Whidbey Island Center for the Arts' Epic THE KENTUCKY CYCLE Opens 4/9

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, under the leadership of Executive Director Stacie Burgua, is proud to present The Kentucky Project, March 14 - April 24, 2010.

The Kentucky Project is an exploration of the process of 'myth making': that alchemy of wish fulfillment and political expediency by which history is collected and altered and revised, by which events become stories, and stories become folklore, and folklore becomes myth.

The Project combines the songs and stories of American history and offers opportunities for complex and inclusive civic dialogue. The music and drama, at times vivid and revealing, provide direct links to our national heritage and to the social and political struggles we have overcome or continue to face. The goals of The Project are to produce great art and to engage community members about the interconnectedness between themselves, their collective stories, and the ongoing struggles of our society.

The Kentucky Project is comprised of three productions: Simple Gifts: The Music of America, a WICA Conservatory Choir concert; Play Party: Songs and Stories of Appalachia, a Family Series presentation; and the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama The Kentucky Cycle (Apr 09 - 24).

The Project also features Special Events and Community Partnerships such as Ties that Bind: The Biggs, Rowen, and Talbert Families, an exploration of the ancestry and relationship of the fictional (The Kentucky Cycle) Biggs, Rowen, and Talbert families, and the real events that shaped lives of the people of Appalachia - and our nation. This event is presented in partnership with the Genealogical Society of South Whidbey Island; and Our Lives, Our Land: The Kentucky Cycle Stories in the Good Cheer Garden. "Our Lives..." includes Prologues (30-minute educational programs with audience participation), a Community Discussion led by AmeriCorps volunteers, a sampling of food from Good Cheer Garden, and a performance by the WICA Chamber Singers.

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts has stepped out of a conventional theater role to become even more connected with its community. Through The Kentucky Project, WICA strives to cultivate civic engagement, and to encourage an investment and ownership in local, regional, national, and global communities. The Project's exploration of American content will encourage audiences to take a thoughtful look at our nation's cultural heritage.

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, under the leadership of Executive Director Stacie Burgua, is proud to present the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Kentucky Cycle: Part One and Part Two at WICA, 565 Camano Avenue, Apr 09 - 24, 2010.

This sweeping epic of three families in eastern Kentucky spans 200 years of American history from 1775 to 1975. Fast-paced and finely drawn, Robert Schenkkan' s stunning six-hour, nine-play cycle (with 33 actors playing 80+ characters) examines the myths of the American past.

"As I played out the history of these families over this broad expanse of time, the play seemed to become less and less about the history of eastern Kentucky or even the history of Appalachia. It was about America. It had become an unintended exploration of the process of 'myth making': that alchemy of wish fulfillment and political expediency by which history is collected and altered and revised, by which events become stories, and stories become folklore, and folklore becomes myth. Ultimately, I realized that the play was about American mythology..." - Robert Schenkkan

Exploring violence as a part of American life -- whether that violence is racial, gender-based, or environmental -- and how each generation deals with and works through the American tendency to use force first and ask questions later.

"A cautionary parable about American character..." - Joe Adcock, Seattle P-I

Tickets range in price from $12 to $28, with discounts available for seniors, military, youth and groups, and are available from www.WICAonline.com or 360.221.8268 - 800/638.7631.

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