Barter Theatre musical in spotlight at South Carolina's Civil War Sesquicentennial events

Civil War Voices, a new musical by James R. Harris and Mark Hayes, currently in production at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, will be the featured theatrical event during South Carolina's Civil War Sesquicentennial Commemoration in Charleston, April 8-12. Seven performances of the musical will be staged at Charleston's Memminger Auditorium.

"Seamlessly weaving together the stories of five individuals with new and gorgeous arrangements by Mark Hayes, Harris shines a light on these faces of the Civil War. The result is a poignant, moving, historically accurate, beautiful story," says Richard Rose, Barter Theatre' producing artistic director.

According to Rose, Harris stumbled upon a diary kept by his great, great uncle several years ago, which led to the creation of Civil War Voices. Harris' research also unearthed several other personal recollections of the War Between the States, including those of a young couple separated by the war, a freed slave serving as dressmaker for Mary Todd Lincoln and a young professor turned lieutenant. Uniting the diaries and writings with music from the era, Harris created the new theatrical work that is playing at Barter Theatre and will be presented in Charleston in April.

"I have tried to capture the real people, the real songs and, ultimately, the real heart of a country divided," says Harris.

Performed in the style of story theatre, ten actors play multiple characters and stay on stage for the duration of the show, alongside a violinist and a pianist. The songs are familiar, but the arrangements by Mark Hayes are new; songs like "Amazing Grace," "Dixie," "The Yellow Rose of Texas," "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic" are woven into the story, enriching historical moments while illuminating the personal recollections.

"When it came time to find a musical collaborator for the project, I aimed high," Harris says.

Hayes has performed across the nation and is well-known for his unique choral settings which draw from diverse styles such as gospel, jazz, pop, folk and classical to achieve a truly "American sound."

Civil War Voices is not just for Civil War buffs, Rose explains. The show reflects the struggles, large and small, of both the North and the South - stories not found in history books.

"The really beautiful thing is, by the end of the play, we see that even though it was North vs. the South, we all were so much the same, with such similar human hopes and fears," suggests Katy Brown, the assistant director of Civil War Voices.

Located in Abingdon, Virginia, Barter Theatre is one of this nation's oldest, professional non-profit theatres, celebrating its 78th anniversary this year. Barter offers a variety of musicals, classics, comedies, dramas and new southern and Appalachian plays performed February-December annually on two stages: Barter Theatre and Barter Stage II. Barter also produces two to three national tours - Civil War Voices will be on tour throughout the United States later this year.

Civil War Voices will play at Memminger Auditorium in Charleston on April 8-12 with special talkbacks featuring the actors, the playwright and historical experts following each performance. Tickets are available by calling (276) 628-3991, and for more information about the theater company, visit www.bartertheatre.com.

 

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