MANSFIELD — Drew Traxler believes current leaders in the United States could learn a lot from the nation’s founding fathers.
The Mansfield resident keeps that in mind as he directs the musical “1776,” which opens Saturday night inside Founders Auditorium on the campus of OSU-Mansfield.
“This is a very important show, especially with the political climate right now,” Traxler said of the show, which balances historical, often humorous, portrayals of the founding fathers with serious political debate.
The show runs for three nights at OSU-Mansfield and moves to the Mansfield Playhouse for a second weekend. The fact it’s being staged during the nation’s 250th birthday is not lost on anyone involved.
“It’s really important that we take a moment and learn from history about the moment that America was created. Fortunately for us, ‘1776’ is a very fun way to do that,” the veteran director and performer said.
The show exposes the often heated political debates during the nation’s founding and humanizes the men often seen as just paintings on walls. Unity was not a given.
The musical’s script is historically entertaining, even if not completely historically accurate.
The disagreements — and ultimate compromises — did occur and reflected an ability at the time to find common ground among differing ideas.
“They had to debate very ferociously for the things that they all wanted in their different (colonies) … things they demanded for their own areas they were representing,” Traxler said.
“It really takes the entire show to show that to the audience that it was a difficult thing to do, but the show’s creators found a really fun way to present that material in an entertaining way.
“I’m excited for people to see this. I think some people that are going to be surprised by how much different it was then compared to how it is right now. It’s pretty clear that in a lot of ways, our government has gone backwards from even 250 years ago,” the director said.
The musical follows John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson as they attempt to convince members of the Second Continental Congress to vote for independence and sign the Declaration of Independence.
(Below are photos from a dress rehearsal of “1776” at OSU-Mansfield on Monday evening. The musical show opens Saturday night. The story continues below the photos.)
Traxler and the show’s producers have assembled a cast of more than 30 that somewhat matches the age ranges of the original founding fathers, from high school students to seasoned citizens. Benjamin Franklin was the oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence at age 70. Edward Rutledge was 26.
What’s different in this show in 2026 is the involvement of women as performers, in addition to the traditional female roles of Abigail Adams and Martha Jefferson.
For example, Piper Donohue plays Rev. John Witherspoon and Raven Storm Sharrock portrays Dr. Lyman Hall. Both young actresses praised Traxler for working with them to develop their male characters.
Donohue, 17, is a senior at Madison Comprehensive High School. She has performed in shows at the Renaissance Theatre, Mansfield Playhouse and Galion Community Theater.
“It was interesting to work with Drew to get those specific notes about what needed to change with how I was carrying myself. I tend to keep my hands very floaty and men don’t do that. So I’ve had to learn to kind of let my hands be heavy and my body be a little bit looser and more present in my physicality,” Donohue said.
Sharrock, an 18-year-old freshman at OSU-Mansfield, graduated last year from Colonel Crawford High School. She has performed at Galion Community Theater and was the stage manager at the college last fall for the show, “MLES2GO.”
“Drew definitely talks to us a lot about our posture and making sure like we’re not sitting up too straight and that we’re not like standing a certain way,” Sharrock said. “He talked to me about lowering my voice a little bit. He makes sure that we’re exactly what we should be.”
The musical was written in the late 1960s, with development starting around 1962–1963 by Sherman Edwards (music/lyrics) and completed with a book by Peter Stone before its Broadway premiere on March 16, 1969.
The show features the songs audiences have come to love, including “Sit Down, John,” the comedic “But, Mr. Adams,” the lively “The Lees of Old Virginia,” the poignant “Molasses to Rum,” and the reflective “Is Anybody There?”
Kim Wolbert is the local production’s musical director.
It also includes performances by Mansfield veteran performer Mary Frankenfield as the wife of John Adams and 65-year-old Bill Cornelius of Lakeville as Benjamin Franklin.
Frankenfield said she portrayed Martha Jefferson two decades ago when “1776” was done at the Mansfield Playhouse.
“I always thought it would be so amazing to play the other female character, Abigail Adams, and so I thought this is my chance, so I’m going to go for it,” she said.
Frankenfield praised the work of Traxler and also Joe Fahey, professor and director of theatre at OSU-Mansfield.
“It’s been great. I like Drew’s approach. He has a very specific plan of how he wants to do things and he sort of layers stuff.
“He starts off with pretty simple, full instructions and blocking and then sort of waits for you to catch up and get a mastery of your lines. Then he gives you more and more as you are ready for it,” Frankenfield said.
“It’s been really fun. I really love the dynamic that Joe sets up here with having students working with community members,” she said.
“I think that it gives a lot of energy to us older people. Hopefully it gives something to the students, to work with adults in the working world and people who’ve done a lot of theater and have something to share. This particular group of students have been awesome,” Frankenfield said.
Cornelius, a former executive chef in New York who still works part-time at the Mohican State Park Lodge, is happy to make the 40-minute drive from Holmes County for “1776.” A veteran performer, it marks his first time on stage in two decades.
“I was having a gloomy Monday and I looked for auditions, thinking I would just love to be in a show again. I saw that auditions for ‘1776’ were here in Mansfield the very next night,” he said.
Cornelius played the same role in New York 31 years ago.
“I wanted very much to get Ben Franklin again (at the audition) because I can pull it off a little better now I think. I came out here with the intention of taking any role that I could get.
“I came here and I met this wonderful bunch of people, these kids and community members, and I just decided I don’t care. I’ll do props. I want to be involved,” he said.
“I put Ben Franklin on my audition form. I even told them that I have gout, so I’m a method actor,” Cornelius said with a laugh.
More details on “1776.”
The Theatre Program at Ohio State Mansfield is working with The Mansfield Playhouse to offer six performances, March 7-9 in Founders Auditorium, and March 13-15 at the Mansfield Playhouse.
Performances at Ohio State Mansfield’s Founders Hall will be held March 7 at 7:30 p.m., March 8 at 2:30 p.m., and March 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Performances at the Mansfield Playhouse will be held March 13-14 at 7:30 p.m., and March 15 2:30 p.m.
This production is supported by the Ohio America250 Commission and Ohio State’s America250, done in conjunction with Doug Wertz, artistic director of The Mansfield Playhouse, 95 E. Third St.
All Tickets for 1776: $10 and $12 through: https://www.mansfieldplayhouse.com/
Tickets and reservations: 419-522-2883.
Box Office hours in Founders Hall are Wednesday through Friday, 1 -6 p.m. and with a box office on site in the location where that day’s performance will take place one hour prior to each performance.
For more information, Joe Fahey can be reached at fahey.9@osu.edu or 419-755-4276.