Professor Amy C. Gaudion provides commentary following Quill-adelphia performance

CARLISLE— Professor Amy C. Gaudion offered commentary following Quill-adelphia to mark the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence

Quill-adelphia is a musical written by local playwright Cindy Dlugolecki and composer Chris Purcell that details the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. The show tells the story of Jacob Shallus, who served as the assistant clerk of the Pennsylvania Assembly and also as the calligrapher of the U.S. Constitution. The play is based on The Man Behind the Quill by Arthur Plotnik and illuminates the roles of lesser-known and unheralded figures who contributed to the founding of the country.

Gaudion was invited to provide legal commentary on the topics and themes explored in the musical. Following the performance, she moderated a discussion between the playwright, cast members, and Penn State faculty members L. Marvin Overby and Carol Nechemias. The “talk back” session explored the relationship between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

It also examined how U.S. constitutional history has been shaped by quieter figures, particularly public servants, who often remain nameless and whose contributions have gone unrecorded in official accounts but whose efforts made the founding and flourishing of the country possible.

The sold-out performance was sponsored by the American Association of University Women Harrisburg Branch and held at the Gamut Theater in Harrisburg on July 12, 2026.

Amy C. Gaudion is a professor of law at Penn State Dickinson Law as well as the founder of Penn State Dickinson Law’s annual cyberspace simulation with the U.S. Army War College. Her scholarship focuses on constitutional law, national security law, and civil-military relations, and she leads the Law School’s national security and cyberspace programs.