he had done (“That’s What He Said”). An outraged courtroom audience calls for Leo Frank’s death. Quietly, Leo gives a statement, saying “It’s Hard To Speak My Heart”, and insisting upon his innocence. Dorsey prevails, as the jury declares Leo Frank guilty of murder and Judge Roan sentences him to death by hanging. The town rejoices in a surreal cakewalk as Lucille and Leo cling to one another

ACT TWO Though the trial is over, Leo Frank’s case has attracted the attention of the entire country, many of whom believe justice was not carried out. The case is inciting a great deal of controversy. Governor Slaton tells his wife Sally that he has been unable to sleep because of the uproar over how the trial was conducted, in the midst of political strategy and antiSemitism. Meanwhile, Newt Lee talks to a fellow factory employee and they discuss how disgruntled everyone is over this case because it is a white woman, while crimes such as this take place in the black community and are usually ignored. (Rumblin’ and A Rollin’). In Leo’s cell, Lucille Frank pleads with her husband to let her help him. She has been talking to reporters and making the case for Leo’s innocence. He brushes her off once again, insisting he does not need her help. Fed up, Lucille sings “Do It Alone”, sarcastically agreeing with Leo that he doesn’t need her, even though people are calling for his death and his appeals have been denied. She changes course and begs him to let her help. “I want you to come home,” she pleads. At the Governor’s mansion, the Slatons are having an afternoon tea dance. Slaton dances and flirts with various girls, eventually finding the perfect partner in his wife (Pretty Music.) Tom Watson approaches Hugh Dorsey, praising him on his handling of the Frank case and declaring “We are going to make you Governor of Georgia.” Lucille arrives at the mansion and confronts Slaton, insisting that he reopen her husband’s case. When he refuses, she says he is either a fool or a coward. Struck by these words, Slaton begins to ponder the situation once again. While out fishing with Hugh Dorsey, Judge Roan, the presiding judge over Leo’s case, presents himself as Dorsey’s political ally. He extols the virtues of the South, saying “Change isn’t bad, but change should go slow,” and assuring Dorsey that the people of Georgia need a man who is strong in his Southern values, not one who will upend tradition as Slaton is about to do (The Glory) . Back in Leo’s cell, Leo receives word that Lucille has convinced the Governor to reopen his case. Ecstatic, Leo writes to her, proclaiming “This Is Not Over Yet” and marveling that he ever considered trying to fight back without his amazing wife. Slaton and Lucille begin to reexamine the case. They question the factory girls, who admit that Dorsey had told them what to say about Leo harassing them. Minola McKnight then admits that she was threatened by Dorsey and told to sign a piece of paper she couldn’t read. Slaton then goes to visit Jim Conley, now serving a year on the chain gang as an accessory to Mary Phagan’s murder. Slaton points out some testimony that Conley gave which had been found to be false. Slightly shaken and changing his attitude, Conley sticks by his story but shows his true colors. (Blues/Feel The Rain Fall).

Conley gave which had been found to be false. Slightly shaken and changing his attitude, Conley sticks by his story but shows his true colors. (Blues/Feel The Rain Fall). Slaton reluctantly prepares to inform the citizens of Atlanta that due to all of the faulty evidence, he has decided to commute Leo’s sentence to life in prison. The citizens, led by Tom Watson and Hugh Dorsey, revolt, calling for justice and burning Slaton in effigy. (Where Will You Stand When The Flood Comes?) Leo has been moved to a minimum security work farm, where Lucille visits him with a picnic. After bribing the guard with liquor, the couple are able to spend the afternoon in each other’s arms. Leo laments that he spent so much time pushing Lucille away, and Lucille expresses her thanks that the two now have a chance to move forward. (All The Wasted Time). That night, as Leo sleeps, a crowd knocks out the guard and kidnaps Leo from his prison bed. They drive him to the large oak tree in Marietta, bearing the initials of Leonard Roan and his love, Lila, and tell him they will carry out his sentence if Slaton won’t. Leo insists upon his innocence and says a quiet prayer (Sh’ma) before the group hangs Frank from the tree. Back in Atlanta, it is Confederate Memorial Day of 1915. Reporter Britt Craig arrives at Lucille’s door with Leo’s wedding ring, which he requested be sent to her. When asked if she plans to leave the South after the terrible tragedy, Lucille says she is a Georgia girl and always will be. Craig leaves, and Lucille sings her goodbyes to her beloved husband as the citizens celebrate Confederate Memorial Day once again, forever unyielding in their Southern pride. (Finale). As Lucille looks on, they cheer their newly elected Governor: Hugh Dorsey.

