GREENVILLE – The Fort GreeneVille Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) hosted acclaimed producer and Texas Native David Garrigus at the premiere of The American Constitution, a documentary detailing the chronology and challenges our founding fathers endured while writing the U.S. Constitution.
“I have worked on this film for a long time and am very happy to take it out on the road,” said Garrigus. “We are due to put it on available for PBS stations this time next year, but in the meantime, I am taking it on the road, on an old-fashioned roadshow tour and doing screening events like this. This is the ninth event in Ohio in as many days.”
Garrigus was greeted by a large crowd at the entrance to Wayne Theatre before the showing of The American Constitution.
“It is amazing, humbling in a lot of ways,” he said of the attendees. “These Daughters of the American Revolution are incredible. When they are putting on an event, you can guarantee it’s spectacular.”
Dr. Alex Warner served as the event master of ceremonies, held at Greenville’s Wayne Theatre and included Fort GreeneVille DAR and the Richard Montgomery Chapter, Sons of the American Legion (SAR). Fort GreeneVille DAR, along with county, city, and village officials, proclaim the Week of September 17 as Constitution Week locally. The movie premiere was sponsored by Fort GreeneVille DAR, America 250, and Wayne Theatre.
Before the showing of The American Revolution on the Wayne Theatre big screen, Dr. Alex Warner introduced David Garrigus to address the audience before the movie showing.
David Garrigus Productions is the producer of documentary and educational programs, including Kitty Hawk: The Wright Brothers’ Journey of Invention. The two-hour documentary premiered on PBS and internationally during the 100th anniversary of flight, featuring Neil Armstrong and John Glenn as the voices of Orville and Wilbur. Kitty Hawk has reached nearly 10 million viewers, with partners including Microsoft, Delta Air Lines, Parker, NASA, and the US Congress Centennial of Flight Commission.
“I’m a filmmaker by trade,” Garrigus noted. “I had success with a film about the Wright Brothers’ invention of the airplane, so I had been in Ohio before getting material for that film.”
The American Constitution, a historical documentary film, tells the story of the creation of the US Constitution—a gripping tale revealed through the words of the Founders, performed by acclaimed actors. Leading scholars and historians provide compelling commentary. David Garrigus Productions is a publisher of critically-acclaimed education and health videos distributed to schools, clinics, and hospitals across North America.
“I was bouncing around looking for my next project, and I happened to be reading one of those little constitution books that organizations pass out, and I came to the realization that I wanted to do something on the event, the making of the constitution, the invention of the constitution, as a historical documentary,” said Garrigus. “I have been working on it for a long time. We have 13 of the world’s leading historians and constitutional scholars. Then we recruited actors to portray the framers, such as Washington, Hamilton, James Madison, and Franklin, and reenacted the events that occurred in Philadelphia two hundred and thirty years ago when they wrote the Constitution over the course of three and a half months. All the words the actors say are actual words that are drawn from the letters, diaries, and notes of the delegates.”
Todd Kleismit, Executive Director of the America 250 Ohio Commission, attended the evening’s event and was pleased with the welcome David Garrigus and he received.
“The group here locally in Darke County has been doing an outstanding job,” Kleismit stated. “Debbie Nisonger has been at the forefront of all this for the past couple of years, so I am pleased to be here in Darke County again and glad that the community came out. We’re having a good showing for tonight.”
“There is so much history in Ohio, in fact, Constitution Town is in Ohio, it’s Darke County, and that’s the main reason we’re commemorating the 250th anniversary next year,” Kleismit added. “Ohio has a whole lot that it has contributed to the United States these past 250-plus years, so we are all about showcasing Ohio’s contribution to the United States.”
All attending guests were treated to free popcorn, courtesy of Greenville VFW Post 7262.
“It was a great evening for Greenville and West Central Ohio as the documentary ‘The American Constitution’ was shown to an appreciative audience,” said Warner. “Everyone left the Wayne Theater with a greater appreciation for the Constitution and its origin. The background and inner workings of the Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787 were well presented by Director David Garrigus in an interesting manner that evoked thoughtful questions and remarks from the crowd of approximately 125 viewers.”
“Congratulations to the Fort GreeneVille Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for hosting the program, which is being previewed around the country before being aired on PBS in the fall of 2026,” Warner concluded.
