Play Brings Crowds to Union Springs
By Amanda Walters Email
Conecuh PeopleEconomy. . .
The tiny town of Union Springs is in south east Alabama in Bullock County, the 39th poorest county in the nation. Because of the lack of industry and opportunity in the area, Union Springs was struggling to thrive or even survive.
About ten years ago, the Tourism Council of Bullock County decided something must be done to keep the community alive. The efforts of the nine council members since then are paying off.
A decade ago the Tourism Council chose to use culture in the form of a theatrical performance as the tool used to boost the county’s economy. The book “Conecuh People” was transformed into a play to be performed in Union Springs.
Before the performance, there was plenty of preparation. The Tourism Council was searching for someone to direct the play. Colleen Forrer, who was president of the council for ten years until 1996, was sitting in the beauty parlor, one of the few businesses in town, discussing the search for a director. One of the ladies piped up with a director’s name. The woman’s name was Margie Benson, from Opp, Ala. She had been directing for more than twenty years.
The cast of “Conecuh People” hails from various parts of Alabama. Some of the cast resides in Union Springs but others commute from Auburn, Ozark and Montgomery.
The adult Wade Hall character is played by Mack Hixon, who is also the Tourism Council’s current president. The young man Wade Hall character is played by Tyson Hall. He is an Auburn student and a member of the AU Singers. Unlike many of the other actors, Tyson is not a stranger to performing, but the challenge of juggling his schedule alone takes plenty of work.
The commuting actors’ only compensation is for what they spend on gas. The real reward is showing their talent and helping a community. The cast also benefits from forming relationships with each other.
The play is not the only tourism attraction the council brought to Union Springs. There is also Conecuh People. . . the Experience. The experience includes tours of historic buildings and sites, a quilt exhibit displayed throughout many of the beautiful churches, an art exhibit, dinner at the Baptist church, the theatrical performance and even lodging and breakfast at one of the several hunting lodges in the county.
The Red Door Theatre, which was formerly Trinity Episcopal Church, is where the production takes place. The theater has a stage not much bigger than a dorm room with 14 pews on each side. There is room for an audience of up to 160 people.
Backgound. . .
After much contemplation, Alan Swafford, a member of the Tourism Council and a theater critic, suggested the council turn to Dr. David Dye who was a theater professor and dean of Troy University for help.
Dr. Dye had an idea of a play that the people of a rural community could relate to. He suggested that a play be written based off the book “Conecuh People” by Wade Hall.
Wade Hall is a native of Bullock County, who spent his early years trying to figure out how to leave there. Wade knew that education would take him wherever he wanted to go. He began his college career at Troy University where he earned two bachelor’s degrees. He later received his master’s at the University of Alabama and went on to the University of Illinois to earn a doctorate.
In the late 1980s, while living in Louisville, Ky., Wade remembered how badly he once wanted to escape his rural home in Alabama. Looking back on that desire, Wade had a realization.
Wade’s birth place along the Conecuh River was where people impacted his life the most. He decided to write a book, “Conecuh People: Words of Life from the Alabama Black Belt” as a tribute to those people and his home town.
When Wade realized that those important people were “dying out,” he recorded monologues by interviewing family members, friends, neighbors and teachers. The book was first published by Black Belt Press in 1999 and reprinted by New South Books in 2005.
After gaining Wade’s permission to adapt his book for the stage, the next step for the Tourism Council was to find a playwright interested in converting the book “Conecuh People” into a performance that would help the community. Dr. Dye from Troy University once again had an idea.
Ty Adams was selected to write the play. Ty was born in Barbour County and now lives in New York City. Ty and Wade put their heads together, and eventually Ty completed his script of “Conecuh People,” the play, in 2001.
Xan Morrow, a member of the Tourism Council, read the script. “It is beautiful, and I could not put it down,” she said. The council accepted the script with open arms.
To test the waters and determine the budget of producing the play, Troy University was first to perform “Conecuh People” in 2002. Adena Moree directed the play. The production at Troy proved to be a great stage performance, but there was a big, not to mention expensive, problem.
The estimated amount that it would take to produce the play in Union Springs was $100,000. The Tourism Council was stunned, and their progress came to a halt. For two years, the council contemplated the monetary issue.
Finally the playwright, Ty, heard the estimate and assured the council that the play could be put on at the maximum cost of $20,000. The council took a chance.
In 2004, “Conecuh People” was performed in Union Springs at the Red Door Theater for the grand total of $18,000.
The Director. . .
Margie Benson has been a huge asset to Union Springs as the director of “Conecuh People” for the past four years. She travels three or four times a week from Montgomery to Union Springs for rehearsals. The time she puts in results in an excellent performance for a sold out audience.
“A cast depends on each other like a family,” said Margie. Eighty percent of the cast is original.
Margie helps the performers by encouraging them to visualize characters and think about the lines by relating them to a similar personal experience. She helps them to put emotion into their parts and teaches the actors about blocking, which means how to move and where to stand on stage. “I believe being well
prepared will prevent nerves during a performance,” Margie said. “I expect the actors’ best performance. If you expect a lot, you get a lot.”
With 25 years of directing behind her and many more to come, Margie is very content with her position as director of “Conecuh People.” She is also directing another play to be put on in Union Springs this summer called “Bourbon and Laundry.” Margie has made wonderful new friends, has a job she is passionate about, and she is helping a community thrive.
More Information. . .
Sources:
• Larry Lee: rural Alabama expert
• Xan Morrow: Tourism Council member
• Colleen Forrer: Tourism Council member and former president
• Margie Benson: director; “Conecuh People”
Pictures provided by: Mandy Walters
For more information on “Conecuh People” and other upcoming events in Union Springs, visit www.unionspringsalabama.com.
Related Sites. . .
• 50 "Must See" List
• The Experience Information
• Get Your Directions!
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Last updated May 03, 2007