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 Mad
River Theater Works is the acclaimed touring ensemble that creates vibrant and
evocative plays with music for families and young audiences based on American
history and folklore. Founded in 1978 by Producing Artistic Director Jeff
Hooper, Mad River presents original productions that explore traditional stories
and themes in a unique, innovative style. With over twenty-five years of touring
experience, the company has earned an international reputation for authentic
presentations that bring little-known characters and aspects of American culture
to the stage. The artists of Mad River seek out subjects that reflect the rich
diversity of our common heritage and then make shows that combine the rhythms
and folkways of everyday life with tales about extraordinary individuals. The
resulting body of work is a vivid tapestry that weaves together live music,
storytelling, and drama to show the grit and humanity of characters from the
past. Mad River has toured extensively throughout the United States and Canada
performing at theaters and museums such as the Smithsonian Institution in
Washington, D.C., the California Center for the Arts, and the Raymond Kravis
Center for the Performing Arts. Mad River has also presented multiple
performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, as well as
appearing in major cities including Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and San
Francisco, and at international events such as the Vancouver Children's
Festival.
 The
Mad River company members are a multi-talented group of writers and performers
with experiences that span the worlds of theater and music, from regional
theaters to the London fringe, from folk festivals to Nashville. Playwright and
Director Jeff Hooper was a Founding Director of the Half Moon Theatre in London,
England, and has written plays and directed for Actors Theatre of Louisville,
Indiana Repertory Theatre, and Roadside Theatre in addition to creating over 25
original scripts for Mad River. Composer Bob Lucas is an accomplished songwriter
and performer who has achieved major success for his recordings as well as
theater work, and two of his songs are included on the Grammy-winning album by
Alison Krauss, New Favorite. Together
with the rest of the Mad River permanent ensemble, these artists have created a
unique theatrical style that appeals to audiences of all ages.
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Touring
Programs 2008-2009
Walk On: The Story of Rosa Parks
The tremors of an earthquake were rumbling across
America. A new kind of music was making its first appearance on the radio and
parents were outraged. While the rhythms of rock and roll were shaking the
social fabric of the country, deep down an even more important transformation
was about to take place. In Montgomery, Alabama, a determined activist named
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a city bus. The resulting uproar
launched the Civil Rights movement and changed our country forever. Walk On:
The Story of Rosa Parks weaves together music and drama to tell the story of
Rosa Parks from her childhood in rural Alabama to her famous decision to “sit
down and be counted.” The play dispels myths about Parks and her protest as it
paints a portrait of complex woman who had to find reconciliation within herself
in order to become an effective Civil Right leader. Exciting and inspirational,
Walk On: The Story of Rosa Parks shows how the determination of one
individual made all the difference in the struggle for freedom and equality in
the United States.
Created in 2007
Age appropriateness: 3rd Grade and up
Duration: 55 minutes plus question and answer session
Number of performers: 5 actors, 1 musician plus stage manager
Music: contains live music (keyboard, guitar)
Wings of Courage is an original play
with music by Mad River Theater Works based on the life of Eugene Bullard, the
first African-American combat pilot and adventurer. Bullard’s story would be
unbelievable if it were not all true. He was a professional boxer and a World
War I flying ace. He was a jazz musician. He was a spy. Who was this
remarkable African-American? Born in Columbus, Georgia, Bullard traveled the
world. He joined the French Foreign Legion after being denied a meaningful
place in the United States Army. He rose through the ranks and flew against the
famous “Red Baron” as a part of the famous Lafayette Escadrille during World War
I. But when the Escadrille was incorporated into the new U.S. Army Air Corps in
1917, the color of Bullard’s skin prevented him from taking his place alongside
the other American heroes of his day. But that didn’t stop him. He went on to
fame as a bandleader in Paris in 1920’s. Using storytelling, music, and drama,
Wings of Courage shows how Bullard’s determination and perseverance
helped him to overcome discrimination throughout his remarkable life. It is an
uplifting tale of vision and hope that deserves to be known by every American.
