Published: Friday, April 9, 2010
‘Kentucky Cycle' explores violence
“Kentucky Cycle”: Fast-paced and finely drawn, Robert Schenkkan's six-hour, nine-play cycle — with 33 actors playing more than 80 characters — examines the myths of the American past which have created, for better or for worse, the country we are today.
Part of that examination is the exploration of violence as part of American life. Whether that violence is racial, gender-based or environmental, this epic explores how each generation dealt with and worked through the American tendency to use force first and ask questions later.
This Pulitzer Prize-winner follows three families in eastern Kentucky and spans American history from 1775 to 1975.
These stories are interwoven and interconnected, with one of the main threads involving the Rowen clan.
Michael Rowen, an indentured servant from Ireland, watched his wife and children massacred by Indians. He then set in motion a legacy of corruption that winds up cursing his valley and its people for generations to come.
In part two, the audience is introduced to Mary Ann Rowen, married to Tommy Jackson. She has buried four sons and does not want to see her only remaining boy go into the mines.
A stranger, Abe Steinman, tries to organize the miners into a union, but is betrayed by Mary Ann's husband during the strike. Abe is shot. Spurning her husband, Mary Ann takes her son and leads the miners to victory.
The stories in this cycle are backed by music of the time played by local musicians Ron Swenson on guitar and banjo; Eric Vanderbilt-Mathews on concertina; and Mira Yamamoto on violin.
Jason Dittmer, WICA's director of marketing, said the scope and scale of the Kentucky Project — of which “Kentucky Cycle” is a part — combines the songs and stories of American history and offers opportunities for civic dialogue.
“It's unlike anything that the people of our region will be able to experience this close to home,” he said. “The goals of the project are to produce great art and to engage community members about the interconnectedness between themselves, their collective stories and the ongoing struggles of our society.”
“The Kentucky Cycle,” performed in two parts, starts at 7:30 tonight at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, 565 Camano Ave., Langley. The show runs at various times through April 24.
Tickets are $12 to $28. Call 360-221-8268, or 800-638-7631 or go to www.WICAonline.com.
Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.
Part of that examination is the exploration of violence as part of American life. Whether that violence is racial, gender-based or environmental, this epic explores how each generation dealt with and worked through the American tendency to use force first and ask questions later.
This Pulitzer Prize-winner follows three families in eastern Kentucky and spans American history from 1775 to 1975.
These stories are interwoven and interconnected, with one of the main threads involving the Rowen clan.
Michael Rowen, an indentured servant from Ireland, watched his wife and children massacred by Indians. He then set in motion a legacy of corruption that winds up cursing his valley and its people for generations to come.
In part two, the audience is introduced to Mary Ann Rowen, married to Tommy Jackson. She has buried four sons and does not want to see her only remaining boy go into the mines.
A stranger, Abe Steinman, tries to organize the miners into a union, but is betrayed by Mary Ann's husband during the strike. Abe is shot. Spurning her husband, Mary Ann takes her son and leads the miners to victory.
The stories in this cycle are backed by music of the time played by local musicians Ron Swenson on guitar and banjo; Eric Vanderbilt-Mathews on concertina; and Mira Yamamoto on violin.
Jason Dittmer, WICA's director of marketing, said the scope and scale of the Kentucky Project — of which “Kentucky Cycle” is a part — combines the songs and stories of American history and offers opportunities for civic dialogue.
“It's unlike anything that the people of our region will be able to experience this close to home,” he said. “The goals of the project are to produce great art and to engage community members about the interconnectedness between themselves, their collective stories and the ongoing struggles of our society.”
“The Kentucky Cycle,” performed in two parts, starts at 7:30 tonight at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, 565 Camano Ave., Langley. The show runs at various times through April 24.
Tickets are $12 to $28. Call 360-221-8268, or 800-638-7631 or go to www.WICAonline.com.
Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.
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