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A Story of The Underground Railroad Outdoor Drama (as yet untitled)
Theme The phenomenon of "The Underground Railroad" had many heroes and heroines (black and white) who made their contributions in courage, suffering, wit and vision in many places and over the course of many years. Though we know the identities of several of these people, the vast majority remain nameless, faceless ghosts to those of us living today. Though fear of discovery, few, even in their own time, knew of the sacrifices of these hundreds of "friends" while they were being made: little was said, not written records were kept because strict secrecy was the principal key to survival. Today, they rest in unmarked graves--there are no biographies, monuments, or even a family Bible to mark their deeds, or their passing. This drama is to them as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is to heroism of another sort and another time.
Plot, Setting & Characters
The
story takes place in the 1850's, in Northern Kentucky, ("The
Borderland") on the site of the theatre, a tobacco plantation south of
Lexington and the environs in between. The major principals are fictional and
represent the "unknown soldiers" of "The Underground
Railroad." There is conflict, reconciliation and death as relates to them.
The story, told partly in flashback to a slave and her master's children,
includes other remembrances of African stories depicting parallel conflicts
through the music and dance of the native country. The plot also involves
action, fire, gunfire and livestock and will depict actual events which occurred
during various escape attempts in the 1850's. Music and dance will be an
integral part of
The Theatre The theatre will be constructed with audience involvement in mind. Our idea is to bring the play into and around the audience as closely as possible. This will also help facilitate a "state of the art" sound system. It will be as much a theatre in the round as possible, or thrust type, with pieces moving into and away from the audience (actors on-board.) Action sequences will occur all around and through the audience.
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northstardrama@northstardrama.com Webmaster: kristi@mohrfieldholsteins.com
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moving plot forward. The music, which is central to the drama,
will be African and Gospel (using the old slave spirituals with coded messages
in the lyrics) and "master's" music of the time. It will be both
pre-recorded and performed live on stage. The dance, another integral part of
the production, will be African and Afro-American, or period. Certain historical
characters will be represented as they interact within the lot. Among them be be
John Parker; the Rev. John Rankin of Ripley, OH; Levi and Katy Coffin; and John
Gregg Fee of Bracken County, KY.
