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.