Leo Frank, Superintendent of National Pencil Company. A Brooklyn born Jew.

Lucille Frank, Leo’s devoted Southern wife.

John Slaton, Governor of Hugh Dorsey, Prosecutor Georgia whose in Leo’s case and later commutation of Leo Governor of Georgia. Frank’s sentence cost him his political career.

Mary Phagan, tragically murdered at age 13.

Tom Watson, the political zealot who lead the cause against Frank.

Jim Conley, the janitor whose testimony helped convict Frank. Many believe Conley to have been the actual killer.

Luther Rosser, Leo Frank’s respected but unconventional attorney.

Newt Lee, the night Mrs. Fannie Phagan watchman who Coleman, Mary’s mother. discovered Mary’s body.

Presiding judge Leonard S. Roan

Minola McKnight, The Franks’ maid.

APRIL 26, 1913: Mary Phagan is murdered on Confederate Memorial Day. APRIL 27, 1913: Mary Phagan’s body is discovered. Newt Lee is arrested. Leo Frank is questioned.

APRIL 29, 1913: Mary Phagan’s funeral is held. Leo Frank is arrested. MAY 1913: Police arrest Jim Conley. Leo Frank is indicted for Mary Phagan’s murder. JULY 1913: The trial of Leo Frank begins. AUGUST 1913: Leo Frank is found guilty of the murder of Mary Phagan. He is sentenced to death.

FEBRUARY 1914: Jim Conley is sentenced to one year on the chain gang for being an accessory to the murder. APPEALS: October 31, 1913: Judge Roan denies a motion for a new trial. February 17, 1914: Georgia Supreme Court denies a motion for a new trial. May 6, 1914 : The Fulton County Superior Court denies a request for new trial. The defense appeals to Georgia Supreme Court. October 14, 1914 : The Georgia Supreme Court denies appeal on extraordinary motion for a new trial. November 17, 1914 : The Georgia Supreme Court denies appeal to set aside the original guilty verdict. December 7, 1914 : U.S. Supreme Court denies a request for review of November 17 Georgia Supreme Court ruling. December 28, 1914 : The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear arguments on the issue of due process. 6

FEBRUARY 1915: The Supreme Court begins hearing arguments on Leo Frank’s appeal. APRIL 1915: The Supreme Court rejects the appeal. JUNE 1915: The Georgia Prison Commission denies petition for clemency. Governor John Slaton commutes Frank’s sentence to life in prison. Armed mobs attack Governor Slaton’s home.

JULY 1915: Prisoner William Creen slashes Leo Frank’s throat at Georgia State Prison Farm. Two prisoners, who are doctors, save Frank’s life.

AUGUST 16, 1915: A mob of twenty-five armed men breaks into Georgia State Prison Farm and removes Leo Frank.

AUGUST 17, 1915: The lynch mob hangs Leo Frank, claiming to be carrying out the jury’s verdict.

AFTERMATH: September 2, 1915: The Cobb County grand jury fails to indict anyone for Leo Frank’s lynching. March 6, 1982: Alonzo Mann signs an affidavit asserting Leo Frank’s innocence and Jim Conley’s guilt. January 4, 1983: The Anti-Defamation League applies for a posthumous pardon for Leo Frank. March 11, 1986: The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles issues a pardon to Leo Frank, citing the state’s failure to protect him while in custody or bring his killers to justice.

