Published Thursday, August 29, 2002
of 'West Wing'
Herald Staff Writer
Now that the scenery is down, the actors have gone home and the last truck has pulled away, the next time "The West Wing" will be seen in the Volant area will be on NBC television.
"It's quiet here," said Roberta McConnell of Washington Township. Her husband, Jeff, and brother-in-law, Gary McConnell, own Kemland Farms, where the two-hour season premiere was filmed. Most of the crew left Tuesday, but the last truck pulled away from the farm Wednesday.
"I don't have anybody outside my bedroom window at 4 a.m.," Mrs. McConnell said. "Everything is gone."
The shooting was "a lot of work and a lot of fun," and something she'd consider doing again.
"It's all been luck. Everything just kind of fell into place for it to be here," Mrs. McConnell said.
As a souvenir, the McConnells got to keep the big American flag that was hung on their machine shed. "Now I have to find a flag pole big enough to put it on," Mrs. McConnell said. "I was really tickled they let me have it."
When the cast and crew left Lawrence County, they left behind groceries and supplies used to turn the Washington Township Municipal Building into a general store.
"There was so much stuff over there, and they said we can have it, but we don't need all that," Mrs. McConnell said. So, she called the women's shelter in New Castle. "They were so grateful for that," she said. "That was a good thing that was left behind. That was a good thing for the community."
A casting call on Aug. 10 at Westminster College yielded about 300 local extras for the filming. Many played spectators in the crowd scene during a campaign speech by President Josiah Bartlet, played by Martin Sheen.
The extras had only good things to say about Sheen and the way he interacted with everyone.
"He was very nice and very patient. He had lots of patience," said Pat Miller of Hermitage, who played a spectator.
"Martin Sheen was quite impressive on Sunday when he met the band kids," said Westminster College English professor Dr. Richard Sprow, who also played a spectator. "He shook their hands, and he was very personable, very genuine. It gives you a different picture of the stereotype of a star as being very aloof."
"I thought Martin Sheen was totally awesome, and he made a