Sullivan County Council on the Arts Roving Historical Theatre

Sullivan County Council on the Arts - Supporting the arts, culture and heritage of Sullivan County, Pennsylvania

Roving Theater DVDs
The DVD of "Diamonds and Coal" is ready for you to pick up.
All three 2009-11 Roving Theater productions were videotaped by professional videographer Allen Williams, from Lopez.
To order copies ($20), send a check or money order to SCCA, PO Box 243, Dushore, PA, 18614.
For information, e-mail or call (570) 928-8927.
The DVD of the 2008 production, "Floating Past Hilll's Grove," is also available ($15).

"Diamonds and Coal,"

the 2011 Roving Historical Theater play, was performed at St. Francis Hall, Mildred.

It focused on mining and semi-pro baseball in the Mildred/Bernice corridor.

Much of the historical material came from the Sullivan County Historical Society Museum in Laporte, including their extensive Laurel Leaves collection of some 350 oral histories compiled by Sullivan County High School students in the 1980s.

We were especially indebted to and delighted with the interviews provided by the Wanagitis family, Joseph "Yaskey" Wanagitis in particular. These oral histories and rare, wonderful and unique treasures.

Roving to Forksville and Millview

NOTE: The complete scripts to the plays for 2007-2011, as well as the Renaissance Feast plays given in 2005 and 2006, can be accessed from our archives.

"At the Forks"

This year, we move to Forksville/Millview, one of the earliest settlement areas in the county. Besides looking into the founding Bird, Molyneux, Warren and Rogers families, we incorporate perhaps the most significant geographical and meteorological element of the county: flooding.

2011 was the most violet year in Sullivan County's historical record for natural disasters. Three floods – one in April, the second in August, the third in September – rode on each other's backs to inundate huge stretches of farmland, obliterate houses and generally create unrivaled havoc.

Yet, the county survived, as it always has: as it did after the flood of 1816 in Forksville when flooding destroyed the town's major industry, the Rogers woolen mill.

For this year's play, we examine the historical flooding, as we also look into the continuing history of the Sullivan County Fair at the Forksville Fairgrounds, examine the legacy of football legend Red Grange, a Forksville native, trace the development of the Rural Electric Co-op and uncover a few deep, dark secrets of drunken revelry (OK – one).

When? June 8, 9, 10.

Where? The Forksville Fairgrounds.

Check here for updates.

In future years, we also plan to cover:

Lopez/Ricketts - Timbering, railroads and the Civil War.
Sonestown/Muncy Valley - The CCC camps of the 1930s, World War II and the 1950s.
County-wide - What comes after we've wrapped up the run of productions in local communities? We'll see, but we don't intend to fold up our tents so quickly. Ideas? Bring 'em on.

The Roving Historical Theater is a work-in-progress, its realization depending on the musicians, actors, writers and others who become involved.

Casting and involvement are open to anyone in Sullivan County and the immediately surrounding area, regardless of age or experience - all will be accepted; no one will be turned away.

The Arts Council is also looking for musicians familiar with the types of music and instrumentation that were popular locally in various periods.

Finally, writers are needed to help craft the skits that form the backbone of each production. Playwriting experience is not necessary, just a feeling for the spoken words of the region.

Anyone interested in joining or helpin with the Roving Historical Theater can email us or phone 570-928-8927.

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