Timeline from An Unspeakable Crime by Elaine Marie Alphin. 7

THE PROSPERING OF THE RICH Leo Frank was married to Lucille Selig, whose family had founded Atlanta’s first Synagogue and earned their wealth from the family disinfectant manufacturing business. The Franks were active members of Atlanta’s Jewish society, which boasted many who were quite well off. Jews in Atlanta were doctors, lawyers, mill superintendents, bankers and clothing merchants and enjoyed a large portion of the city’s wealth. Leo Frank was president of the local chapter of B’nai Brith. The Jewish community lived and convened in the Washington street Area, lined with lustrous magnolia trees and impressive architecture.

THE SUFFERING OF THE POOR Conversely, the poor were struggling more than ever. Child labor was at an all time high. Many families, including Mary Phagan’s had been forced from tenement farms due to the falling price of cotton and had moved into the cities looking for work. Many children were forced by necessity to quit school and find jobs in factories. Children as young as 8 years old worked long hours under poor conditions for wages of 10 to 15 cents per hour. This 10 to 15 cents did not go very far or last very long, as Atlanta’s cost of living was the second highest in the nation.

In 1913, the wealthy in Atlanta believed that the city was becoming one of the nation’s most prominent metropolises. Real estate became a booming business, particularly in the downtown area, where plots of land were selling for $357,000. Among the wealthiest of Atlanta citizens were Governor -elect John Slaton and his wife Sally. Sally was heir to a $2 million fortune, and Slaton had worked as an attorney for some of the city’s most prominent businesses. The city was progressing in cultural access for the elite as well. April 26, 1913 marked the end of a residency by the New York Metropolitan Opera, who presented 7 shows accompanied by parties and gatherings of Atlanta’s wealthy.

The National Pencil Company in 1913

Child labor was at the forefront of people’s consciousness in 1913 Atlanta. Conferences were held to address the injustice of child labor. The media fed largely into the public’s concern, reporting that Georgia was the only state in America that allowed children so young to work in factories. Most states had a legal minimum age of 12. Mary Phagan’s job was to fasten erasers to the caps of the pencils. She worked 10 to 11 hour shifts, six days a week, for 10 cents per hour. The week of April 26 had been an unfortunate one for Mary. She had been scheduled to work 55 hours, but was called in for only two short periods because a shipment of brass had not come in. Therefore, the money she collected on the day of her death totaled only $1.20. Given the climate of the city at the time of Mary’s murder, Leo’s upper class status did not help his case in the eyes of the Atlanta public. He was seen as the enemy; a rich Jew with ties to Atlanta’s wealthiest citizens, living well on the backs of young girls like Mary. When Mary was murdered in the very horrible place she worked, citizens were outraged.

Sally and John Slaton

Those who maintained Frank’s guilt throughout history have claimed that anti-Semitism had nothing to do with Leo Frank’s conviction. However, there is a great deal of historical evidence to the contrary, detailing the ways in which Jewish people were often discriminated against and resented in Atlanta society. This preconceived dislike of Jewish people bolstered the citizens’ conviction that Frank had committed the murder.

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According to Mary Phagan Kean, Mary Phagan’s great niece, much of the anger about Leo Frank’s commutation was directed at Jews. “During that week,

there were fierce outbursts of anti-Semitism. Jewish businessmen in Atlanta and in Marietta closed their shops. Some of Atlanta’s well-to-do Jewish citizens checked into the city’s hotels and stayed there for the better part of a week.”  Even after Frank’s death, anti-Semitism reigned amongst Atlanta citizens. According to Kean: “In the months following the lynching about three thousand Jews left the State of Georgia. Those who remained—and particularly those in Atlanta—were financially crippled by a huge boycott of Jewish businesses.”

