Colonial House
Dave and Debbie Verdecia
Freeman and Family
Tuesday, May 25, 2004; 2:00 p.m ET
Think colonial life was all about pious pilgrims, powdered wigs and freedom for all? Think again. Following in the footsteps of "Manor House" and "Frontier House," PBS's new eight-part "Colonial House" historical reality series tracks the firsthand experiences of modern-day colonists as they live in the year 1628 for four months on the misty Maine coast, with only the rustic tools and technology of the time at their disposal. Viewers witness the personal and communal challenges of the colonists' day-to-day lives, seeing both the expected -- backbreaking labor, bad weather and primitive living conditions -- as well as the unexpected -- religious conflicts, surprising confessions, devastating news from the outside world and even an AWOL colonist.
Show participants Dave and Debbie Verdecia will be online Tuesday, May 25 at 2 p.m. ET, to discuss their four months "on set" and what they learned during their journey through time on "Colonial House."
Submit your questions and comments before or during the discussion.
"Colonial House" airs on PBS Mondays and Tuesdays, May 17-18 and 24-25 at 8 p.m. ET. (Check local listings).
Bios:
The Verdecia Family
Freeman and family
2004: Dave (47), a firefighter, and Debbie (44) Verdecia, a substitute teacher and homemaker, are from California. They arrive with their three children Maddison (15), Tony (13) and Emily (9).
1628: The Verdecias occupy the newest house in the Colony, a home built by Dave and the Colony's other men, using only the basic hand tools available in 1628. The Verdecias endure a unique colonial experience, arriving midway through the project as a group of unexpected new colonists. For Dave and Debbie, the experience has redefined what it means to provide for their family -- in the 17th century or otherwise -- as they struggle to find their place, literally, in a small community.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Philadelphia, Pa.:
I don't remember seeing your family at the beginning of the series. Did you join late? Also, I missed the second part on TV, does the TV Network plan to show the series again soon?
Thank you for taking the time to be online today. I look forward to participating.
Dave and Debbie Verdecia: We did join late. About 4 1/2 weeks after the originals group. The producers of the show wanted to show what it was like in the 17th century when new colonists showed up unexpectedly. Without phones and mail new colonists often showed up without warning.
_______________________
London, U.K.:
There were three Brits living with you in the colony. In yesterday's chat, Dominic Muir mentioned that the biggest cultural difference between the Brits and Americans were their work ethic. What were the cultural differences, if any, that you encountered with the Brits during your stay? Have you seen/spoken to Dominic, Paul Hunt or Clare since you departed the colony? washingtonpost.com:
Transcript: Freeman Dominic Muir and Producer Beth Hoppe, (Live Online, May 24)
Dave and Debbie Verdecia: We've stayed in touch with all three, however seem to be playing phone tag with Clare. Having the brits there with their sense of humor put a refreshing spin on the whole thing.
_______________________
Freehold, N.J.:
How difficult is it being a parent under 1628 circumstances? Did your children want for things that you couldn't give them and wished you could?
Dave and Debbie Verdecia: At the beginning of our experience, when we were all in the Wyers house, food was scarce and that was difficult. We had no control over what we ate or how much or even when. But once we were in our own home, and received our own rations we were very content. Surprisingly the kids were very happy there and never complained. In the end they didn't want to leave. It actually turned out to be a more difficult adjustment coming home.
_______________________
washingtonpost.com:
Check The PBS Colonial House Web site to find out when the shows will be re-aired.
_______________________
Milwaukee, Wis.:
Based on your experience in 1628, if you got your absolute choice, what period in history would you prefer to live in, if you had four months to do it again?!
Dave and Debbie Verdecia: I have to really think about that...but not 1628 again. Maybe next time we'll do Space Age House>
_______________________
St. Louis, Mo.:
Why did you decide to participate in this
program?
Do you have any regrets?
Was it difficult? Did you enjoy any of your
time there?
What did you miss most about the 21st century?
Dave and Debbie Verdecia: We participated in the program because we thought it would be a great growing experience for our kids. We also thought that it would be a wonderful thing to share as a family. In terms of physical labor it was the hardest work I've ever done. As a firefighter I have a very phsically demanding job but building a house out of oak, while eating a limited diet, was very strenuous. I think that what I missed the most was the freedom of choices that I have in the 21st century.
_______________________
Waukesha, Wis.:
My daughter and I were very interested in watching Colonial House, until the slaughter of the lamb. She was hysterical when that aired, and I was not pleased that there were no warnings whatsoever. Knowing families would be watching this, did you have any questions about doing something so brutal? I am sure people went into this knowing food would be scarce.
Dave and Debbie Verdecia: We did know that food would be scarce and so when faced with an opportunity that would provide food and meat for the families involved, everyone agreed that the lamb needed to be slaughtered. I agree that a disclaimer would have been appropriate.
_______________________
Bonners Ferry, Idaho:
This question is for Dave. How did you feel when John Voorhees gave up his position on the council because of his wife's refusal to attend Sabbath? It seems other adjustments have been made for personal situations which have arisen, ex. Danny Tisdale leaving due to his personal conflicts. Why was this different in your opinion?
Great program... looking very much forward to tonight's episode.
