May 8, 2010

12-5 pm. Eclipse Company Town. Voices of the Little Cities - 115, 230, 345. The Voices of the of the Little Cities project utilizes the actual words of miners, news reports, coal town women and historians of an earlier era to create theatrical readings, presented by trained actors. These readings, when framed by simple narration and connected together, give an entertaining but factual account of the nationally significant story that took place in the Hocking Valley Coal Fields of southeastern Ohio during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The project is led by Athens theater consultant Kathy Devecka. She describes the theatrical reading process as a vocal collage which creates a voice documentary that tells the story with the exact words of those who lived out and recorded the events that took place. Like a quilt, pieces are selected to follow one another within a chronological framework and are based on an idea or theme Voices or intended feeling, she said. The Voices of the Little Cities project is an outgrowth of several efforts by the Little Cities of Black Diamonds Council to share the provocative story of this micro-region with local citizens, youth and geo-tourists. The project builds upon the success of the Little Cities Living History Characters that have graced Little Cities events during recent years with costumed characterizations of important individuals in the microegions history. The project utilizes the research of the past decade around the nationally significant role of the miners and mine owners of the Hocking Valley in the nations early labor union movement. The organizations labor history research was used to launch the Voices of the Little Cities project in August of 2008 during the two-day Agents of Change labor history learning experience. In October of 2008 during the 14th Annual Little Cities of Black Diamonds Day actors read accounts of the regions labor history as well as those of coal town women collected via research and oral history collection by cultural activist Helen Horn who developed the Athens County Coal Town Women The Other Half Speaks program during the 1990s. The project is supported by funds from the Ohio Humanities Council, the Ohio Arts Council and the Little Cities of Black Diamonds Council. Costumes are provided by Constance Gabbard. Bruce Gay Dalzell - 1215-115 PM Bruce and Gay Dalzell are no strangers to the region as they have performed at past Appalachian Spring Festivals at the Eclipse Company Town and are treasured performing artist in the Athens area. This husband-wife, singer songwriter prove a vibrant blend of vocal in jazz, blues and folk genres accompanied by Bruce on the acoustic guitar. Celia Charlie Lewis 130-230 ....a husband and wife team who serve up an entertaining combination of love songs, bluegrass, folk, country and popular music often injected infected with a healthy dose of humor on the guitar, banjo, hammered dulcimer and Celtic harp, along with a strong and pleasing vocal blend. The Boys O the Hock 400-500 PM From Ireland to the Hocking, Athens County own Irish/Celtic band features traditional Celtic music from jigs to jam sessions. this marks the fifth straight year the band has visited Appalachian Spring always a perfect fit for this event and location. Members are Ohio University employees Sean O'Malley, flute Rusty Smith, guitar Ed Newman, hammered dulcimer and Tim Hogan, bodhran Irish Drum. Directions to Eclipse.

Arts/Music/Film
Outdoor Activity
Family Oriented