EXAMPLES OF ANTI-SEMITISM BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE LEO FRANK CASE:

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A letter from the preacher at the church where Mary Phagan attended bible school reflected on Leo Frank’s designation as the murderer: “But, when the

police arrested a Jew, and a Yankee Jew at that, all of the inborn prejudice against the Jews rose up in a feeling of satisfaction, that here would be a victim worthy to pay for the crime.”

It is important to note, however, that Anti-Semitism was not the only sort of prejudice that prevailed in the Leo Frank case. Prejudice against African Americans was commonplace in the United State in 1913. They were able to work but were paid less and often treated poorly. When Newt Lee called the police on the night of April 26, 1913 to report the murder, officers assumed the victim was a black child. As the lyric goes in “Rumblin’ and Rollin’” from Parade: “I can tell you this as a matter of fact that the local hotels wouldn’t be so packed if a little black girl had gotten attacked...they’re comin’, they’re comin’ now, yesiree, ’cause a white man gonna get hung, you see. There’s a black man swingin’ in every tree but they don’t never pay attention.”

Kean adds that economic frustration led to anger towards the stereotype of the wealthy Jew. “ [The 

feeling of Anti-Semitism] mounted as resentment of the monies which poured in from Jewish organizations around the country—particularly in the North—to aid in Leo Frank’s defense and subsequent appeals soared.”  Tom Watson, a former congressman and presidential candidate, insisted upon Frank’s guilt, publishing numerous articles in his widely read The Jeffersonian and Watson’s Magazine, including one called “The Official Record in the Case of Leo Frank, Jew Pervert.” In it, Watson uses the term “Jew” in a derogatory manner, not only to describe Frank but to describe other Jewish figures he disagrees with. Among many of his choice phrases are “Jew Jackass”, “Rich Jews” and refers to “Jewish arrogance” and “Jew -owned papers.” 5 To this day, a bronze statue of Watson is still erected on the lawn of the Georgia State Capitol.

An interesting case of racism arose in the public’s reaction to Jim Conley’s testimony. One of the more remarkable aspects of the Leo Frank case was that a white man was convicted largely from the testimony of a black man. Southerners, in a time of great racial prejudice, believed Jim Conley’ story. Their reasoning was that they didn’t believe a black man could make the story up, much less remain consistent when questioned by the defense. It is a strange case of racism where the prejudice against one minority worked in that minority’s favor, and in which the belief of the incapability of a certain race as a benefit of the doubt was actually racist toward not one but two ethnicities. Jim Conley was a frequent, proven, and admitted liar.

The Anti-Defamation League The Anti-Defamation League was founded in 1913 in response to the anti-Semitism surrounding Leo Frank’s case. Originally founded simply to help put a stop to prejudice against Jews, the Anti-Defamation League, now 99 years only, currently works toward ending all types of bigotry and protecting civil rights. Read more about the Anti-Defamation League and their work at www.adl.org.

Atlanta Journal Constitution, November 28, 1915

The Ku Klux Klan Sadly, the Leo Frank case also assisted in reigniting the fire of the Ku Klux Klan. The Klan had first flourished during the Civil War and died out in the 1870s. In 1915, the members of the lynching party, who called themselves “The Knights of Mary Phagan”, attended a cross burning at Stone Mountain near Atlanta. The burning of the cross and the use of rules and terms coined by the Ku Klux Klan led to this group becoming more prevalent, eventually hitting it’s peak in the 1920s.

In 1982, the Leo Frank case came back into public view thanks to Leo Frank’s office boy, Alonzo Mann. Mann signed an affidavit stating that he had seen Jim Conley carrying Mary Phagan’s body on the afternoon of April 26, 1913. While not being absolute proof of Conley’s guilt, Mann’s statement (verified by a lie detector test), indicated that Jim Conley had lied yet again about what had happened that day at the factory. Conley testified that he had taken Mary Phagan to the basement in the elevator, a fact which had been in dispute for other reasons. Mann said that when he saw Jim with the body, Conley threatened to kill Mann if he said anything. Terrified and encouraged by his family to keep quiet, Mann kept his secret for nearly seventy years. While the statement presented some questions, Leo Frank’s story was suddenly thrust back into the public eye. It didn’t necessarily prove Frank’s innocence but it raised new questions surrounding the case. Jim Conley had testified that he had taken Mary Phagan to the basement in the elevator. If that was the case, why did Alonzo allegedly see him on the first floor carrying Mary’s body? And if Conley had done nothing wrong but was only assisting in getting rid of the corpse, as he had stated, why would he threaten the boy?

