Tecumseh

I experienced the live drama Tecumseh! during its 35th anniversary year. It is performed at the Sugarloaf Mountain ampitheatre near Chillicothe, Ohio. The playwright, Allan W. Eckert, is a 7 time Pulitzer Prize winner and an Emmy Award winner.My initial reaction was overwhelming. The 3 hour drama does an amazing job at holding your attention. There were wyoundg children in the audience who were just as enthrawled as I was, including my son! Act one begins with Tecumseh's first battle as his older brother ambushes Simon Kenton's party. Although many people on both side were killed, after Kenton's retreat, Tecumseh demonstrates his valor by refusing to torture the leftover "white man". As the play moves on, it very well explains the positions of both the Indian and the white man. The different sevtions go back and forth between the Kenton's group and the various Indian tribes as Tecumseh attempts to unite them against the colonists. This provides the audience with foreshadowing into the future scenes.The setting of the outdoor ampitheatre at Sugarloaf Mountain really adds to the drama. The amitheatre is surrounded gy a forest, which provides adequate coverage and realistic scenes. There is also part of the Scioto River which depicts their use and travel on the river. As for characters, the actors and actresses were very convincing. Tecumseh and Simon Kenton play the protagonist and the antagonist with great repect for one another. Everything that occurs in the drama is extremely close to life. The horses that were used by the Indians were well trained, considering the gunfire and cannon fire being used during the battle scenes. The forest that runs alonside the seats conceals movement, so when it was the colonists turn to ambush the Indians--BAM! with no warning, cannons right beside of you were shooting!Thes lighting played an important role in the emotions provoked in the drama. It directed the audienc's focal point, sometimes drawing them away from one area to prepare for the next scene. The plot of the story left me feelling unsettled about American history. Knowing America's unclean history only reiterated throughout this drama. I felt guilty about the actions of our ancestors. In conclusion, I was completely floored by the performance and the atmosphere of this theatre production. I will be attending next season's performance as well as researching other outdoor dramas. I was taken in by the reality and the raw emotion displayed by this drama.
Labels: last section of semester
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