Production Highlights

MURDER AT HARVARD
Upcoming on American Experience, PBS

In March, 2001, Producer/Director Eric Stange, Producer Melissa Banta, and Unit Production Manager Amy Geller assembled a dedicated team from all over Boston to begin production on "Murder at Harvard." The talented cast and crew, led by Assistant Directors Benjamin Dewey and Lucia Small and Director of Photography Boyd Estus worked non-stop for two weeks to complete the dramatic portion of this highly-anticipated, docu-drama.

Diving in head first, the crew began with the shooting of the most ambitious scenes. They transformed the Old Suffolk County Courthouse into the1850's courtroom where the infamous trial of Harvard professor John Webster took place. Local actors Tim Sawyer (Professor John Webster) and Stephen Benson (Ephraim Littlefield) delivered captivating performances as the condemned and the accuser, respectively. Friends and family graciously volunteered as extra cast members to create the crowd-packed courtroom.

The film crew then moved to a set of their own design. Under the stewardship of Production Designer Katha Seidman, the art department constructed a 19th-century chemistry laboratory in an old warehouse that served as one of the main sets for the shoot, as well as the site of the murder. From the lighting fixtures to the glass beakers, this set was exquisitely constructed. Other shooting locations included Harvard Yard, Acorn Street on Beacon Hill, Whittemore Robbins House in Arlington and the now-abandoned Central High School building in Waltham.

In addition, one day of the March production schedule was dedicated to historian Simon Schama, who flew in from New York to shoot a portion of his narration scenes. The film is based on Schama's account of the Webster case, which he published in "Dead Certainties: Unwarranted Speculations."

Scheduled to air on PBS's American Experience series in 2002, "Murder at Harvard" is now in post-production.

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