Back in 1873 (2014)

This short, musical film recounts the construction chronology of New York City's magnificent Central Park, 1857 - 1873. It incorporates nineteenth century images contrasted with time travel images of the twenty-first century. Central Park is the man-made masterpiece conceived by superb landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, and his inspiring partner, Calvert Vaux. The short reveals they had won a city contest for the best park design. Original, embedded paintings feature workers pitching and toiling over sixteen years of creation. Also disclosed is the fact that ten million patrons visited the park in its official, inaugural year, 1873. Today the park remains an open-air haven for multiple species of animals, plus billions of international patrons of all different cultures, races, disabilities and abilities - everyone who delights in its splendor. This time travel, musical theatre orchestration is sung by a charming tenor playing Olmsted with evocative American Sign Language that enlivens his song. It is from a play in the rotating repertory of Theatre in Motion, located in the New York City/New Jersey area. This short was a part of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' International Digital Arts Festival, "Forty Days Around the World."