Barter Theatre Plays on Local Ties with HANGING MARY, 7/30-8/10

Barter Theatre wraps up its 2013 Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights with a mini-production of "Hanging Mary" at Barter Stage II. Written by Matthew Carlton, and set in Erwin, Tennessee, the play depicts an infamous event in a fascinating story. There are only eight performances scheduled between July 30 and August 10.

In the early part of the twentieth century, Erwin, Tennessee was a railroad town. The Clinchfield Railroad carried coal out of the Tennessee Mountains and carried the outside world into that part of the state. In 1914, the train brought Sparks World Famous Shows, a traveling circus, to town. The circus' main claim to fame was Mary, a 30-year old, 5-ton cow elephant. Mary killed Red Eldrige, a local hired hand. The elephant was then hanged as a spectacle after being dubbed "Murderous Mary."

Barter's play "Hanging Mary" explores what led up to the tragic event. Because of so many variations in oral history, the true story may never be known. Had Mary become violent or was she provoked by abuse?

The theatre, and Barter is no exception, has long been a place for artists and an audience to get together to shine a light into the dark spaces of our society, so that we may examine and, hopefully avoid, the mistakes of the past.

There are three elephants in the play and all are cast as African-American women. Carlton, the playwright, makes the casting request in the script.

"The play focuses on the way that people marginalize others- in this story, there are elephants who are hurt and made to live in captivity in a circus. The playwright calls further attention to how we marginalize others by requiring that all three of the elephants be played by African-American women," says Director Katy Brown.

The play asks the question, "What is it in us that makes us judge another as less than we are?"

Barter's Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights (AFPP) gives voice to Appalachian playwrights and stories, and the story of the hanging of an elephant named Mary is uniquely Appalachian. Matthew Carlton's "Hanging Mary" had a professional reading during last year's festival and the next step in its development process is a mini-production (minimal technical elements such as costumes, sets, etc).

As part of the AFPP, Barter Theatre invites everyone to come and share their opinions on the development of the mini-production. Audience reaction is extremely important to Barter and will be considered if the theatre decides to further develop the play.The 2013 AFPP began when Barter presented read-throughs of eight brand new plays at the beginning of July.

"One of our main concerns is to find a balance over the course of a season and give our patrons choices," said Nicholas Piper, director of Barter's AFPP. "Sometimes we want to be entertained, sometimes we want to be challenged. Our ambition with 'Hanging Mary' is to produce a theatrical event that will challenge people and have them thinking about the play and its themes long after they've seen it."

Barter Theatre produces a wide variety of plays and musicals developed through the AFPP like "Keep on the Sunny Side," "Man of Constant Sorrow," "Walking Across Egypt" and many more.

"Hanging Mary" is sponsored by Roadrunner Markets, Dunkin Donuts, WKPT and WETS. Barter Theatre is funded in part by the Virginia Commission of the Arts and the National Endowment of the Arts.

On July 30, Barter is hosting a picnic on Porterfield Square with special guests, Matthew Carlton (playwright), Nicholas Piper (AFPP director), and Director of the play Katy Brown. Tickets are $36 and include the show and dinner. Call 276.619.3315 for more info and to reserve a spot for the picnic and show.

Tickets to "Hanging Mary" are $22 and can be purchased by calling Barter's Box Office at 276.628.3991 or visiting BarterTheatre.com.

Pictured: Jesaira Glover (Mary the elephant), Patrice Foster (Topsy the elephant), Wendy Piper (Addie Sparks, wife of circus owner), and Parris Cromer as Queenie the elephant).

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