Alonzo Mann during the trial

Soon after Mann’s admission, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles was petitioned by the Anti-Defamation League and a local attorney, who were seeking a pardon for Leo Frank. The pardon was denied in 1983, largely due to the fact that much of the original records and evidence had been lost and the board felt they could not thoroughly review the information. They also felt that Mann’s testimony was not sufficient to fully exonerate Frank, and in order to grant a pardon the innocence of the accused must be established without question. A second petition by Frank supporters requested the that the state acknowledge its role in Frank’s death. In 1986, a pardon was granted, stating: “Without attempting to address the question of guilt or innocence, and in recognition of the State's failure to protect the person of Leo M. Frank and thereby preserve his opportunity for continued legal appeal of his conviction, and in recognition of the State's failure to bring his killers to justice, and as an effort to heal old wounds, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, in compliance with its Constitutional and statutory authority, hereby grants to Leo M. Frank a Pardon.” 10

Given its fascinating storyline, the Leo Frank story has been the basis for or inspired fictional accounts of several films and TV movies. “The Gunsaulus Mystery” (1921), later remade as “Murder in Harlem” (1935)

African American filmmaker Oscar Micheaux took the Leo Frank case and used it as inspiration for these films, which focused more on prejudices against African Americans and instances of minorities (A Jewish man and a black man) being forced to testify against each other. The storylines are quite similar-a girl is murdered in a factory and the hunt for her killer ensues. Sadly, there is no known existing print of The Gunsaulus Mystery.

“They Won’t Forget” (1937)

Hailed as one of the best dramas of the 1930s, They Won’t Forget is very closely inspired by the Leo Frank case and looks at the story from the point of view of the prosecutor who is charged with finding a scapegoat for the crime. They Won’t Forget also marked the film debut of Lana Turner, who played the murder victim.

“Profiles in Courage: John M. Slaton” (1964)

This one hour television program focused its attention on the dilemma facing John Slaton when faced with the controversy surrounding Leo Frank’s case. The show was presented through historical re-enactments. Walter Matthau played John Slaton. Walter Matthau as Slaton

“The Murder of Mary Phagan”, 1987 Winner of the Emmy for Outstanding Miniseries, The Murder of Mary Phagan boasts a cast of outstanding actors, many of whom went on to great fame and success. Focusing partly on the career of John Slaton, the film stars Jack Lemmon as the ill-fated Governor. Also starring were Richard Jordan as Hugh Dorsey, Peter Gallagher as Leo Frank, Robert Prosky as Tom Watson, Rebecca Miller as Lucille Frank, Kevin Spacey as reporter Wes Brent (based on Britt Craig), Charles S. Dutton as Jim Conley, Paul Dooley as William Burns, Cynthia Nixon as Doreen Camp (based on Monteen Stover, named Iola Stover in Parade), Loretta Devine as Annie Maude Carter and William H. Macy (as Randy, a version of George Epps, named Frankie Epps in Parade.) These pieces are described and analyzed in Matthew Bernstein’s Screening A Lynching: The Leo Frank Case on Film and Television. Mr. Bernstein will be in Madison for talkbacks at select performances of Parade. His book is available at amazon.com and other online retailers. See page 15 to learn more.

As with any dramatized account of history, Parade takes some liberties with the Leo Frank story. Here are a few important differences between the actual Frank case and the storyline in Parade. Leo Frank, while awkward, was very much in love with his wife from the outset of the ordeal, as is evidenced by their loving letters to one another. They did in fact grow closer throughout the trial and appeals.

