Listen up, theatre-lovers, Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology will be presented by the ETSU Division of Theatre from Jan. 31-Feb. 3.
It was previously scheduled for later in the month of February, but c’est la vie, and life is subject to change.
The theme may remind you of Our Town, in a way. The dead folks in an Illinois cemetery loiter around the premesis and, through monologues and song, dole out details from their lives and tidbits of wisdom about life in general.
Masters created these characters and their experiences from his memories of the very real townspeople of two Illinois towns, Petersburg and Lewistown.
This sucker has been around since 1915, and it continues to be a provocative and influential literary accomplishment. In fact, its importance in the world of literature has been compared to Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass.
To quote scholar William Marion Reedy, Masters “wrote the life of man everywhere, or at least everywhere in America.”
The play remains loyal to Masters’ book of poems, illustrating the life and people of America through the trials and tribulations that these characters lament on.
Cast members include James Andes, Ashley Beasley, Kristy Beidleman, James Cronin, Kate Harrison, Nathan Moffett, Roger Carson Price, Jenny Savery, Carrie Smith, Amy Tallmadge, E.T. Tarlton and Molly Tatum. Crew members include production stage manager Holly Housewright, musical director Anne Cook and lighting designer Anna Koch. Folk music by Naomi Caryl Hirshorn is also thrown in the mix.
Admission is $6 for the general public and $3 for students with a valid I.D.
The theatre in the round seating is limited, so reservations are strongly encouraged.
For reservations, more information, or special assistance for persons with disabilities, call the Division of Theatre box office at 439-7576.

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