U.S. Senator Stephen Douglas, played by Joe Yates, fights with his wife, Adele Douglas, played by Emily Wanger, during a rehearsal earlier this month. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — The 1858 debates of U.S. Senators Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas are about to be brought back to life through the performance of Norman Corwin’s play, “The Rivalry,” in St. Agnes Historic Chapel this and next weekend.

Directed by Shepherdstown resident Joe Yates, the play promises to provide a sense of authenticity to the audience, as its costuming and location work together to create a period-appropriate atmosphere.

“With the historic nature of this church, it’s probably more period correct for our venue than most theaters in the area would be,” said Matthew Ryan, who plays the role of Republican Committeeman. “The costumes are all sourced from a historical costume supplier.”

Ryan, who is a Sharpsburg, Md. resident, acts with an ensemble cast composed of Shepherdstown residents Yates, Homer Speaker and Emily Wanger, playing the roles of Stephen Douglas, Abraham Lincoln and Adele Douglas, respectively. While this is the first time Ryan has performed the play, the other actors in it have all had some previous experience with it.

Yates has directed it twice before, with the second production being in the same location and with all of the same cast members, except for Ryan.

U.S. Senators Abraham Lincoln, right, played by Homer Speaker, and Stephen Douglas, played by Joe Yates, debate during a rehearsal earlier this month. Tabitha Johnston

“It was interesting, seeing the same character again 11 years later,” Wanger said, mentioning that that role was particularly memorable for her, as it was also her first time acting in a play. ”

The debates presented in this play are word-for-word what was said in the original debates. Many of their perspectives may ring oddly familiar to modern audiences, especially with the rhetoric being used by political candidates leading up to the General Election this year, Yates said.

“It’s perfect timing to hear this play, right before the election,” Yates said. “The parallels between the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the debates here from the candidates today are striking. Almost word-for-word!

“It’s just amazing — the parallels. And the point is not one side of our political spectrum or the other. The point is that these two men, when push-came-to-shove, decided that it was more important that the American experiment survived, rather than the positions that they were taking against each other,” Yates said. “That’s really why we’re doing this. We’re not trying to put up a Harris or a Trump sign. We’re trying to say that these guys cared enormously about their political positions, which were opposite each other. But, when it came time to deciding whether that was more important or saving the Union was more important, saving the Union took precedence for both of them.”

Speaker agreed with Yates, noting that being able to dive into these debates once again has been a wonderful experience.

“What a privilege, to be able to stand up and say these things!” Speaker said.

For as much as the play focuses on the polarized political landscape prior to the Civil War, it equally delves into the marriage of Stephen and Adele Douglas. The couple, who were 20 years apart in age, found themselves struggling to bridge their generational gap, especially after the beginning of the debates.

“If I can be so bold as to speak for Adele Douglas, I really do think that she had difficulty throughout — especially midpoint to the finish — of the debates. There was a fierceness of the attacks toward the end of the debates that she was not in favor of. And, through that, she was starting to see some things that she didn’t care for,” Wanger said, noting that Adele’s differing perspective is historically well documented. “Quite frankly, just as me sitting there, it is hard to sit in this play and listen to some of the things that are coming out of my dear ‘husband’s’ mouth. It’s really difficult.

“It’s interesting — when I did this play the first time, I don’t think I heard it in the same way. It’s certainly hitting differently this time,” Wanger said. “Perhaps it’s because so much has happened in the world since the first time we did this.”

St. Agnes Historic Chapel is located at 204 South Church Street.

Performances will be held on Oct. 11, 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20. Friday and Saturday performances will be at 8 p.m. and Sunday pereformances will be at 3 p.m. Tickets are $15 and reservations can be made online at https://stagnesshepherdstown.org/show-reservations/ or by calling 304-876-6436.

All proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to funding the activities of youth group at St. Agnes Catholic Church.