June 12 - July 20 at 8:30 (no show on Thurs. July 4; added show on Sunday July 7) (NJ Premiere): LOST ON THE NATCHEZ TRACE The year is 1825 and slave auctioneer Malcolm Jeters is headed home when he falls from his mule in Mississippi's Natchez Trace during a violent storm. Injured and starving, he yells for help. The only one who appears is a runaway slave. The question is, who will save whom? Written by Jan Buttram, co-founder and artistic director of Abingdon Theatre Company in NYC, the play was first produced at Abingdon in 2012. After seeing it, ELTC's artistic director, Gayle Stahlhuth, asked Jan if she would like to make further changes to the script and have another theatrical run. Jan jumped at the chance, and here it is!
The Natchez Trace is a historical path that extends roughly 440 miles from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, linking the Cumberland, Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers. Today tourists enjoy driving along scenic Natchez Trace Parkway where they can go horseback riding, camping and hiking. In 1825, however, the Natchez Trace was no vacation paradise. It was a swamp tangled with vines, animal bones and rotted trees.
A Sample of the Reviews from Abingdon Theatre Company’s 2012 Production:
“Buttram gives her characters a moving humanity, and "Lost on the Natchez Trace" is a cautionary reminder of the inhumanity of which man has been and still is capable.” – Ron Cohen at “Back Stage”
“A powerful, carefully-crafted play igniting a debate on what it takes to be a moral person and how far we would go for those values.” – “Curtain Up”
“Powerful and illuminating theater. . . .Talented playwright Jan Buttram has created a richly textured encounter epitomizing the immorality and searing particulars of (American) slavery on a human scale. There’s no pedantry here, no pontificating. This bold entertainment illuminates. It sends us into the night reflecting on modern examples of justifying self preservation, biblical (not religious) responsibility, and the question of good and evil . . . The play is masterfully structured and filled with crosscurrents, surprising us to the very end. . . It’s a gothic dance—either with the devil or redemption depending on your point of view.” – Alix Cohen for “Women Around Town”
Wed. June 12: After-Show Opening Night Party at one of Cape May's fine restaurants, at no extra cost
Friday, June 21: After-Show Q&A with Cast and Crew
Friday, July 12: American Sign Language Interpreted Performance
