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2010 Performers coming soon
Confirmed
Boys of the Hock
Bruce and Gay Dalzell
Back Porch Swing Band
The JARTS
The Performers 2009
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Voices of the Little Cities - 1:15, 2:30, 3:45 |
The Voices of the of the Little Cities project utilizes the actual words of miners, news reports, coal town women and historians of an earlier era to create theatrical readings, presented by trained actors. These readings, when framed by simple narration and connected together, give an entertaining but factual account of the nationally significant story that took place in the Hocking Valley Coal Fields of southeastern Ohio during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
The project is led by Athens theater consultant Kathy Devecka. She describes the theatrical reading process as a “vocal collage” which creates a “voice documentary” that tells the story with the exact words of those who lived out and recorded the events that took place. “Like a quilt, pieces are selected to follow one another within a chronological framework and are based on an idea or theme or intended feeling,” she said.
The Voices of the Little Cities project is an outgrowth of several efforts by the Little Cities of Black Diamonds Council to share the provocative story of this microregion with local citizens, youth and geotourists. The project builds upon the success of the Little Cities Living History Characters that have graced Little Cities events during recent years with costumed characterizations of important individuals in the microregion’s history. The project utilizes the research of the past decade around the nationally significant role of the miners and mine owners of the Hocking Valley in the nation’s early labor union movement.
The organization’s labor history research was used to launch the Voices of the Little Cities project in August of 2008 during the two-day Agents of Change labor history learning experience. In October of 2008 during the 14th Annual Little Cities of Black Diamonds Day actors read accounts of the region’s labor history as well as those of coal town women collected via research and oral history collection by cultural activist Helen Horn who developed the Athens County Coal Town Women: The Other Half Speaks program during the 1990’s.
The project is supported by funds from the Ohio Humanities Council, the Ohio Arts Council and the Little Cities of Black Diamonds Council. Costumes are provided by Constance Gabbard. |
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Bruce & Gay Dalzell - (12:15-1:15 PM) |
Bruce and Gay Dalzell are no strangers to the region as they have performed at past Appalachian Spring Festivals at the Eclipse Company Town and are treasured performing artist in the Athens area. This husband-wife, singer songwriter  prove a vibrant blend of vocal in jazz, blues and folk genres accompanied by Bruce on the acoustic guitar. Both have their own music careers which includes Bruce as a folk singer-songwriter and Gay as a member of the internationally traveled and recognized Local Girls trio who performed in Europe in 2005 and also have been heard on NPR. Bruce's most pertinent accomplishemnt pertaining to this event is writing and performing the music for "A Forest Returns: The Story of Ohio's Only National Forest" as told by Ora Anderson.
Listen to a clip of Bruce performing "No Answers"
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Celia & Charlie Lewis (1:30-2:30) |
....a husband and wife team who serve up an entertaining combination of love songs, bluegrass, folk, country and popular music (often injected (infected?) with a healthy dose of humor) on the guitar, banjo, hammered dulcimer and Celtic harp, along with a strong and pleasing vocal blend." . . . or so our brochure says.
 Charlie & Celia originally met and sang together for a short time as members of the Appalachian Green Parks Project, Ohio's official bicentennial performance touring group. The project was sponsored by Ohio Valley Summer Theatre and Ohio University, in Athens, Ohio. We went our separate ways after college, only to meet up again years later.
In the intervening years, Charlie was a member of some notable musical acts including The New Vinton County Frogwhompers Marching, Singing, Strumming and Plucking Society and A Touch of Grass. Celia appeared on cabaret club stages in New York City singing with her sisters (You can check out Celia's sister Anita's website on our links page), and played orchestral harp in small orchestras across the country. Teaching private and class music lessons to children and adults on a variety of instruments has provided an ongoing venue to keep music in daily life as well.Over the years we played shows for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), touring Ohio state parks and appearing at the ODNR exhibit at the Ohio State Fair. Shows also included other outdoor venues as well as clubs and restaurants all over Ohio and neighboring states.In the mid-1990's we performed with Charlie's cousin, Bill Mullins, singer and instrumentalist extraordinaire, as The Mighty Fine Reformulated All-Purpose Family Band.We left Athens for Cleveland in 1996, played around there, then left Ohio for a whole 20 months in Florida. The children, as did we, wanted to come back home, to Athens County, Ohio, so here we are.Over the years people have sought a recorded memento at the conclusion of every show, so we figured it was well past time we presented one! It took us a while, but we got the message. |
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The Boys "O the Hock (4:00-5:00 PM) |
 From Ireland to the Hocking, Athens County own Irish/Celtic band features traditional Celtic music from jigs to jam sessions. this marks the fifth straight year the band has visited Appalachian Spring always a perfect fit for this event and location. Members are Ohio University employees Sean O'Malley, flute: Rusty Smith, guitar: Ed Newman, hammered dulcimer and Tim Hogan, bodhran (Irish Drum).
Listen to the Boys perform "Teatotaler"
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The Entertainers were supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council 
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