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Collection Overview
Title: Wilderness Road Drama Collection
Predominant Dates:1942-1980
ID: RG 11/11.04
Primary Creator: Berea College
Extent: 8.0 Linear Feet
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged by series:
Series 1: Correspondence - The first box of this series contains correspondence primarily by Dr. Weatherford, in the early stages of the production between the years 1952-54. It is arranged in chronological and alphabetical order so the progression of the drama can be seen more clearly. The remaining correspondence is arranged alphabetically.
Throughout the material there is correspondence with the drama and trustee committee members consisting of Dr. Weatherford, Edwin Price, T. J. Wood, William Dean Embree, Elmer Gabbard, Barry Bingham, Sr., E. S. Dabney and L. D. Bibee. Also included is correspondence with Paul Green, the playwriter, Sam Selden, director, John Lippard, theater architect and Ted Cronk, business manager.
The correspondence between the years 1955-58 deals mostly with items pertaining to the actual production of the drama. It contains material concerning publicity, ticket sales, attendance, sponsored trips of students to drama, lighting and sound systems, printing companies and information about the theater gift shop. In addition, there is a folder of congressional and legislative correspondence. In 1955 Berea College was honored in its centennial year with a bill passed by both the U.S. Congress and the State Legislature commemorating the event. Finally, there is fragmented correspondence between the years 1974-80 and includes a statement on the closing of Wilderness Road by President Willis Weatherford, Jr.
Series 2: Photographs - This series contains photographs of performances of Wilderness Road in both runs of the drama. They are arranged alphabetically by subject and contain photos of the drama, cast, staff and promotional shots. The photos between 1955 and 1958 are fairly complete however, photos of the second run are fragmented and span only the years 1972 to 1974. All prints are black and white. Slides are also included in this series. The slides span the years 1972-77 and are not in order. Numerous slides are undated.
Series 3 : Scripts and Music - This series consists of the working and final scripts of Wilderness Road. Also included is a continuity layout and personal essay on John Freeman by Paul Green. The original musical score of the drama as arranged by Gilbert Pirovano in 1955 and Rolf Hovey, John Courter and Gladys Jameson in 1972 is also included. Two folders contain fragmented sheet music of various years; however; one folder is complete in order of song appearance except for the number “What Is the Soul of Man.”
Series 4 : Artifacts - This series contains Paul Green’s George Washington medal which he received for Wilderness Road in 1955 because it fostered “. . . a better understanding of the American way of life.” In addition there is an official Wilderness Road stamp, print cut of a scene in the play, and a “Wilderness Road” award certificate.
Series 5: Fund Raising and Publicity - This series consists of fund raising and publicity materials including television and radio reports, press releases, newspaper reviews, and a comprehensive promotional plan for the 1958 season.
There are also records of inventories, sales and orders for the craft shop along with daily attendance, ticket sales, and yearly budgets for the production. Trustee and drama committee reports and minutes exist along with contracts, resolutions, and schedules of events surrounding the play. A complete set of souvenir books, programs and brochures through the years 1955-80 are also included along with magazine articles. Newspaper clippings during the first run are arranged alphabetically by newspaper title along with nine other scrapbooks of clippings. Additional clippings of the first run and the second can be found in the College vertical files. A set of publicity posters used during the play’s second run completes the series.
Subjects: Berea, (Ky.), Berea College, Berea College -- Trustees, Green, Paul -- 1894-1981 -- Wilderness road, Indian Fort Theatre, Kentucky -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Drama., Theater, Open-air -- Kentucky., United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Songs and music., Weatherford, Willis D. (Willis Duke), -- 1875-1970.
Languages: English
Abstract
Wilderness Road, an outdoor symphonic drama, was commissioned by Berea College to help commemorate the school’s centennial celebration in the summer of 1955. The drama was written by Pulitzer prize-winning author, Paul Green, who also authored The Common Glory, The Lost Colony, and The Stephen Foster Story. Green received the Freedom Foundation’s George Washington Medal for Wilderness Road in 1955. Described as a “parable for modern times,” the drama depicts the life of two mountain brothers, John and Davy Freeman, during the years preceding the Civil War. John is an educated idealist, who wants to set up a school for interracial education in the mountain community. Davy, like most of the other people of the community, is pro-Southern. The two brothers eventually become enemies at the outbreak of the war.
The drama ran for four summers at Indian Fort Theater, designed by John Lippard, and built in the Berea College Forest. This was the first outdoor theater in Kentucky and the only outdoor drama in the country sponsored by a college. The drama was discontinued after 1958 due to financial difficulties and lessened support. However, in 1972, it was revived under the auspices of President Willis D.Weatherford, Jr., until 1980, when it was discontinued due to financial difficulties.
