New Audio Theater Catches Attention Of Duggars At Homeschool Convention

(Newswire.net — May 13, 2014) ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Homeschoolers throughout America and even the famous Duggar family of television fame learned recently about a new audio theater drama that is getting children interested again in history.

 

Audio theater producer and historian Bill Heid visited the Family Covenant Ministries’ 30^th Annual Conference And Curriculum Fair in St. Charles, Mo., to discuss “Under Drake’s Flag,” a faith-based audio adventure designed to lessen children’s addiction to television and to stimulate their learning. The CD is bundled with curriculum.

 

The Duggar family of “19 Kids And Counting” had a booth directly across from Heid’s, and the Duggar children visited him often over the course of the three-day convention. He taught the kids about Drake.

 

“What we’re trying to do is put faith back into history,” Heid said. “Everything in our world is sort of sterilized and secularized, and the faith of the men has been taken out of textbooks in America and around the world. These projects are all about putting Christ back into history.”

 

“Under Drake’s Flag” tells the story of Sir Francis Drake through the eyes of a young boy who accompanies Drake on high sea adventures. The 16^th-century Drake is best known for being the first Englishman to circle the globe and for his role in defeating the Spanish Armada.

 

Heid currently is working on another audio adventure children’s CD, “In Freedom’s Cause,” that will tell the story of William Wallace, the 13^th– and 14^th– century hero who led the fight for Scottish independence. Wallace was loosely portrayed in the movie “Braveheart.” Both CDs are based on GA Henty books.

 

Kirk Cameron and Glenn Beck each have praised “Under Drake’s Flag.”

 

“The quality of the production and the life lessons are nothing short of amazing,” Cameron said. “I strongly recommend this for families looking not only for wholesome entertainment, but a great fast-moving adventure story that brings Christian history to life. Our kids need real heroes that put God first.”

 

Beck called it “phenomenal … old-time story-telling.” “Drake” features composer John Campbell (“Lamplighter Theatre,” “Focus on the Family Radio Theatre,” “Adventures in Odyssey”) and award-winning art sound designer Mark Drury (“The Chronicles of Narnia”).

 

“Under Drake’s Flag is a rip-roaring adventure story that teaches foundational moral values and brings true Christian history to life. … There’s simply nothing like it,” Beck said.

 

Audio theater, Heid said, “does something for the child’s imagination that simply staring at a screen simply doesn’t do.”

 

“We’ve got more TVs than toilets,” Heid said of America. “I’m saying, ‘Let’s give families something they can listen to when driving, listen to at home, because hearing a powerful story like ‘Under Drake’s Flag’ or ‘In Freedom’s Cause’ is almost like a mental flight simulator. It gets your child’s mind engaged and it expands their ability to learn. And it’s fun. All of this is designed to keep a child’s attention. Listening to these audio dramas will draw a child’s heart and mind to history.”

 

Heid also will be attending the NICHE homeschool conference in Des Moines, Iowa, May 15-17. He is available for interviews to discuss audio theater, the current state of education in America, and the need for children to learn real history.