An Empire of Reason

Ellen Giffard
1988-07-03


0
58 min

Docudrama about the debate surrounding New York State's ratification of the United States Constitution. Historical figures wear modern dress and use familiar language to help today's audience understand firsthand the forces that shaped this country two hundred years ago. The argument, characters, passions and debating points are historically accurate, but the language and the medium of the debate is modern in form. Present day newscasters and commentators play themselves, reporting on the events of the 1780s as though they were occurring now.

Cast

Name Character Team
Cokie Roberts Self - Host Unowned
William F. Buckley Jr. Self Unowned
Walter Cronkite Self Unowned
John Chancellor Self Unowned
Phil Donahue Self Unowned
Robert MacNeil Self Unowned
Andrea Mitchell Self Unowned
Al Roker Self Unowned
Forrest Sawyer Self Unowned
Jamey Sheridan Daniel Shays Unowned
Ed Koch Mayor of New York City, 1788 Unowned
James Rebhorn Jesse Woodhull Unowned
Mario Cuomo Self Unowned
Charlayne Hunter-Gault Self Unowned
François Giroday Alexander Hamilton Unowned
Christopher Curry John Lansing, Jr. Unowned
Nesbitt Blaisdell Gov. George Clinton Unowned
Sol Wachtler John Jay Unowned
Drew Snyder Demonstrator Unowned
Joseph Warren Robert Yates Unowned
John C. Vennema Robert R. Livingston Unowned
E.G. Marshall Federalist Spokesman Unowned
Rex Robbins Isaac Roosevelt Unowned
Edwin McDonough Donahue Audience Member Unowned
Richard Bright Donahue Audience Member Unowned
Richard Seff Donahue Audience Member Unowned
William Duell Donahue Audience Member Unowned
MacIntyre Dixon Donahue Audience Member Unowned
Patrick Clear Donahue Audience Member Unowned
Eli Wallach Anti-Federalist Spokesman Unowned
Roberts Blossom Melancton Smith Unowned
Guy Paul Convention Secretary Unowned
Jonathan Bolt Anti-Federalist Delegate Unowned
Stu Daly Voice-over Announcer Unowned