Scope and Contents of the Materials
This collection contains correspondence regarding the creation, production and publicity of Paul Green?s symphonic drama Wilderness Road; photographs of both runs (1950s and 1970s) of the production in Berea, Kentucky; working and final scripts and musical scores; and artifacts, ephemera, scrapbooks, programs, brochures, fund raising and publicity materials from both runs of the production.
Collection Historical Note
Dr. Willis D. Weatherford, Sr., was the principle coordinator of the drama. His goals for the production were to preserve Appalachian culture, expose Appalachian culture to the rest of the country and dispel any misconceptions about that culture or its people. Weatherford also hoped that by bringing Appalachian elementary and high school students to view the drama, it would instill in them pride of their heritage, show them the importance of education, and make them strive to attain such educational ideals.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
Berea College Special Collections and Archives Catalog
Access Restrictions:
Records can be accessed through the Reading Room, Berea College Special Collections and Archives, Hutchins Library, Berea College.
Use Restrictions:
There are no restrictions placed on this collection other than federal copyright regulations.
Preferred Citation:
[Object identification], RG 11.04: Wilderness Road Drama Collection, Berea College Special Collections & Archives, Berea, KY.
Finding Aid Revision History:
The collection finding aid was updated in December 2015.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Correspondence],
[
Series 2: Photographs],
[
Series 3: Scripts and Music],
[
Series 4: Artifacts],
[
Series 5: Fundraising and Publicity],
[All]
- Series 1: Correspondence
- Box 1
- Folder 1: Correspondence, June 1952 - June 1953
- Folder 2: Correspondence, July 1953 - Dec. 1953
- Folder 3: Correspondence, Jan. 1954 - Apr. 1954
- Folder 4: Correspondence, May 1954- Nov. 1954
- Folder 5: Correspondence: A-K, 1955
- Folder 6: Correspondence: L-U, 1955
- Box 2
- Folder 1: Correspondence: W-Z, 1955
- Folder 2: Correspondence, 1956
- Folder 3: Correspondence, 1957-1958
- Folder 4: Congressional and Legislative correspondence
- Folder 5: Miscellaneous (unsigned/undated)
- Folder 6: Correspondence, 1972-1980
- Series 2: Photographs
- Box 3
- Folder 1: Amputation scene
- Folder 2: Both sides praying
- Folder 3: Cast members
- Folder 4: Costumes
- Folder 5: Dance scene
- Folder 6: Davy and Elsie
- Folder 7: Davy joins army
- Folder 8: Drama personnel
- Folder 9: Elsie Simms - Annette Hunt, Lee Kurtz
- Folder 10: Freeman family, John and Davy Freeman, Freeman Home
- Folder 11: John Freeman's funeral
- Folder 12: Paul Green - author
- Folder 13: Indian Fort Theater
- Folder 14: Information Center
- Folder 15: John and Elsie on mountain
- Folder 16: John before school board, John and Elsie after book burning, John's decision
- Folder 17: John and mother, John joins army
- Folder 18: Night Riders, narrators
- Folder 19: Opening Night, 1955
- Folder 20: Rehearsals
- Folder 21: Return of the wounded, runaway slave
- Folder 22: Sam Selden, director
- Folder 23: Simms family, Davy calls for Elsie
- Folder 24: Swearing in of Uncle Eph, drunken scene
- Folder 25: Jed Willis
- Folder 26: Visitors and groups
- Folder 27: Miscellaneous
- Folder 28: Amputation scene
- Folder 29: Battle scene and soldiers, Union and Confederate
- Folder 30: Cast and personnel
- Box 4
- Folder 1: Church scenes
- Folder 2: Children in the drama
- Folder 3: Dancing and singing
- Folder 4: Davy and Elsie
- Folder 5: Elsie comforting
- Folder 6: Freeman family
- Folder 7: John Freeman?s funeral
- Folder 8: John and Elsie
- Folder 9: John and the school, before the school board, the Night Riders, book burning
- Folder 10: Rehearsals
- Folder 11: Runaway slave, narrator
- Folder 12: Simms family
- Folder 13: Uncle Eph, drunken scene
- Folder 14: Miscellaneous
- Folder 15: Photographic Slides, 1972-1975
- Folder 16: Photographic Slides, 1973
- Folder 17: Photographic Slides, 1975
- Folder 18: Photographic Slides, 1976
