| TimePiece: North Alabama During the Civil War | |
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I have seen many plays in my life, but none so touching and poignant as this little gem, written for and performed at the Burritt on the Mountain--a Living Museum, by the Renaissance Theatre. The author, Kay Kuhlmann, has taken a slice of events from the last half of the 19th century, added faces, emotions, and action to paint a picture of what life must have been like during that period of time in the hill country of north Alabama. This is the Burritt's third year to provide the setting for this fictional piece.
TimePiece is unique in many ways. First, the audience is treated to an old-fashioned box supper at the gazebo on the Burritt property. Not only is the view spectacular, but the food was delicious. It was prepared by Catering by Kurt. The picnic supper included food favorites of the years that are covered in the play, 1850-1900, and was served by Burritt volunteers dressed in period costumes. Picnics would have included the authentic--and delicious--southern fried chicken, cornbread, a hard boiled egg, carrots, celery, pickle, brownie, and homemade lemonade.
The play starts as the meal ends. The audience is lead to the first "set"--The Jackson family's front porch. After years of sitting in a theatre and watching "assembled" sets, it was thrilling to walk by the cabin of Lily, a black midwife slave, on our way to an authentic log house of the Jackson's. The night I went, the weather cooperated, the mosquitoes behaved, and the chirping was held to a minimum. The fact that wooden benches and folding chairs appeared on the lawn of the house was never questioned or criticized but gratefully utilized by all in the audience.
From the beginning, the cast of four used their talents to keep us involved in the play. Gary Lee Knight has the difficult task of aging from a young preacher of 18 to 37 years old during the course of the play. Katie Broad is charming as a younger Victoria; while Susan Kenyon enchants us as a grown-up Victoria. Bob Baker directs this unique play. Lighting and sound is provided by Loren Bacon.
I have to admit that my favorite, however, was Lily, portrayed by Jennifer Simmons. Lily is a spunky black girl trained as a midwife and raised in Alabama in the mid-1800's. We watch as Lily shows us her character-- obedient, defiant, wise and charming, as she manages to take her changing position in life before and after the Civil War and make it fit into her idea of things. The love between the former slave and the little girl that she delivered into this world is a rare glimpse into the bonds and difficult situations that existed in the 1800's between blacks and whites. Kuhlman has written a play that not only contains humor but also delivers a message.
To further transport the audience into the story, we are invited to attend a wedding in the authentic Baptist Church on the Burritt grounds and join in the ceremony. According to the custom of the day, we were treated to a wedding reception on the church lawn after the wedding.
From the evening's beginning to its end, we were gently guided back into a piece of time by the unique setting, production, and manipulation of TimePiece.
I encourage you to experience this extraordinary entertainment event from the Renaissance Theatre and Burritt on the Mountain. You'll walk away with a new respect for those who lived in an earlier time period and the things they endured.
TimePiece runs September 19-23 and 26-30, 2001. Call the Burritt Museum for tickets, 256-536-2882.