Created: 2000
Age appropriateness: 3rd grade and up
Duration: 50 minutes plus a question and answer session
Number of performers: 2 actor/musicians plus stage manager
Music: contains live music (guitar)
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Touring
Programs 2007-2008
Freedom Bound is
an original play with music that tells the story of the most important incident
in the history of the Underground Railroad in Ohio. The show follows the story
of Addison White, a slave who escaped from Kentucky and traveled the Railroad
north to Mechanicsburg. He was befriended by a farmer and stayed so long that
he was discovered by his former Master. Federal Marshals surrounded the cabin
in the middle of the night. They were prepared to arrest Addison and return him
to slavery, but over 100 citizens from Mechanicsburg confronted the Marshals and
set him free. Freedom Bound uses drama and music as well as riddles
and rhyme to create characters that pop right out of the past and bring the
Underground Railroad to life right before your eyes.
JOHN HENRY
John Henry is a
well-known figure of American folklore. Born in poverty in rural West Virginia,
John Henry’s incredible size and strength became legendary as he worked laying
track for the railroads that criss-crossed the countryside in the late
nineteenth century. No one could match his skill or his endurance, until the
invention of the steam-powered driver, that is. We remember John Henry for his
famous contest with this newfangled machine. John won the day, but died soon
afterwards of a broken heart. John Henry realized that ordinary men could not
compete with the iron workhorses of the industrial revolution and that the days
of men like him were numbered. John Henry, uses storytelling, drama, and
music to bring the story of an American legend to life. It is a tale that
speaks to young and old alike and carries a strong contemporary parallel about
the importance of our humanity in the face of changing technology.
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Residency
The
goal of a residency is to give participants practical techniques for making
plays as well as insights into the creative process. This goal is accomplished
by working with students and teachers in hands-on, improvisational workshops to
create short plays based on local issues, personal narratives, or community
history. Depending on the length of the residency, the plays may be simple or
more elaborate. The emphasis is always how the play is made more than the final
product itself, but most often residencies result in pieces, which are performed
for an audience of other students or parents.
Leading
Students in the Creation of Plays
Length
of workshop: 60 minutes
Number
of participants: 25
Age
Appropriate: Professional educators, classroom assistants, parents
Jeff
Hooper, Producing Director of Mad River Theater Works, has written more than 25
plays that reflect the history and culture of local communities. He provides
practical techniques for crafting plays and insights into the creative process.
In this hands-on improvisational workshop, teachers and other educators explore
how to lead students in the play creation process. Stories can be drawn from
local issues, personal narratives, or community history. Each person outlines a
short story and then examples will be used to demonstrate how to create a play
from this material. Participants will also learn how to guide young people in
making plays, including identifying and researching topics, creating dialogue,
and performance techniques.
Exploring
Plays with Students
Length
of workshop: 60 minutes
Number
of participants: 25
Age
Appropriate: Students from 3rd Grade to High School
Where
do you find stories that would make good plays, and how do you transform them
into drama? Members of the Mad River Theater Works company have worked with
students and teachers for many years on the creation of original plays from
local stories. This workshop is a hands-on, participatory experience in which
students will share stories and create a simple play in the classroom.
Using
Music in Plays with Students
Length
of workshop: 60 minutes
Number
of participants: 25
Age
Appropriate: Professional educators, classroom assistants, parents
Bob
Lucas, Performer and Music Director of Mad River Theater Works, has collaborated
with Jeff Hooper on more than a dozen plays with music exploring the history and
culture of rural America. Bob’s unique songs and approach to combining music and
drama have resulted in distinctive shows that have been performed in theaters
across the United States and Canada. This interactive workshop will explore how
songs and music speak to audiences in ways that spoken drama cannot.
It will also cover how to integrate music into drama and techniques for
working with students to write original lyrics. Bob will talk about the
collaborative process and lead participants in learning how to choose subject
matter and images, develop rhythms and rhymes, and will teach some games that
can be played with students to improve performances.
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Please
contact Baylin
Artists for technical information.
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