Up on the hill.
‘All, all are sleeping on the hill.’
‘Always amuse yourself and challenge your audience.’
This production was directed by Tom Jones and was a real work of love for the material. A theatrical version of Spoon River Anthology had appeared on Broadway in 1963. But Tom wanted to create a new adaptation from the huge roster of characters that Masters had written. Set in a cemetery, the former residents of a small town speak from beyond the grave. They tell of their hopes and ambitions and of their bitter, unrealized lives. The realistic poems proved controversial when they were first published and we found them extremely fulfilling. The pieces were fast and fluid and the company had a blast changing characters every few minutes. They were funny, rude, truthful, and touching. Above all, they were real human beings… not some fiction.
Tom Jones at bat!
Tom was well used to the restrictions which touring a show created. So, he very smartly had us adopt the identity and look of a Federal Theatre project (WPA). These were created by Congress in 1935 to provide work for theater professionals during the Great Depression. We had a large banner spray painted by Kelly Duncan which was put across the back wall. The image was from the spooky poster designed by actor, set builder and artist John Hearity. He’d also made large, very heavy tombstones which dressed the stage. A steamer trunk centre was loaded with props and costumes. While we sat on benches. Whoever spoke got up and dressed themselves from the trunk and said their poem. Our music was from traditional American folk, blues and we started the evening off with our smoking announcement. Which asked the audience to stand for the National Anthem. We then played this delightful waltz version, and the cast stood rock still at attention. Hands on hearts. It was Ronald Reagan’s America, and it amused us as a couple of lefty artists to see how most patriotic Americans gave up after a few bars. While the cast held still. Try it… I dare you!