ALICE OF OLD VINCENNES
A MUSICAL

Book: Jim Spurrier
Music: Jay Kerr
Lyrics: Laurel Smith

Synopsis:
Based on the classic novel by Maurice Thompson, Alice of Old Vincennes presents a young woman, Alice, coming of age on the American frontier during the Revolutionary War. Alice is young, smart, and romantic. Her family origins are unknown, she was raised for a time by the Indians, and now she lives with the French Mayor of Vincennes, Gaspard Roussillon and his wife. Alice’s ties to English, French, and native people represent the multiple cultures living together in Vincennes and America. Adapting this novel for the stage, we have incorporated original songs and edited Thompson’s work to create a unique interpretation of the famous story of Alice of Old Vincennes.

History: The play is set in 1778. Once the folks of Vincennes choose to support the new colonial government, they are in conflict with the British, who seek to re-assert their power at Fort Sackville. The British, under Colonel Hamilton, hold the fort for a short time, but George Rogers Clark and his men cleverly devise a means to defeat Hamilton. Thanks to Clark, Fort Sackville—and Vincennes—remain loyal to the newly formed government that will be the United States of America.

Romance: Against the background of the history of Vincennes, Maurice Thompson invented the love story of Alice and the American officer, Lieutenant Beverley. The story of their romance, complicated by war, is as prominent as the military history. Many characters, from the townspeople of Vincennes to the local Indians and soldiers on both sides of the Revolution, influence the action and the outcome of the love story.

We have altered aspects of Thompson’s novel that were not true to history: for instance, there are both friendly and unfriendly Indians in the musical play while Indians are only “savages” in the novel. For the romance, however, we did not quarrel with Thompson’s intention to give Alice a happy ending.