[ back ]
Tillie Smith walks again - for Hackettstown Victorian Day
Danille Tampier is the Guide for "Tillie Walk".
PHOTO courtesy of Centenary Stage Company
Travel back to a singular day in 1886 this June when the Centenary Stage Company presents its historically narrated "Tillie Walk" during the Hackettstown Victorian Day , with costumed guides leading participants on the path of Tillie Smith's last night before her murder in 1886.
The walk, which is expected to take approximately 45 minutes, will begin on Main Street at the Hackettstown Gazebo, will pro-ceed to the location of the old Shields Hall, and trace steps back toward Centenary College where Tillie Smith worked and where the notorious murder took place over 100 years ago. The walk will conclude at the college, where local legend reports the ghost of Tillie still appearing from time to time on the grounds of Centenary College. Leading the walk will be actress Danielle Tampier (Hampton, NJ) from the Centenary College theatre program, and Centenary professor and actress, Lea Antolini (Sparta, NJ). Historical commentary along the walk will be provided by Tillie Smith expert, Denis Sullivan, author of "In Defense of Her Honor, " the definitive work about her death and the controversial trial surrounding the event.
"The Tillie Walk" will be offered on Saturday, Jun 14 at 11 AM. The cost the walk will be $7 per person, and will include re-freshments at the end of the walk, as well as a brochure detailing the path to be followed, buildings of interest during the period, and locations where Tillie was known to have stopped along the path of her last evening. To reserve the tour in advance, participants may call the CSC Box office at 908-979-0900.
Other Hackettstown Victorian Day activities on June 14th include the Victorian Home Tours from 10-4 PM, Horse Drawn Car-riage Rides (11 - 3:30 PM), A Vintage Clothing Display and Victorian Tea (Centenary College 2-4 PM), Open House at the Hack-ettstown Historical Society, and a luncheon at the First Presbyterian Church (11am - 1 pm), as well as numerous crafts and vendors along the main street of Hackettstown.
"The Tillie Walk" was developed originally in conjunction with a play about Tillie Smith, commissioned by the Centenary Stage Company in 2001, and written by Jeanne Murray Walker. All cultural events at CSC are made possible in part through the visionary support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and CSC members and sponsors.
[ back ]
|
