How a Fall River Cast Recreates the '1776' Musical on Stage

The Little Theatre of Fall River is presenting 1776: The Musical August 7 through August 9 at Durfee High School in Fall River. The production honors the 250th anniversary of America, and the all-volunteer theater company is promising to put you right in the middle of the debate over the Declaration of Independence.

Recreating the Second Continental Congress on the SouthCoast

Director Paula Arruda and actor Aaron Gendreau-Visco stopped by Townsquare Sunday to discuss the play and the inner workings of recreating the Second Continental Congress on stage.

This is the 91st season for the Little Theatre of Fall River, and it's considered to be the birthplace of theater here on the SouthCoast. The company's home venue is the "Firebarn" at Prospect and Highland Avenue in Fall River.

"We do six productions every year at the Firebarn, but we are moving out to a larger stage at Durfee High School for 1776 and we're excited about it," Gendreau-Visco said.

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"We've been rehearsing since the last week of May, and we have a total of about 50 actors and crew members putting this all together," Arruda said.

"The play takes place from the end of June, 1776 through July 4th of that year in the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia," Gendreau-Visco said. "We get a glimpse of the early conversations going on in the formation of our country, and those discussions about what we want to be as a nation."

The Challenge of Portraying an 'Obnoxious' John Adams

Gendreau-Visco plays the lead role of John Adams in the musical. He said it's not an easy task. "One challenge is the number of lines, and the language. It's written in 18th-century-speak, so that can be difficult," he said. "Also, Adams is described as obnoxious and disliked many times in the production, so playing a man on a mission who is sometimes angry can also be a challenge."

Arruda believes the production has included most of the highlights of the Continental Congress, with debates over whether to break away from England, slavery, and who will run the country if independence is achieved.

"These were just normal men who were tasked with making difficult decisions, compromising, and working together," Gendreau-Visco said. "In the end, they put the nation first before their own needs."