THE CONFLICT, 

A SOLDIER'S MEMORIES OF THE CIVIL WAR

by Illinois author John Hallwas

Thursday, May 26 thru Saturday, May 28 

7:30 p.m.

Hainline Theatre

Western Illinois University

Macomb, IL 61455

This remarkable theatre production examines the military experience of common soldiers, the tragic struggle of a typical Illinois family, and the emotional impact of remembrance for veterans, family members, and communities. 

Developed as a series of reflections by a GAR member, and set in 1911, on the 50th anniversary of the war, THE CONFLICT is a fascinating portrayal of military and home front experience.  The play employs Civil War songs and poetry in a dramatic account of one Illinois soldier, W. H. Hainline, who fought in General Sherman’s army and survived imprisonment at Andersonville, but whose family was eventually destroyed by the war. 

Written for the Civil War Sesquicentennial, THE CONFLICT offers an opportunity for Illinois audiences to experience the tragedy of the Civil War and the lessons it holds for us today.  The author of THE CONFLICT is noted Illinois writer John Hallwas, whose many books include Illinois Literature: The Nineteenth Century (1986), Cultures in Conflict (1995), The Bootlegger (1998), and Dime Novel Desperadoes (2008).