Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 5.09 Literature and Poetry
Presentation #1 Title
The Higher Ground Plays of Harlan County
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
My paper analyzes the unpublished scripts (generously provided by Robert Gipes for the purpose of this study) for the three Harlan County Higher Ground plays. While the three plays are similar in structure and theme, subtle differences can be detected in a close literary analysis. Those differences, when highlighted, illustrate that the plays can be considered a trilogy in the classic-Greek-theatre sense. Ultimately, what Robert Gipes and Company have created here are compelling dramatic works which confront very real community problems with honesty and integrity, thus tapping into the ritual roots of theatre as an art form serving a spiritual purpose of communal healing and renewal. I was among the privileged ASA audience at the performance of the first Higher Ground play in Dahlonega in 2010. The audience was clearly moved by the power of the drama onstage. That power is evident in the scripts of all three plays, marking the trilogy as an important new contribution to Appalachian literature in general and drama in specific. In addition to a close analysis of the three plays, I will compare them to other Appalachian drama of the past few decades.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
A proud native of eastern Kentucky, Anita J. Turpin has been teaching at Roanoke College for twenty-five years. Her scholarship focuses on Appalachian theatre.
The Higher Ground Plays of Harlan County
Harris Hall 446
My paper analyzes the unpublished scripts (generously provided by Robert Gipes for the purpose of this study) for the three Harlan County Higher Ground plays. While the three plays are similar in structure and theme, subtle differences can be detected in a close literary analysis. Those differences, when highlighted, illustrate that the plays can be considered a trilogy in the classic-Greek-theatre sense. Ultimately, what Robert Gipes and Company have created here are compelling dramatic works which confront very real community problems with honesty and integrity, thus tapping into the ritual roots of theatre as an art form serving a spiritual purpose of communal healing and renewal. I was among the privileged ASA audience at the performance of the first Higher Ground play in Dahlonega in 2010. The audience was clearly moved by the power of the drama onstage. That power is evident in the scripts of all three plays, marking the trilogy as an important new contribution to Appalachian literature in general and drama in specific. In addition to a close analysis of the three plays, I will compare them to other Appalachian drama of the past few decades.