- Folder 19: Photographic Slides, 1977
- Folder 20: Photographic Slides, nd
- Series 3: Scripts and Music
- Box 5
- Folder 1: Indian Fort Theater
- Folder 2: Continuity Layout
- Folder 3: Paul Green's description of John Freeman
- Folder 4: Description of drama
- Folder 5: Tryout script
- Folder 6: Working script and personnel
- Folder 7: Working script and personnel II
- Folder 8: Original script
- Box 6
- Folder 1: Musical score (partially complete), 1955
- Folder 2: Musical score (partially complete), 1972
- Folder 3: Musical score (complete except for: What is the Soul of Man)
- Folder 4: Production script with cues
- Folder 5: Musical score, miscellaneous
- Folder 6: Chorus membership applications
- Folder 7: Paul Green, Manuscript, Bound
- Folder 8: Paul Green, Original Author Manuscript Copy
- Series 4: Artifacts
- Box 7
- Item 1: Print cut
- Item 2: Freedom medal
- Item 3: Stamp
- Item 4: Wilderness Road award
- Series 5: Fundraising and Publicity
- Box 8
- Folder 1: Promotion for drama and centennial celebration
- Folder 2: Press releases
- Folder 3: Drama committee and Trustee reports
- Folder 4: Budgets and related reports
- Folder 5: Contracts and Agreements
- Folder 6: Schedules of events and speeches
- Folder 7: Resolutions concerning drama
- Folder 8: College and City Cooperation regarding drama
- Box 9
- Folder 1: Book reviews
- Folder 2: Book orders
- Folder 3: Craft shop and sales
- Folder 4: Finances and sales
- Folder 5: College book - College visitors
- Folder 6: Elementary and high school visitors
- Folder 7: Wilderness Road Programs and Brochures (ephemera), 1955
- Folder 8: Wilderness Road Programs and Brochures (ephemera), 1956
- Folder 9: Wilderness Road Programs and Brochures (ephemera), 1957
- Folder 10: Wilderness Road Programs and Brochures (ephemera), 1958
- Folder 11: Wilderness Road Programs and Brochures (ephemera), 1972
- Folder 12: Wilderness Road Programs and Brochures (ephemera), 1973
- Folder 13: Wilderness Road Programs and Brochures (ephemera), 1974
- Folder 14: Wilderness Road Programs and Brochures (ephemera), 1975
- Folder 15: Wilderness Road Programs and Brochures (ephemera), 1976
- Folder 16: Wilderness Road Programs and Brochures (ephemera), 1977
- Folder 17: Wilderness Road Programs and Brochures (ephemera), 1978
- Folder 18: Wilderness Road Programs and Brochures (ephemera), 1979
- Folder 19: Wilderness Road Programs and Brochures (ephemera), 1980
- Box 10
- Folder 1: Sample Press Packet, 1976-1979
- Folder 2: Magazine articles
- Folder 3: Kentucky Business: magazine article, 1955
- Folder 4: Miscellaneous ephemera, 1972-1991
- Folder 5: Newspaper Publicity
- Folder 6: Newspaper Publicity
- Folder 7: Newspaper Publicity
- Folder 8: Newspaper Publicity
- Folder 9: Newspaper Publicity
- Folder 10: Newspaper Publicity
- Folder 11: Friend's of Wilderness Road Fundraiser Letter
- Signed by Adolph Rupp,Chairman of Friends Campaign
- Box 11
- Folder 1: Souvenir books, 1955
- Folder 2: Souvenir books, 1956-1957
- Folder 3: Souvenir books, 1956
- Folder 4: Souvenir books, 1972
- Folder 5: Souvenir books, 1973
- Folder 6: Souvenir books, 1974
- Folder 7: Souvenir books, 1975
- Folder 8: Souvenir books, 1976
- Folder 9: Souvenir books, 1977
- Folder 10: Souvenir books, 1978
- Folder 11: Souvenir books, 1979
- Folder 12: Souvenir books, 1980
- Folder 13: Miscellaneous Publicity Materials, 1955-1980
- Folder 14: Wilderness Road Cast List, 1979
- Box 12
- Item 1: Wilderness Road: A Parable for Modern Times by Paul Green, 1956
- Signed by actors and staff
- Folder 1: Scrapbook, 1955
- With magazine articles and reviews
- Folder 2: Scrapbook, 1956
- Photographs
- Box 13
- Item 1: Scrapbooks, 1953-1954
- Item 2: Scrapbooks, 1955
- Part 1
- Box 14
- Item 1: Scrapbook 1956, 1955
- Part 2
- Item 2: Scrapbook, 1956
- Box 15
- Item 1: Scrapbook, 1956
- Item 2: Scrapbook, 1957
- Item 3: Scrapbook, 1958
- Box 16: Posters
- Box missing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Correspondence],
[
Series 2: Photographs],
[
Series 3: Scripts and Music],
[
Series 4: Artifacts],
[
Series 5: Fundraising and Publicity],
[All]
