Voices of the Little Cities
Collage of Voices Tell Our Story; Anchor LCBD Day Agenda

Participants at this summer’s Agents of Change labor history workshop sat transfixed in New Straitsville’s Dunkle Hall as they listened to theatrical readings from the writings of union organizers, mine owners, newspaper articles, and other historical accounts of the events leading up to, during and after the Hocking Valley Coal Strike of 1884-85. The readings were woven together into what theater consultant Kathy Devecka refers to as a “voice documentary,” the basis for the Little Cities of Black Diamonds Council’s most recent project titled Voices of the Little Cities.
During the conference Ron Luce, an actor and Hocking College English professor took on the voice of New Straitsville union organizer Chris Evans of New Straitsville as he dramatically read various letters penned by Evans, as well as various accounts from Evans’ two volume History of the United Mine Workers penned in 1900. The conference went on the road to Rendville Cemetery where James Green stood at African American union organizer Richard L. Davis’ grave and captivated the crowd with Davis’ gripping, “I am an American,” letter which is now utilized in labor history and African American studies classes on college campuses throughout America. Luce and Green were joined by Devecka, and two other Athens area actors telling the nationally significant roles in the nation’s early labor history played out in the Little Cities over a century ago.
“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 ,” says Devecka. “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. Devecka describes the process as a “vocal collage” which tells the story with the exact words of those who lived out and recorded the events that took place.
The Voices of the Little Cities project will continue its development by anchoring this year’s Little Cities of Black Diamonds Day to be held on Sunday, October 19 (see LCBD Day Story on Page 2.). Theatrical readings will compliment an opening presentation summarizing the Agents of Change labor story at 12:15PM. The readings will then be featured during an hour long presentation at 3PM which will intertwine the labor and industrial history of the era with the voices of women who reflected upon the era during the 1990’s Coal Town Women: The Other Half Speaks project. The 3PM readings will include the musical accompaniment of harpist and folk singer Celia Lewis.
The Voices of the Little Cities project is sponsored by the Little Cities of Black Diamonds Council with support from the Ohio Humanities Council and the Ohio Arts Council.