Riding for the Flag

The Bell family of Ohio stands at the center of Jim R. Woolard's Civil War saga, as three brothers find themselves pulled in opposing directions by loyalty, ambition, and conscience. With the nation fracturing along battle lines, eldest son Jacob enlists in the Union cavalry while his brother Judah rides south to join the Confederate Lexington Rifles. The youngest, Jarrod, pursues the conflict as a cub reporter, chasing a story that cuts far closer to home than he anticipates. Woolard draws a portrait of a family whose bonds are tested by the same forces tearing the country apart.

The full-cast production gives this dramatized adaptation genuine theatrical energy, with eleven performers including Terence Aselford, Nora Achrati, and Eric Singdahlsen lending each character a distinct presence. The format suits the multi-threaded narrative well, making three separate storylines easy to track across different theaters of war. At just over seven hours, the pacing stays brisk without sacrificing emotional weight, and the ensemble approach keeps the divided-family tension feeling immediate and human.