THE WILL portrays the life of an African American family in a small town in Tennessee after the Civil War. As we mark the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, THE WILL dramatizes the human consequences of the war as experienced by the Webster family. The Webster sons return from service in the Union army expecting to be treated as full citizens, but they find that victory at home is more elusive than victory on the battlefield. Their father Cyrus Webster, a local farmer, is determined to pass on not only his worldly possessions but also his courage and wisdom to his descendants. THE WILL emphasizes the African American contribution to the Civil War and the range of African American culture. The character of Patti was inspired by the life of Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, a renowned African American opera singer of the Civil War era, also known as The Black Swan.