January 2016
Monthly Archive
Monthly Archive
jaybeacham 30 Jan 2016 | : blog
Several years ago I worked for a city utility with the power company.
Part of my duties were in the power plant assisting the operator.
He was a cousin of my father’s and a jolly fellow. Always telling stories and joking.
He was kind hearted too.
My mother’s two brothers served in the Army during WWII as did a couple of her brothers-in-law.
Her brothers never talked about the war. One of her brothers-in-law did tell stories about his war experiences and so did my father’s cousin.
He had been in the Navy.
He once told of strong young men getting ill and dying quickly, then their bodies
sliding overboard to a watery grave.
He said the strong ones seemed to get ill and to go faster than others.
The story I remember the most is about the Japanese submarine they captured.
The crew of the sub came out of it with hands held high in surrender.
The captain ordered that they all be machine gunned on the spot saying, “We have no room for prisoners.”
That sounds very bloodthirsty and cruel.
Even though atrocities had been done by the Japanese armies and the Japanese people had been demonized by the American propaganda, this was not the kind of thing our service men should have done to the enemy.
Do things change?
I looked at the video of the FBI murdering the man in Oregon when his hands were held high in surrender and think,
“No, things have not changed.”
Here is a rendering of a WWII Japanese Submarine:
jaybeacham 24 Jan 2016 | : blog
Abraham Lincoln-love him or hate him?
People either love Abraham Lincoln the 16th US President or they hate him.
But do they know him?
‘A friend of mine asked, “Who could hate Abe Lincoln?”
People who tend toward libertarianism think that the constitutional government of the United States of America started down hill with the Presidency of the 16th President. Lincoln took away so many freedoms and even started the income tax. He was a bad president in their opinion.
Do they know him or anything about his presidency? I’d say no they do not. The Civil War was a real all out war not like some of the modern day military actions the US military is so often involved in now. The President does have certain powers during war time that supersede the normal functioning of our constitutional government. Congress agreed with these actions. Lincoln didn’t act as a tyrant.
And what of the income tax instituted during that civil war? Lincoln wanted the American people to fund the military needs to preserve the Union. He didn’t want the banks to get a stranglehold on the government. But did he start it? No! Sure he signed it into law but it wasn’t his idea.
” Passed as an emergency measure to finance the Union cause in the Civil War, the first income tax generated approximately $55 million in government revenues during the war. Paying the taxes was viewed as part of the patriotic war effort, and the whole country was proud when the merchant prince A. T. Stewart paid $400,000 in taxes on an income of $4 million.”
The tax was discontinued in 1872 and declared unconstitutional in 1895 by the Supreme Court. Which lead to the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1913.
I’ll ask the question again, do these Lincoln haters know anything of Lincoln and the history of our nation?
I’ve learned many things about Mr. Abraham Lincoln. His life and his beliefs and teachings would help our nation today just as they did during “those terribly dark years” of the Civil War. Because we are in just as precarious a situation now as the nation was then. ‘–Jay Beacham
You’ll learn some insights into this famous man from Lincoln’s Ghost as presented by Jay Beacham.
Barbara Hunt of St. George wrote a news article titled “Jay Beacham-Actor”
“To be Lincoln’s Ghost and to be remembered as Abraham Lincoln
is about as good as it gets. Jay Beacham, with the uncanny physical
appearance of Abraham Lincoln, gave an awe inspiring performance
in the Opera House on Lincoln’s birthday. Beacham’s voice and
physical attributes made one think the President was talking and
explaining history as it happened to him.”
“Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We will be remembered in spite of ourselves.” So said Mr. Abraham Lincoln.
I’ve assembled a collection of my one man show of Lincoln’s Ghost and the short booklet “Facts about Abraham Lincoln”.
This group of 4 dvds and 1 audio cd and 1 book is for sale for $100.00
I started portraying Mr. Lincoln in 1972 at Dixie Junior College in St. George Utah.
I was a seated Abraham Lincoln on a float a girl’s housing apartment complex entered into the Homecoming parade.
A guy from the drama department makeup class manufactured a chin beard on my face.
The department costume lady got me a set of Lincoln clothes.
I sat on a chair like the monument in DC at the Lincoln Memorial amid guys from the associated men student leadership.
One black ball player and a white guy as modern students, one man as a Confederate soldier and one as a Union soldier of the Civil War.
The float’s point was that the past made modern schooling available to all.
I was in a play or two for the fun of it, even being the sound engineer for one play and did a weekly radio news program but nothing more about Lincoln.
Later I attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
One of my first classes was stage makeup.
The instructor thought that I and another fellow had facial structures similar to Lincoln and we should learn to use make up for old Abe.
We studied the face and on a drawing we made, we designed how we should use lines and shadowing and highlights of grease paints and makeup pencils to look more like Mr. Lincoln.
I found out that my health was adversely effected by those paints and gave it up and tried something else.
I was in several plays and in two operas but mostly not for credit but for fun having been asked to participate.
I was a voice in a radio play and then left school for work.
In the 1980s I stared doing one man appearances as Abraham Lincoln teaching the principles of integrity that can be learned from Honest Abe.
I developed a script to introduce him based on stories of the appearance of Lincoln’s Ghost in the White House and elsewhere.
By this time my facial hair was coming in full and dark and I made a good Mr. Lincoln.
But then life and work got in the way of doing more with my Lincoln’s Ghost character.
