[386] MTSU Theatre Presents 'Appalachian Roots' Locally In April

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 24, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919, or lrollins@mtsu.edu

MTSU THEATRE PRESENTS ‘APPALACHIAN ROOTS’ LOCALLY IN APRIL
Original Production Set to Travel to Northern Ireland in May, Says Director Halladay

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU Theatre will celebrate the rich music and stories of Appalachia with its production of "Appalachian Roots" on April 2 and April 16.
Combining the mischief and fun of Appalachian tales and music with the hardship of life in a coal-mining community, the production highlights the strength of a people who didn’t just “make do” with what they had, but found joy in it as well.
Directed by Dr. Jette Halladay, professor of speech and theatre, "Appalachian Roots" found its inception in September 2009 when 11 MTSU students and Carol Ponder, Appalachian folk artist, met with MTSU faculty members Halladay, Nancy Boone Allsbrook (music) and Kim Neal Nofsinger (speech and theatre) to create a show about Appalachia.
The creative process lasted through February 2010, and now the show has begun performances for elementary schools throughout the area.
Set in the 1920s, the show takes place in a one-room schoolhouse in a small coal-mining community in East Tennessee, where the children are practicing their spring program for the parents when they hear the siren alarm from the coal mine.
“The students know the siren means there has been an accident at the mine—the mine where their daddies, brothers and uncles work. But they’ve been asked not to go to the mine until the siren sounds again,” Halladay explained.
Subsequently, to distract them the schoolteacher, Aunt Julie, insists they keep practicing their program. From this point, the stories and songs take on a greater meaning to the children, as they find strength and courage to face what lies ahead.
“No other show I’ve directed has been so relevant to this area,” observed Halladay, who specializes in children’s theater. “Many of the cast are of Appalachian heritage. Our music director, Nancy Boone Allsbrook, grew up in an Appalachian coal-mining town in next to the West Virginia border.
“Our guest artist, Carol Ponder, grew up in the Appalachians of North Carolina. Several of the students have relatives from the Cumberland Gap and smaller communities in the Appalachians of East Tennessee, so gathering information has been a marvelous exploration of our own heritage and traditions.“
Throughout March and April, "Appalachian Roots" was and will be presented at area elementary schools. In May, the cast and crew will travel to Ireland to perform at the Ulster American Folkpark in Omagh, as well as at various schools throughout Northern Ireland.
• SHOW INFO: Locally, theatergoers may take in the production at 7 p.m. Friday, April 2, in the Tennessee Room of MTSU’s James Union Building and at 7 p.m. Friday, April 16, in the theater at Patterson Park Community Center, 521 Mercury Blvd., in Murfreesboro.

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There is a suggested donation of $5 for admission; however, all donations are welcomed. All proceeds will be used to help fund the tour of "Appalachian Roots" to schools in Ireland during May.
“The people of Appalachia drew strength from their stories, their music and their religious beliefs,” Halladay noted. “Life was hard, but there was a sense of pride and fortitude that was passed from generation to generation.
“In the play, the school teacher, Aunt Julie, compares the people of Appalachia to the trees of Appalachia. Appalachian trees are some of the strongest hardwoods in the world. Why? Because their roots go deep in the Appalachian soil, and it is the same with the people. They can weather any storm so long as they keep their roots deep in their rich heritage.”
For more information regarding school or public performances, please contact Halladay at 615-898-5824 or via e-mail at jhallada@mtsu.edu.



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With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.