(Newswire.net — July 7, 2015) — If Abraham Lincoln were alive today, he would urge Baltimore leaders to keep Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s name on a city park, says audio theater producer Bill Heid.
That’s because Lincoln respected Lee – so much that he asked Lee at the beginning of the Civil War to head the Union Army. City and county officials are considering a proposal that would change the name from Robert E. Lee Park to Lake Roland Park. It is operated by Baltimore County but owned by the city.
“Even Abraham Lincoln would say: Keep it Robert E. Lee Park,” Heid said.
Heid’s latest family friendly audio adventure, “With Lee In Virginia,” spotlights Lee, the Civil War and the subject of racial reconciliation. The two-CD set stars Sean Astin (“The Lord of the Rings,” “Mom’s Night Out”) and Kirk Cameron (“Fireproof”), and follows the story of a 15-year-old teen named Vincent as he joins the Army of Northern Virginia and fights alongside Lee. As Vincent begins to question the slave culture around him while reading an old family Bible, he learns the real meaning of duty, friendship and honor.
Heid appeared Monday on the “Sean and Frank” show on Baltimore’s WCBM 680-AM to discuss the project.
“I think anyone who listens to [‘With Lee In Virginia’] would be shocked and amazed at how we treat the issue. It really defies political stereotypes,” Heid said. “This is something that America needs right now. They really need to hear the story, because it is a story of racial harmony and peace.”
It is the third project from Heid’s Heirloom Audio Productions, following 2014’s “In Freedom’s Cause” (which tells the story of William Wallace) and 2013’s “Under Drake’s Flag” (which focuses on Sir Francis Drake).
The projects, Heid said, have a goal of putting Christ back into history and bringing history to life. They feature original music and free study guides, a bonus that has made them particularly popular among homeschool families.
“I wanted to conjure the imagination of children and families,” Heid said. “The average child gets about 55 hours of screen time a week.”TV does all of the “heavy lifting” for the imagination and harms the brain’s development, he added. “We’re trying to boost a child’s imagination,” Heid said. “We’re trying to bring back the spoken word so that people can imagine what it’s like to have a cannonball whizzing past your head, or a sword fight or a battle scene. It’s the theater of the mind.”
“With Lee In Virginia” also stars Brian Blessed (“Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” and “Tarzan”) and Chris Anthony (“Adventures In Odyssey”).
Heirloom Audio’s first project, “Under Drake’s Flag,” was nominated for two Audies – the equivalent of an Academy Award nomination for audio dramas. The company’s fourth project, “The Dragon and the Raven” – based on the life of King Alfred – will be released this fall.
To schedule an interview with Heid, email press@heirloomaudio.com or call 815-259-0122.