Dave and Debbie Verdecia: I thought that the argument that Jack put forward about 21st century women going to meetings to support their husbands positions was an appropriate one. We were also concerned about the evaluation. I was disappointed when John resigned because although Michelle interpreted it that way, John was never asked to choose between church or the council.
_______________________
Eagle Springs, N.C.:
Can you explain what was (hopefully) edited to look like an incredibly condescending comment to John Voorhees about attending church "outside the colony?"
Dave and Debbie Verdecia: I was disappointed in the editing of that comment in so much as it didn't take into account previous conversations that John and I had shared. I was simply stating that I hoped that this experience (council meetings) hadn't soured him on church in general.
_______________________
Buckley, Wash.:
At any point, did you seriously want to leave? What caused that feeling? Any one thing or just basic exhaustion?
Dave and Debbie Verdecia: At one point around week 4 we did consider leaving. We didn't know it at the time but we weren't getting our proper rations. The rations in the Wyers home were being divided by 12 instead of each family getting their own. When Emily cried because she was so hungry we knew something was wrong. That same day, I walked into another hosehold and saw what they were eating and realized we had a problem. We finally talked to the production crew and they recognized it right away. We weren't getting our rations. We then built an outdoor hearth so that we could cook our own food. It helped so much to have our own rations. They rectified the situation immediately and things really improved.
_______________________
St. Louis, Mo.:
My classroom full of high school
students, would like to know if anyone
within the colony got on your nerves?
Dave and Debbie Verdecia: Yes. :)
_______________________
Upper Marlboro, Md.:
I am loving the show! A question about Michelle though -- how did the group as a whole (or perhaps just your family) feel about her refusal to participate in Sabbath activities? After all, in the 17th century there is NO WAY she would have refused, whatever her personal feelings -- and I feel like she wasn't going along with the project 100 percent by refusing. Many things she had to do, she would probably refuse to do in real life. I really think she was making a huge deal out of nothing -- it was just pretend.
Dave and Debbie Verdecia: Many of the colonists were frustrated by Michelle's attitude, after all it was the 17th century. However as Christians, we never wanted to be in a position of forcing someone to attend. Jack felt it was important to bring it up for the integrity of the project and we worried that our future evaluation would be in jeopardy.
_______________________
Erie, Pa.:
Am I to understand that all participants were given the "laws" of the colony beforehand. And if so were they explained? Did everyone going in understand the manditory Sabbath law and what that involved?
Love the show and look forward to tonight's installments.
Dave and Debbie Verdecia: We were all given a book of laws during our training period at Plymouth Plantation in Mass. We were also told about Sabbath during our interview process.
_______________________
Philadelphia, Pa.:
How did you like Oprah's stay? Any funny stories?
Dave and Debbie Verdecia: Oprah was amazing. She was very engaging and encouraging. When she arrived on the Colony, near the end of the project, our family was feeling pretty wiped out and she was a breath of fresh air. She's stayed in touch after we returned home and has been a gracious advocate for the show.
_______________________
Orem, Utah:
Your family seems incredibly patient and good-spirited. Wish the program had included more of you!
I'm sure you expected to be dirty, tired and hungry. Did you ever experience anything completely unexpected in the colony, that caught you totally off-guard?
Dave and Debbie Verdecia: Thank you, that's very sweet. Maybe if we'd been more controversial we would have been included more. But we had a great experience. The thing that caught us off guard was how much we loved living without the things that we think are so necessary here in the 21st century. I also knew I'd miss my family and friends but was actually surprised at how painful it was to be without any communication from them for 3 months. We are very proud of our kids as well. They really embraced the project and strengthened their bonds with each other. We were very dirty, exhausted and missed our friends but we really believe our faith got us through and made our family stronger for it.
_______________________
Waretown, N.J.:
Had you seen the final show before it aired last week and this week? What did you think once you saw yourselves on TV? washingtonpost.com:
Note: The final episodes actually air tonight, so no spoilers!
Dave and Debbie Verdecia: We were given the shows the morning that they were on. After seeing myself, I decided I should have eaten more and a haircut would have done wonders.
_______________________
McLean, VA:
Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Verdecia. First of all, I wanted to say how much I have enjoyed the show -- it has been informative, of course, but also entertaining and humorous. Many thanks to you and your children for your participation in this amazing experiment.
Since you arrived after the initial group of settlers had already been at the colony for a while, I'm sure you had a different perspective on the situation you walked in on. How did the overall situation at the colony match up to your expectations coming in? Were there any surprises, pleasant or otherwise, regarding how the colony was set up, how it was operating, or how the colonists were adapting to their roles? From what I've seen so far, your family seems to have adopted a very businesslike approach to the experiment and have tried to be true to the 17th century mentality (and steered clear of some of the ongoing dramas).
Dave and Debbie Verdecia: We definitely tried to steer clear of the "in town" drama. With our three kids there we tried to focus on the project and our household which didn't necessarily make us very interesting from a TV standpoint. We did, however, have a great experience, learn a lot, and developed some very valuable relationships.
_______________________
Jackson, Tenn.:
Hi, I would like to know if you had the opportunity to undergo the same kind of pre-show training that was provided for the other families? Did you get to visit Plimoth Colony at all before you "arrived" on the boat?
Dave and Debbie Verdecia: The original colonists spent 14 days at Plimoth. We were given 4 days of training. Production knew we would learn from the others already there. It was never enough, in my opinion.
_______________________
| 
