The Riverview Currently

Bringing Richard Watson Gilder to Life

By James Parker

Riverview Studios recently took on a unique challenge: how to bring the voice and presence of Richard Watson Gilder, one of Bordentown’s most accomplished literary figures, into a format that would resonate with today’s audiences. The solution came through a blend of tradition and technology—live actors performing against green screen backdrops, layered with evocative visuals that carried viewers back into the late 19th century.

The production highlighted Gilder’s poetry, essays, and reflections, weaving excerpts of his writing into the performance. By isolating the actors on green screen, the team could transport them seamlessly into period-appropriate settings—drawing rooms, libraries, and imagined landscapes inspired by Gilder’s own words. This approach not only gave the actors freedom to embody his story but also offered the audience a visually rich experience that felt both modern and timeless.

Gilder’s legacy is deeply tied to American literary history. As the longtime editor of Century Magazine, he influenced the national conversation through essays, fiction, and political commentary. Earlier in his career, he contributed to Scribner’s Monthly, where his editorial voice began to take shape. These connections placed him at the heart of a vibrant publishing world, and the production at Riverview underscored how his words carried cultural weight far beyond Bordentown.

By marrying technology with live performance, Riverview Studios created a portrait of Gilder that was at once intimate and expansive. Audiences could hear his words, see the actors embody his world, and sense the influence of a family whose presence in Bordentown helped shape the town’s cultural identity.

The project proved that even stories rooted in the 19th century can find fresh expression when imagination meets innovation. Richard Watson Gilder may have edited Century in the age of print, but in Bordentown today, his voice was given new life on screen.