Willpower: An Original Play about Marquette's Ossified Man - Paperback

by Tyler R. Tichelaar (Author)

Some stories deserve to be told. "Willpower" is an original historical play based on the real life of Will Adams at the turn of the twentieth century.... As a young boy Will Adams' soft tissues were becoming harder, turning him into a living statue. Others faced with such a dark future might have felt sorry for themselves, turning inward. But not Will. Determined to enjoy every moment, he embarked on an energetic life of creativity using his legs, arms, eyesight, and wit for as long as he could. While confined to a bed, he ran a newspaper, drew cartoons, and wrote an operetta with his best friend Norma Ross. "Willpower" first brought Will Adams' story to the stage, and this publication presents the full script as it was first produced at Kaufman Auditorium in Marquette, Michigan, by the Marquette Regional History Center, in September 2014. It includes images from the production, insight from the director, historical commentary from the playwright, and the music used in the production.

Author Biography

Tyler R. Tichelaar is a seventh generation resident of Marquette, Michigan. Since age eight he wanted to be a writer, and at age sixteen, he began writing his first novel, which years later was published as "The Only Thing That Lasts." Tyler has a Ph.D. in Literature from Western Michigan University, and Bachelor and Master's Degrees in English from Northern Michigan University. He is the current President of the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association. He is the owner of Marquette Fiction and Superior Book Productions, a professional book review, editing, and proofreading service. In 2009, Tyler was awarded the Best Historical Fiction Award in the Reader Views Literary Awards for his novel "Narrow Lives." He has since gone on to sponsor that award. In 2011, he received the Barb H. Kelly Historic Preservation Award from the Marquette Beautification and Restoration Committee for his book "My Marquette" and he received the Marquette County Arts Award that same year for an "Outstanding Writer." Today, Tyler continues to live in Marquette, where the roar of Lake Superior, mountains of snow, and sandstone architecture inspire his writing. He has many future books in the planning.