A plethora of curses. A lesbian kiss. A moonshine-induced hallucination (or is it?). These are the ingredients for the completely irreverent, politically incorrect, Appalachian comedy set to begin at Barter Theatre’s Stage II March 24th.
Evelyn Thacker, played by Elizabeth P. McKnight, goes away to college. She returns after grad school to her family in Mud Creek, Kentucky. Her mother (Robin Mullins-yes, you saw her in the major motion pictures "Cold Mountain" and "Nell") isn’t making it easy. Her sister (Karen Sabo) couldn’t be happier. Will Evelyn stay or will she go? Is there anything left for her in Mud Creek? Her old boyfriend has just got out on parole and wants to get married! The church is offering her a job for $8.00! If you bring the TV out on the porch, the reception is just fine. Why wouldn’t she want to stay?
…And then, a college-friend/lover drops in for a very unexpected, and unwanted, visit. There is city Evelyn and there is country Evelyn; her two worlds are colliding-and it is hilarious!
Barter is presenting this play not simply to offend, although you may be offended. All of the abrasive elements of this play have a ring of truth. Stereotypes only exist superficially, but they arise from a small kernel of real observation. We all know people like this. It is funny to find such a correct representation of them, and sometimes, of ourselves. Real viewpoints are portrayed, whether they are right or not, whether we agree or not. This is Appalachia, and we are not apologizing for it. It is a simple story of love-but not the mushy, overrated kind. It’s about accepting who you are without settling for something you’re not.
It is a hard row to hoe, so to speak. The characters in this play are surrounded by elements that the director, Benjamin Corbett Smith, says "will stop your breath-ignorance, poverty, fear and hatred of alternative expressions of love, the ‘n’ word." They may offend you. They will not fit into "nice neat columns of good and evil, hillbilly and city slicker, or intelligent and stupid." The director and the actors do an incredible job of giving each character a real viewpoint, while keeping their humanity in tact. They express their thoughts and feelings without censor. The play doesn’t conform to a particular groups’ opinion, and in the process, it makes the characters human. It certainly is not a social commentary.
Written by Catherine Bush, this play was a winner in last years’ Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights held by Barter Theatre. Bush commented that "if it weren’t for regional theatres like Barter, there would be no new American playwrights and no new American plays." Bush went to Eastern Kentucky University. There she had her first encounter with an "honest-to-God hillbilly." After graduating, Bush decided to write a play set in the Mountains of Kentucky. She read an article on a phenomenon known as "Appalachian Brain Drain" - kids were going off to college never to return. It was then that she knew her story would be about family, place, and love. Her story, she said, would be "a love story about one sister’s willingness to sacrifice everything for the other."
Southern California's defending national co-champions left no doubt as to whom the college football champion was in 2004. The 12-0 Trojans led both major polls throughout the regular season, then trounced unbeaten No. 2 Oklahoma 55-19 in the FedEx Orange Bowl on Jan. 4 for their 13th victory. Theatre Tickets can be found above. And there really good seats. Junior quarterback Matt Leinart, winner of both the Heisman Trophy and the Walter Camp Award, passed for 332 yards and an Orange Bowl record five touchdowns as USC won its 22nd consecutive game and confirmed its 10th national title.
don't forget to go see Theatre.
Auburn fans were disappointed that the Tigers (12-0 in regular season), winner of the SEC and victor over Virginia Tech 16-13 in the Nokia Sugar Bowl, had to settle for a final No. 3 ranking behind USC and Oklahoma. Utah fans, however, were delighted to see their Utes (11-0 in regular season) not only make it to a BCS bowl but clobber Pittsburgh 35-7 in the Fiesta Bowl. The Mountain West champions finished with a No. 5 national ranking.
The nation's other major unbeaten team, Western Athletic Conference champion Boise State (11-0), fell to Louisville (10-1 in regular season) 44-40 in the highest-scoring Liberty Bowl game ever. The Cardinals, in their last year in Conference USA before heading to the Big East, had led the nation with a 49.8 scoring average, while Boise State had averaged 49.7.
Utah and Auburn shared the national Coach of the Year awards, Urban Meyer of Utah winning the Football Writers award and Tommy Tuberville of Auburn taking the Football Coaches award.
Oklahoma may have finished with a disappointing loss in the Orange Bowl, but quarterback Jason White, the 2003 Heisman Trophy winner, won the 2004 Maxwell Award as well as the Davey O'Brien and Johnny Unitas quarterback awards.
The Outland Trophy went to another Oklahoma player, offensive tackle Jamaal Brown, while defensive end David Pollack of Georgia won the Vince Lombardi/Rotary Award along with the Chuck Bednarik Award.
Other notable 2004 season events included: