Participation Type
Theater
Session Title
Session 5.06 Readings and Performance
Presentation #1 Title
The Book of the Dead - A Play
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
The Book of the Dead – A Play Based upon the poetry of Muriel Rukeyser Submitted by Denise Albright Smithson Abstract In 1936, writer, poet, social and political activist, Muriel Rukeyser traveled to Gauley Bridge, West Virginia, intending to make a documentary film to expose the tragedy of the Hawk’s Nest Industrial Disaster . Along with photographer and friend, Nancy Naumberg, she interviewed survivors, workers and families of the victims. Her investigation resulted in a collection of twenty poems which appeared in her book titled U.S. 1, published in 1938. The objective for my presentation is to represent what would be the creation of a dramatic play or a performance work which would bring to life the voices from Rukeyser’s beautifully written poems about the Hawk’s Nest Industrial Disaster. The presentation will include a glimpse into the social aspects of this industrial tragedy including worker’s health and safety; migratory workers, corporate responsibility, and the legacy of the legal recourse sought by the more than 700 estimated victims. The story is told through the voices of the victims, taken directly from the writings of Muriel Rukeyser. Keywords Hawk’s Nest, Muriel Rukeyser, industrial disaster, The Book of the Dead, poetry, Union Carbide, silicosis
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Denise Albright Smithson - A special education teacher raised in Fayette County, West Virginia, graduate of WVU Division of Theatre, and having earned a Master's in Special Education from Marshall University Graduate College in 2011. I teach middle school language arts and West Virginia history.
The Book of the Dead - A Play
Harris Hall 234
The Book of the Dead – A Play Based upon the poetry of Muriel Rukeyser Submitted by Denise Albright Smithson Abstract In 1936, writer, poet, social and political activist, Muriel Rukeyser traveled to Gauley Bridge, West Virginia, intending to make a documentary film to expose the tragedy of the Hawk’s Nest Industrial Disaster . Along with photographer and friend, Nancy Naumberg, she interviewed survivors, workers and families of the victims. Her investigation resulted in a collection of twenty poems which appeared in her book titled U.S. 1, published in 1938. The objective for my presentation is to represent what would be the creation of a dramatic play or a performance work which would bring to life the voices from Rukeyser’s beautifully written poems about the Hawk’s Nest Industrial Disaster. The presentation will include a glimpse into the social aspects of this industrial tragedy including worker’s health and safety; migratory workers, corporate responsibility, and the legacy of the legal recourse sought by the more than 700 estimated victims. The story is told through the voices of the victims, taken directly from the writings of Muriel Rukeyser. Keywords Hawk’s Nest, Muriel Rukeyser, industrial disaster, The Book of the Dead, poetry, Union Carbide, silicosis
