Historian to portray Neil Armstrong June 19 in Shreve
Chris Hart, a living historian/storyteller, will share Neil Armstrong’s story during the program, “First Step,” on Saturday, June 19 from 1-3 p.m. at the Shreve Presbyterian Church, 343 N. Market St. The County Line Historical Society of Wayne and Holmes Counties is hosting the program.
Chris Hart sets the scene this way:
It’s 1989 and Neil Armstrong is helping NASA celebrate the 20th anniversary of his walk on the moon by answering questions at a news conference. A shy man who did not relish speaking publicly, Armstrong has gathered questions in advance from the reporters.
Recreating that press conference is how Hart, a living historian/storyteller, will share Armstrong’s story during the program, “First Step,” on Saturday, June 19 from 1-3 p.m. at the Shreve Presbyterian Church, 343 N. Market St. The County Line Historical Society of Wayne and Holmes Counties is hosting the program.
On July 20, 1969, Armstrong, an Ohio native, made history when he stepped off the lunar landing module, Eagle, and became the first human to walk on the surface of the moon. Nearly 240,000 miles from Earth, Armstrong spoke the famous words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Yet in the years that followed, Hart said, Armstrong became a bit of a recluse. He died Aug. 25, 2012, at age 82.
Hart’s script has him discussing Armstrong’s early love of space — he had his pilot’s license before his driver’s license — his astronaut training, his quiet lifestyle after fame and the question most people want to know: What was it really like to stand on the surface of the moon?
For example, what were the colors like on the moon? Armstrong described them as various shades of gray, Hart said. “He noted how the red, white and blue colors of the American flag jumped out against the gray.”
Hart has portrayed 55 historical figures in the past 15 years. He began working on a script for Armstrong after reading the official biography of Armstrong, “First Man.”
It was a nice honor, Hart said, when he was asked to portray Armstrong at his hometown of Wapokenta in his home church to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon walk.
A college professor who teaches pharmacy courses, Hart previously worked in retail pharmacy. The switch to academia allowed him time to work on his portrayals, “most of whom are ordinary folks with a story to tell,” he said.
They include a survivor from the Titanic, John F. Kennedy’s surgeon and World War I veterans.
Armstrong is among the few celebrities he’s portrayed along with baseball Hall of Fame member Cy Young, who is from Hart’s hometown of Newcomerstown.
Hart said he invests anywhere from two to four months of research in a historical figure. “I take something that sounds interesting and work from there,” he said.
Hart found the press conference format using questions he developed on his own a way to give Armstrong’s story “a little flavor.”