1. Losing America - General Burgoyne of Sarartoga, 1775-77 and Lord Cornwallis in the South, 1780-1: Two highly acclaimed programs that tell the losers' story of the American Revolution, which play regularly at Saratoga and Yorktown National Parks, as well as other major Revolutionary War sites. Gentleman Johnny and Lord Cornwallis give a humorous, rueful and accurate account of 'what went wrong'.
2. A New World - A New Cause -Tom Paine and Horatio Gates, gadfly patriots: Two programs featuring two controversial Englishmen who supported the Revolution -Tom Paine the 'stormy petrel of the Revolution' who paved the way for the Declaration and Horry Gates the victor of Saratoga whose laurels turned to willows in the Southern Campaign.
NEW: Game to the last: Thomas Sumter the Carolina Gamecock remembers - South Carolina's controversial Revolutionary War hero, for whom Fort Sumter (of Civil War fame) is named.
3. The Bubble Reputation - Ban Tarleton, the most hated Briton in America: Old Banastre Tarleton, the infamous commander of the Green Dragoons, is seen in extreme old age, composing a memoir of his colorful and eventful life - his controversial rise and fall in 1780 South Carolina, his later raffish hobnobbing with the Prince of Wales, his resentments and jealousies. A chance to meet the most hated Briton of the Revolutionary War.
4. The British kept a-runnin’ - the early years of Andrew Jackson and the Battle of New Orleans: Major-General Sir John Lambert, the ranking British officer after the battle, gives a report to a London board enquiry. He surveys the early life of ' Old Hickory' -his hatred of the British, his adventures as a judge in Tennessee, his marriage, and his dueling. He then gives a rueful account of the War of 1812 and its final climactic battle, the worst British field defeat against American forces.
5. The Lion, the Eagle and Dixie - Frank Vizetelly covers the Civil War: The artist-journalist of The Illustrated London News gives his British perspective on the War between the States. A colorful character, Vizetelly started the war reporting from the Federal side, but circumstances made him a convert to the Confederacy. He earned an honorary captaincy from Longstreet, and accompanied Jefferson Davis on his flight.
6. I cannot do it: send for Winston - Lord Halifax, Churchill, America and WWII: Lord Halifax, British Minister to wartime America says farewell to the Washington press corps. He reflects on his extraordinary and varied career, his encounter with the Nazi leaders, and the 'special relationship' in Anglo-American affairs 1941-5.
NEW: Churchill in America - a characterization of Churchill in Sept 1944.
7. One Man In His Time - Will Shakespeare revises his Will: 1616 Stratford-upon-A von. The dying Shakespeare revises his will in the light of his younger daughter's disastrous marriage. An interesting and informative introduction to the Bard's domestic problems as he takes stock on his varied and colorful life. A popular program with libraries, high schools and college English departments
8. Aspects of Charles Dickens - A Series of Four Programs: a) Dickens in America: the 1842 and 1867 visits; b) Imps and Angels: Dickens on Children; c) The Tender Muse: Dickens on Love d) A Christmas Carol: in two versions -complete or abridged with other Dickensian Christmas fare.
9. Religious Quartet - Four programs on Sir Thomas More, John Bunyan, John Wesley, and C.S. Lewis: Four first person encounters with great Christian writers and apologists -Sir Thomas More the Catholic martyr and 'man for all seasons', John Bunyan the Baptist preacher and author of the immortal 'Pilgrim's Progress', John Wesley the father of Methodism, and C.S. Lewis the 'Narnia' man.
10. The Game’s Afoot - Dr Watson recalls Sherlock Holmes: Holmes has 'died' in his encounter with Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls. Colliers of New York are sending his 'Boswell', Dr Watson, on a magic lantern lecture tour across the States to promote sales of the newly published Hound of the Baskervilles. The Doctor recalls his friend's life with its surprising American connections.
11. White Knight: Shoes too tight - Portraits of Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear: Two programs portraying the of 19th Century two masters English nonsense. The author of the Alice books is seen photographing Tennyson's son just after his one trip abroad (to Russia!). He tells his life story -Oxford, mathematics, the Liddell sisters, 'Alice'. The artist-author of 'The Book of Nonsense' is seen hunting for his beloved cat, Foss, at his San Remo villa. He tells his tale of epilepsy, art, exotic foreign travel and teaching Queen Victoria to draw.
12. Take Her To Sea, Mr. Murdoch - Captain E.J. Smith on Atlantic Steam Navigation and the 'Titanic': 'The Millionaires' Captain' traces the remarkable story of transatlantic steam navigation and give his 'spin' on the greatest maritime disaster of all time.
13. The Cold Water of Fear-Alfred Hitchcock arrives in Hollywood: 1941. Tinsel town's fat new boy, whose 'Rebecca' has just won the l Oscar for best movie of 1940, relates his early life and British period of film-making.
New! Hitch in Hollywood: The American years of the master of suspense
14. Pshaw!!! - George Bernard Shaw at ninety: GBS recalls his long, controversial and eventful life on the occasion of his ninetieth birthday. A change to encounter one of the wittiest and most celebrated writers of the 20th century.
15. Memoirs of Shelley, Byron and the Author - Edward John Trelawny remembers: In the age of Victorian respectability, the reprobate Trelawny recalls his frienship with Shelley and Byron. The man supposedly "responsible for the deaths of two major poets" takes you on a roller-coaster of Romanticism in which he puts himself center stage.
16. Frank Lloyd Wright: The irrascible and visionary architect reveals his plans for the Guggenheim in NYC, and reflects upon the storms, stresses and successes of his tempestuous life.
17. Wisest Fool - An audience with King James VI & I: 1624, old King James vents his spleen on tabacco and recalls the fascinating life of the first King of Great Britain and first King of English-speaking America.
18. Rats, Riots and Romantics - Theophile Gautier on 19th Century Paris and the Romantic Ballet: Fricaseeing rats for his supper during the 1870 Prussian Siege if Paris, 'le bon Theo' recalls 'the city of light' of his youth - la vie de Boheme, his fellow Roamntic poets and artists, the gristtes and courtesans, and the opera-ballet.
19. Four on the Peninsula: Four programs of dramatic encounters with four legends of the Monterey Peninsula - Tiburcio Vasquez (as seen by the last surviving member of his gang, Alphonso M. Burnham!), Robert Louis Stevenson, "Doc" Ed Ricketts and Ansel Adams
20. Brickendrop: Hitler's "Genius" Diplomat: Joachim von Ribbentrop awaiting execution in Nuremburg reviews the splendours and miseries of his rollercoaster life.
Howard Burnham is an Englishman, living in Pacific Grove, CA. His acclaimed self-researched and written one-man shows have played throughout England and on the B.B.C. In 1972 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London. He is on the SC Arts Commission Roster of Approved Artists. Duration and fees: The fully costumed dramatic monologues / lectures-in-character with PowerPoint last approximately 45-50 minutes. Fees are negotiable. Details available on request.
Howard Burnham 1316 Lincoln Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA 93950
803 467-7267 email: howard_burnham@aol.com
