Francis answers Arrow International Film Festival of Paris, journalist.

Let me give a brief creation history of the Actor Master Showman screenplay to answer that. First, while attending an ‘Abolitionist Symposium’ in 2000 on pre-Civil War Slavery at the John Jay Homestead, a conference lady told me about Gilbert Horton, a free Negro Somers resident of 1826, who was unlawfully imprisoned in Washington, and almost sold into slavery if it were not for untiring legal objections and advocacy of Judge William Jay. ‘How interesting.’ I thought. ‘But what was Gilbert doing in D.C in the first place?’ So, being from Somers myself, (the Birthplace of the early American Circus) and with such little remaining facts… my imagination took over creating a fictional story having a Gilbert type character working for The Bailey Circus. And that’s how it started. And yet, this came to a screeching halt as my Horton-like character ceased to go any further as I experienced a yearlong writer’s block, until I created a substitute lead character, Edward the British actor. Then the enjoyment of creating new characters took a wonderful turn of events, especially with the introduction of Annie Banjo, who would later have a mystical presence. I also interestingly started playing the banjo, composing three songs tailored to the Actor Master Showman story.