Several key players are left out of the musical, mostly to conserve time and space. Among those who do not appear in the musical are:  Jim Conley’s lawyer William Smith, who later signed a document stating that he believed without a doubt that William Smith Leo Frank was innocent.  William Burns, a Northern private investigator hired to look into Leo’s case.  Alonzo Mann, an office boy who claimed (70 years later) to have seen Jim Conley with Mary’s body.  Annie Maude Carter, an African American woman to whom Conley allegedly confessed murdering Mary Phagan.

In the original Broadway version of Parade, Judge Leonard S. Roan wrote a letter to the Governor, on his death bed, begging the Governor to take another look at the Frank case. This was historically accurate, as Roan did write such a letter. However, for dramatic reasons, Roan’s character became a supporter of Dorsey in the newly revised 2007 version, and the song “Letter to the Governor” was replaced with “The Glory”. Tom Watson, Hugh Dorsey and Governor Slaton were not good friends that associated socially with one another, though Watson did extol Dorsey’s virtues and quickly turn on Slaton via his publications The Jeffersonian and Watson’s

Minola McKnight did not testify at the trial, but signed an affidavit indicating what she had supposedly witnessed in the Frank household on the day of the murder. Newt Lee, however, did testify. His testimony was part of the original production of Parade but was removed from the revised version.

Magazine.

Hugh Dorsey did indeed become Governor of Georgia, but in Parade the timeline is adjusted. Dorsey did not become Governor until 1917. Nathaniel Harris was Governor between the end of John Slaton’s term in 1915 and Dorsey’s election in 1917.

A key piece of evidence during the trial that is left out of the musical was the discovery of two “murder notes “ near Mary Phagan’s body. The muddled handwriting indicated that the “night witch” had committed the crime. (This was originally thought to be “Night watchman”, which is what first shifted suspicion onto Newt Lee). Conley first told police that he hadn’t written the notes because he couldn’t write. He then admitted to lying and testified that Frank had dictated the notes to him after they carried Mary Phagan’s body to the basement. Handwriting and language experts concurred that the style used in the notes was consistent with Conley’s handwriting and manner of speaking. 12

In reality there were more than twenty-five people who kidnapped Leo Frank and lynched him. This of course would be difficult to replicate onstage, so in the musical it is a far smaller number. The list of those who planned and carried out Frank’s murder included current and former public officers, politicians, law enforcement, attorneys, and Phagan family members.

PARADE originally opened on Broadway at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre on December 17, 1998. It played 39 previews and 84 regular performances. A revised script and score premiered at the London’s Donmar Warehouse on September 24, 2007 and ran for two months. In order for an organization to perform a musical, they must obtain a license from a specific agency. This agency also provides the scripts, orchestrations and guidelines for the performance. Changing what they provide is illegal. In 2009, Music Theatre International, the company that licenses Parade, revised their Parade materials to reflect the new, Donmar Warehouse version. This is the version MTM is required by law to perform. The Donmar Warehouse production also featured actors doubling in the various roles. For example, the woman who played Mrs. Phagan also played Sally Slaton, and the man who played the Governor also played Britt Craig. This is one aspect of the new version that MTM is legally allowed to do differently. While we admire Donmar Warehouse director Rob Ashford’s choice, we didn’t think it was right for our show. The MTM production will use one actor for each character for conceptual and practical reasons. The table below outlines the major changes made from the 1998 to 2007 version.

Britt Craig, a reporter, sings the song “Big News” in a drunken stupor, complaining that there is nothing to write about in Atlanta. The song is later repeated, much faster, under the title “Real Big News”, in which Craig rejoices that the Leo Frank case has given him a story to follow at last.

The first version of “Big News” is cut. Jason Robert Brown felt that it painted Britt Craig as a starring character in the show, when his role, while important, is a supporting one. It is still established that Craig was a drunk and that the environment was peaceful, and the song “Real Big News” is still sung.

