In The Garden Of American Heroes

The acting, the story, the costuming!

Top notch on all fronts. Be prepared to pay attention and be engaged for a full 60, learning details about Custer with context. A true narrative by a real professional.

Let the mental mulling begin

This one is a thinker. The deeper dive into the emotional experience of a part of American history that I am woefully ignorant of … and a look at the layers of a person’s identity… and finally a look at legacy and the emptiness of redemption arcs.

Wheeler at his best ... which is extraordinary

Like others, I am hoping we see a longer version of this go up at other venues in town! A great storyteller digs deep into the stories we tell ourselves. The first thing I said when I got home tonight was: "I want to go visit Little Bighorn National Monument to learn more." And the best part? Wheeler gave us a very inspirational call to action after the play was over.

Intelligent, Relevant, Brilliant

Once upon a time, I was married to someone whose birthday happened to fall on the fateful anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn (day 1). By the time he was a teenager, he had read everything he could find about George Armstrong Custer and was fascinated by Custer's arc of life. As I watched "In the Garden of American Heroes" unfold, all the stories I had heard and read were dancing feverishly in my memory; dancing with Andrew Wheeler's exquisite storytelling, backed up by his faithful research and the compelling commitment he has as an artist of great conscience. Thank you, Andrew. Thank you for your powerful writing. Thank you for once again making an artistic journey with the extraordinary director, Matt Sciple. Thank you, Matt, for collaborating with such dimension that Andrew soars to an entirely new level. I'm not sure that I would have believed it possible. Brilliant. Simply brilliant.

Captivating exploration of Custer

An incredible journey through the disassembled story of an “a**hole” who committed many atrocities while being a victim of the glorification of violence, americas genocidal westward expansion and American exceptionalism. Delivered through a polished performance and masterful prose!

Mesmerizing, layered performance

This starts with the performer entering as George Custer with some inflections of Vegas Elvis, and keeps its foot on the gas from there. A by turns erudite and raw exploration of the ugly power of myth in American history, delivered with delicate skill and great power. This show is searing and very funny by turns. I saw it the last night; if history is any guide (wink) this will go up somewhere else in town. Go to it.

Wheeler does it again!

That's my son...couldn't be prouder! Powerful truth telling of a deeply-researched story which could easily stand on its own. Instead the performance links the audience across time from past calamities to current debacles with just the right mixture of wit, vituperation, parody and insanity... all displayed by an actor who has more than mastered his craft. It begs the questions: How do we define American exceptionalism , and what is the true cost of heroism both now and in ages past.

Powerful and Important

Please keep sharing this story. Magnificent!

Well Done!

Wheeler brings a legendary character to life...after death. Sharing both the sympathetic and the "monumental a**hole” sides of Gen Custer, he helps us see how America has its own vainglorious mythology, and the ultimate failure that can come of not recognizing the truth of it before it is too late. Lost half a kitty because of the sound quality. Not for lack of a clear voice—just that it bounced poorly off the brick and mortar backdrop when he turned around.

Heroes, Anti-Heroes, and Unsung Heroes.

During these very dangerous times in our country and the current administration anti-DEI, Andrew Wheeler asks who will be rightly included and who will be excluded in the Garden of Heroes for the 250th Anniversary of the birth of the United States. General Custer is portrayed as a great hero in some American history, as less as the creator of concentration camps, deaths and attempted genocide of the native people, who are the unsung heroes of this tale, who seem to taunt Custer. I especially appreciated how Andrew embraced the Southern Theater's unique space in which to tell this story. As with demons of other nations, we also need to remember our past and never forget the evils brought down upon the native tribes. Most importantly, Andrew challenges us, the artists, to remember and tell the stories that must be told. See this final show if possible! Thanks.

Stunningly Good

Wheeler is such an excellent story teller. His deconstruction and literal disrobing of the former American icon of General Custer is powerful, accurate and unflinching. Bravo! I can't wait to see what he does next. "Booth's Ghost" was great as well.

Extraordinary

I have admired Andrew Erskine Wheeler as a performer since seeing “Whoosh!” at the Mill City Museum. This production is another incredible journey by an actor at the top of his craft: vulnerable, deliberate, expressive, with every action clear and every thought precise. We hate Custer, (at his own urging), we pity him, we laugh with him, we cry with him. All while the show also manages to be urgently topical, interrogatory of the audience, and heartbreaking. Wheeler brings bravery, honesty, and integrity to every moment. I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Best historical fiction storyteller ever

One man show who does it all while baring it all! I always learn something new at a Wheeler show and his passion to share himself with his acting through storytelling is admirable and an honor to see.

Excellent

This is a polished performance, and an intriguing dissection of an historical figure who was both a product of and a shaper of divergent American narratives. Thought -provoking and very well done.

A one of a kind performer

Andrew Wheeler creates shows that make me want to be a better performer, reader, student, writer, and communicator. He reframes history by exploding myths, questioning motivations, and acting the hell out of all of it. Always a delight to see him on stage. More more more.

Tremendous Shattering of Myth

Wheeler’s “Whoosh!” is my favorite Fringe show of all time so I’ll always be up for one of his brilliantly acted historical ghost stories. Here we find General Custer not in a Garden of Heroes but the haunted purgatory he deserves. Very brave performance (in more ways than one); Wheeler completely locks in to one of the most despicable Americans (to date) and keeps the audience entranced throughout.