The stories of some Black Ohioans like Paul Laurence Dunbar are well known. For others, the historical details are harder to find but no less important.
Caesar was a runaway slave who joined the Shawnee tribe in Ohio in the late 1700s. Caesar Creek in Waynesville is named after him, but his story is not well known. Kane Stratton of Yellow Springs is hoping to change that.
His short film, “Caesar: An American Maroon,” depicts a fictionalized key moment in Caesar’s life. The vignette was written as part of a full-length historic drama that Stratton hopes to produce at Caesar’s Ford Theater in Xenia.
When COVID hit, hopes for performing the new drama this year for audiences vanished and he opted to produce part of the play as a film. While the drama is based on Caesar’s life, historical documents about him are sparse and the play is a work of fiction.
Intrigued by the runaway slave narrative and seeking an original story, Stratton discovered Caesar’s story through his brief mention in primary sources.
“[A missionary’s journal] contains the original mention of Caesar living with the Shawnee in 1773,” Stratton said. There, Caesar is listed as an interpreter.
Originally, he planned for a younger man to play Caesar, but casting Vince Moorman, 60, added gravitas to the role. The film was shot at Caesar Creek, where Caesar spent a significant portion of his life. Documents list him as living in the area for at least 20 years, although written records from this period are difficult to come by.
As part of his commitment to authenticity, he recruited Native American actors from federally recognized tribes to play the Shawnee. He strove to portray every character in the film as multidimensional to avoid stereotypes.
“I wanted to tell the story of Caesar as somebody trying to figure out where he belongs,” Stratton said, “His number one driving force is to be self-reliant and provide for his family on his own terms, to stick to his principles and to be himself.”
The details of the lives of many of the first Black Ohioans may have been lost to time, but their contributions to our history remain important.
“I hope that people from any background who don’t have a great understanding of our Ohio history can be energized to do their own research after they watch something like this,” Stratton said. As new information on the life of Caesar and other black Ohioans continues to come to light, it broadens our historical perspective and helps us better understand what it means to be Ohioan.
“Caesar: An American Maroon” can be viewed on Vimeo.
MacKenzie Tastan
Reporter