The trial sequence opens with Fiddlin’ John Carson singing “People of Atlanta” to rile up the townspeople. Fiddlin’ John was an actual performer at the time who wrote the famous ballad “Little Mary Phagan”

Fiddlin’ John does not make an appearance in the new version. Rather, the song leading into the trial and rousing the townspeople is “Hammer of Justice”, sung by political zealot Tom Watson.

There is no mention of Minola McKnight, the African American woman who worked for the Franks.

Minola McKnight testifies at the trial, stating that Mr. Frank made Lucille sleep on the floor and that he rushed home looking “funny” on the day of the murder, refusing to finish his lunch.

Judge Roan writes a letter to the Governor on his death Judge Roan takes the opposite side, encouraging Hugh bed, claiming he does not feel justice was done in the Leo Dorsey to pace himself, adhere to tradition, and take a Frank case and begging the Governor to reexamine the stand as a true patriot of the south. “Letter to the case. He does this in a song simply called “Letter To The Governor” is replaced with Dorsey and Roan singing “The Governor.” Glory”.

SUN

JULY 22

MON

JULY 23

TUES

JULY 24

WED

JULY 25

SPECIAL EVENT 6:00 PM*

JULY 29

JULY 30

JULY 31

AUGUST 1

THURS

FRI

SAT

PERFORMANCE 7:30 PM

JULY 26

JULY 27

JULY 28

PERFORMANCE 7:30 PM

AUGUST 2

AUGUST 3

AUGUST 4

TICKETS FOR JULY 26-28 AND AUGUST 2-4: Tickets are available beginning May 26, 2012. They can be purchased online at www.mtmadison.com or by calling 1-800-838-3006. Tickets purchased online are subject to a small convenience fee. Tickets will also be available at the door beginning one hour prior to the performances. Tickets are $20. TICKETS FOR THE JULY 29th SPECIAL PROGRAM: Tickets for the July 29th special performance are available only to the Jewish Federation of Madison community from May 26 - July 1. The Jewish Federation community should receive a notification with a password for ordering tickets online. Beginning July 2, tickets for the July 29th performance will also be available to the general public. Tickets for the July 29th program and show are $18. *JULY 29 SCHEDULE: 6:00 PM: Pre show overview with Matthew Bernstein, Bob Skloot, and director Meghan Randolph 6:30 PM: Performance of Parade 9:00 PM: Post show discussion session with Matthew Bernstein, Bob Skloot, Meghan Randolph, and the cast. LOCATION: The Bartell Theater is located in downtown Madison just off the Capitol Square. The street address is 113 E. Mifflin St. Parking is available in the garage on the corner of Mifflin and Webster, or on the street. The Bartell has a concession stand with various beverages (soda, lemonade, water, coffee, tea) as well as candy and other snacks. At most performances there is a cash bar with beer and wine. You are permitted to take your refreshments into the theatre! The Bartell Theatre is handicap accessible. If you need assistance, please notify the box office attendant. Should you require special seating, we are happy to accommodate you. E-mail mtmadisoninfo@yahoo.com or call 608-2372524 if (for physical/medical reasons) you require specific seating and would like us to reserve it ahead of time. PARENTAL GUIDELINES: Parade is an extremely educational piece and a rich tale of history. However, the piece contains mild language, mild sexual references (including the implication that an adult man sexually harassed teenaged girls), disturbing content (including the representation of a dead body), and violence (including a lynching). The show runs about 2.5 hours with one intermission. Parents are advised to consider this information when deciding whether to bring their kids. 14

