On Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m., Robert Gleason will take the stage as Thomas Paine in the Coolidge Theatre at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro. Following his performance will be a question and answer session with the audience.

This is the fourth of seven History Comes Alive shows being presented by the Deane Center for the Performing Arts during the 2022-2023 series.

Committed to social equality, Paine was outspoken, controversial and articulate. With the help of Benjamin Franklin, he emigrated to the British American colonies in 1774, arriving just in time to participate in the American Revolution. In 1776 Paine helped inspire the Patriots to declare independence from Great Britain.

This English-born American political activist became the revolution’s mouthpiece, writing two influential pamphlets, “Common Sense” and “The American Crisis.” In “Common Sense,” Paine wrote: “These are the times that try men’s souls.” His words inspired a tired and disheartened Colonial army of 4500 to continue fighting against a British army that numbered 30,000. 

His radical writings also included “The Rights of Man”, a work urging political rights for all men because of their innate equality, and “The Age of Reason.” The impassioned author championed the causes of the individual and of the mind. 

Gleason lives near Lansdale, Pa. with his wife of 35+ years, and a large stock of costumes, props, and books.

He has a degree in Theatre Arts from West Chester University and has performed on stage, screen, television and radio. While serving in the U.S. Army, he toured Europe with the 7th Army Soldiers Chorus.

In 1991, the Bicentennial for the Bill of Rights, Gleason  joined the American Historical Theatre in Philadelphia as James Wilson. He had been portraying Wilson, a Founding Father, for the Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge since 1985. 

Gleason termed his meeting with AHT’s William and Pamela Sommerfield as a turning point in his personal and professional life. In-depth historical research and interaction with audiences have become hallmarks of his historical portrayals.

He has presented programs featuring nearly 150 historical figures, stretching over 2000 years of history. These programs have taken him to 21 states so far, from Washington D.C. to San Diego, California, and from El Paso, Texas to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

Gleason has performed at the White House Visitors Center, The Smithsonian Institution, Constitution Hall, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Ford’s Theatre, Independence Hall, The National Constitution Center and many others. He has been especially popular at schools, museums, historic sites and libraries throughout the United States.

The remaining History Comes Alive performances are in the Deane Center’s Coolidge Theatre at 7 p.m. on the following Wednesdays in 2023: Feb. 8, Bill Robling as Benjamin Franklin; March 15, Kim Hanley as Betsy Ross; and April 12, Robert Gleason as William Penn. 

Tickets for each show are $15. Children 12 and under accompanied by a paying adult are admitted free. For information or tickets, call 570-724-6220 or visit www.deanecenter.com.