Patrick Henry still ringing in his ears, Tim Newell stepped through the tombstones of St. John's Church in Richmond and said, "You don't have this kind of history down in Texas."

Newell's mother and father, Chuck and Elizabeth Newell, had to agree. The Austin residents came to Virginia for an Independence Day-themed journey through time organized by their son, who is a graduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Yesterday's stop at St. John's landed the family in the 18th century. They had good, air-conditioned seats and listened in awe while costumed interpreter Kevin McGranahan unleashed the thundering rhetoric of the American colony's most celebrated orator: Patrick Henry of Hanover County.

The performance gripped a capacity crowd of 325 people who hung on every word as actors portrayed the famous debate inside the church that set Virginia on the path of rebellion against the British Crown.

Kay Peninger, a spokeswoman for the program, said interest in the re-enactment is enduring.

"We were worried with the price of gas," she said. "But so far this season, we've had full houses."

The performance portrays the Second Virginia Convention of March 1775 in which Henry, impatient and emotional, established himself as the voice of the American Revolution with a stirring call to arms delivered in the church at 2401 E. Broad St.

"There is no longer any room for hope!" McGranahan's Henry rasped in exasperation at the historical characters who were urging diplomacy in dealing with a Parliament that was treading on the colonists' growing sense of freedom.

Then after much pacing and flailing about, McGranahan worked toward the exultation that schoolchildren in even Texas have heard: "I know not what course others may take, but as for me -- give me liberty or give me death!"

The declaration hit the audience like a thunder clap.

Re-enactors relive the famous Colonial debate -- six of the seven Virginia signers of the Declaration of Independence took part -- every Sunday from Memorial Day through Labor Day as well as the Sunday closest to the March 23rd anniversary of Henry's famous speech. The performances begin at 2 p.m. after a 1:30 p.m. musical program.