Buy this book! Click here. A native of Long Island, New York, Prof. Bernstein has been teaching film history and criticism at Emory since 1989. His most recent book is Screening a Lynching: The Leo Frank Case on Film and TV, which was a finalist for the Theatre Library Association’s 2010 Richard Wall Memorial Award, recognizing books of “exceptional scholarship in the field of recorded performance”. The book was also named a 2009 “Outstanding Academic Title” by Choice magazine. Bernstein has also written a biography of the classical Hollywood era producer Walter Wanger, edited anthologies on film censorship and Michael Moore, and co-edited anthologies on Orientalism and John Ford’s sound westerns. In Atlanta itself, he has served as host and moderator of The Cinema Club since Fall 1998. For 2011-2012 he served as co-chair of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. Dr. Bernstein received his BA and PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also holds an MFA from Columbia University. He has written extensively on the Leo Frank case. His book Screening A Lynching: The Leo

Frank Case on Film and Television details various accounts of Leo Frank as portrayed in the media, specifically in the films Murder in Harlem, They Won’t Forget, Profiles In Courage: John M. Slaton and The Murder of Mary

Phagan. He has received the Franklin M. Garrett Prize, IMAGE award and Atlanta Jewish Film Festival Award and Katherine Singer Kovacs Essay Award for his various essays about Jewish and racial issues in Atlanta and about the Leo Frank case as portrayed on film. Currently, he is the chair of Film and Media Studies at Emory University in Atlanta.

Dr. Bernstein will be present at select performances the weekend of July 26-29 for talkback sessions with the cast and director. He will be a featured speaker at the July 29th event in association with the Jewish Federation of Madison, and will participate in a group discussion 15

following the performance on that date.

Music Theatre of Madison (MTM) strives to challenge, educate and enrich by performing lesser known pieces that illustrate unique issues, ideas and subject matter. In addition, it strives to provide a quality professional outlet for artists, particularly those who are residents of Madison and the surrounding areas Mark Snowden, George Gonzalez, Lisa MTM was founded by Meghan Randolph in September of 2005 with the goal Spierer and Nick Barsuli in THE GLORIOUS of creating a professional musical theatre company that could present the ONES, a commedia dell’arte musical, 2011 musicals that make audiences think, research and reflect. In an effort to Wisconsin Premiere. compete in an extremely active theatrical market, MTM created a niche for itself by focusing primarily on lesser known musicals, while still looking for thought provoking subject matter.

Since its inception, MTM has presented seven Madison area premieres, three of which were also appearing for the first time in the state of Wisconsin. We have also put an innovative spin on shows like Hair, Assassins, The Sound of Music and The Secret Garden.

Matthew A. Schrader and Zach Woods in THRILL ME: The Leopold and Loeb Story. 2009 Wisconsin Premiere.

What does professional mean in this case? In the theatre world, it has several definitions. To us, it means we make the commitment to share our income with our artists, without whom none of what we do would be possible. We are focused on opportunities for artists who are beginning professional careers, those who would like an opportunity to work with a professionally experienced creative team, and those who formerly had careers but moved to Madison for personal reasons. The opportunity for these types of people to perform is here. We would love to pay more, and are confident that as we grow we'll be able to.

As the fairly new art form of musical theatre progresses, we learn that it has very few boundaries. When done well, a musical can touch hearts and open minds with its blend of great acting, strong writing, beautiful music, and all of the other elements of an excellent theatrical production. MTM strives for that excellence at all times. PLAY A ROLE! MTM survives because of support from our local community! We have been honored to receive funding from the city of Madison, Dane County and the state of Wisconsin as well as local businesses and private foundations. We are growing every year and need your help to continue to present affordable, professional theatre in Madison! To make a donation with just a few clicks, visit us online at www.mtmadison.com. You can also see photos of our past shows, download educational materials, and learn about our staff on the site! If you wish to help but are unable to donate, contact us at mtmadisoninfo@yahoo.com to find out ways to volunteer! Volunteers play a valuable part in making our shows happen, and they get to see our musicals for free! Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter @MusThtrMadison for special offers, informative articles, and backstage updates!

Musicals to consider.

Elizabeth Zabit as Anne Frank in the Wisconsin premiere of YOURS, ANNE, a musical version of the story of Anne Frank’s years in hiding.

608-237-2524 mtmadisoninfo@yahoo.com www.mtmadison.com