I did other one man shows and some stage and film acting.
In 2004 I dressed as Lincoln for the Republican Party County Lincoln Day Breakfast
to deliver the Gettysberg Address.
Then when 2009 came around and the 200 year anniversary of Lincoln’s birth drew near,
I thought now was the time to do Lincoln in a big way.
But my beard was getting very white even though my head hair has stayed dark for longer.
At first I thought this would be a problem.
Then I reasoned, no problem, a ghost would look ghosty.
To make the beard not stark white as I have it for some other characters I’ve played and still do, I color the beard a little with charcoal. This makes it a little darker, grayish really, and I can be Lincoln’s Ghost not a Lincoln impersonator.
I’d been working in St. George Live performances for several years
portraying Jacob Hamblin and Brigham Young
and being close to the city staff running the Pioneer Opera House,
I contracted to rent the hall and put on Lincoln’s Ghost.
I’ve done it for four years now. 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014.
One year I was in Ghost Tours in Santa Clara in October
and one year appeared at the Washington County Fair so people could get their photos taken with Mr. Lincoln.
Another year I attended the St. George City 4th of July day celebrations as Mr. Lincoln
at the political booths, photos with celebrants, road in the little train, helped judge the hot dog eating contest and was interviewed by a TV News program.
I’ve presented Lincoln’s Ghost to both Democrat and Republican Parties, to public, private and home schools.
In 2014, St. George hired me to tell stories as Mr. Lincoln on President’s Day February 22.
Whereas other years the show had been on February 12th-Lincoln’s birthday anniversary.
My son James is a film maker and filmed the first three years of shows. The 2014, I had two cameras recording.
The audio track was pre-recorded.
In 2015, the dvd of the live show came out.
The Facts about Lincoln booklet was on Kindle first but now is in print form. Order it here or get an e-book from https://payhip.com/b/8QdP or from Amazon
Following is a description of the shows and what you’ll find in them when you get your own copy.
Lincoln’s Ghost show 2009 dvd
is an overview of the life of Abraham Lincoln.
It starts with Lincoln’s ghost being seen at a window in the white house.
Of the 2009 show, Mark Shurtleff, former Utah State Attorney General said:
“Thanks Jay. We watched it and love it! Hey all you Friends – get Jay’s new Lincoln DVD. He IS Honest Abe!”
You can see this in 5 parts on You Tube for free.
There have been over 14,500 views to date.
But your own dvd is the best way to see it as 112 others have.
Lincoln’s Ghost Returns the new show for 2010 dvd
This performance goes over speeches and much sage advice from the 16th president of the United States of America. His 1838 speech that talks about mob law, the constitution , and the Declaration of Independence is included; The powers of the President are reviewed; And other things about the government and how it should operate are explained; Political Parties role in proper government; The need for a moral God fearing and grateful people.
Ben Arnold said of this on January 11, 2016
“Thank you Jay Beacham and Abraham Lincoln for teaching the American people what the schools unfortunately fail to teach the rising generations. It took less than a minute and 30 seconds, to explain very calmly, slowly, that the President is nothing more than a spokesperson for the American people and has no power to do even 0.01% of the things our Presidents have been doing.”
See the promo video Ben spoke of Lincoln’s Ghost Returns
150 people like you have their own copies now.
Get your dvd now
Thoughts on Life by Lincoln’s Ghost 2011 dvd
October of 2010, Ghost Tours in Santa Clara, Utah featured Lincoln’s Ghost, experiences with deaths in Lincoln’s life,
some of it in verse much of which Lincoln wrote is an expansion of the short five minutes Ghost Tours talk.
Regina Montgomery said of this:
“This was unbelievably realistic and oh so great! I loved this! I’m a fan!”
See the promo Thoughts on Life by Lincoln’s Ghost
75 people have their own
Lincoln’s Ghost Tells Stories-2014 audio pre-recorded cd
is about Mr. Lincoln’s propensity for storytelling
106 copies are in the hands of customers
One of them, Brenda Armstrong (From Texas, USA), bought her own audio cd and said,
“Sure do love the Abe cd….you’re truly gifted..I loved the singing you did with no music.”
Lincoln’s Ghost Tells Stories-2014 dvd of live show new October 2015
19 people now have their own copy
Get your dvd now
Just $20 each ( plus $3 shipping);
$75 for all 4 dvds($6 Shipping)
$95 for all 4 dvds and the cd
$100 for all five and the book at half price
Get the book
“Facts about Abraham Lincoln”
for $10
On Kindle: $8.97 at:
https://lnkd.in/e3NtHjS
or at: http://payhip.com/b/8QdP
send money order or check to:
Jay Beacham
85 East Center Street
Ivins, Utah 84738
435-628-7809
or pay via:
Get them all and watch, listen and read.Thanks
Jay Beacham
jaybeacham 22 Jan 2016 | : blog
It’s Getting Close to February-
Lincoln’s Ghost to be seen at the Veterans Home
(Just click on the photo for the Center’s web page complete with a map.)
Southern Utah Veterans Home
160 N. 200 E Street
Ivins, UT 84738
Phone: 435-634-5220
Fax: 435-673-5839
February 8 at 6pm 2016
I’m looking forward to bring Lincoln’s Ghost to life for some
of the resident veterans for their Monday night Family Home Evening.
If you’re a Veteran of the Military, come and learn about Mr. Lincoln from Lincoln’s Ghost.