Madison Cultural Continuum
'Wilderness
Plots' returns
to Madison for second showing
Performance
is based
on book by Russell Sanders
By
Helen E. McKinney
Contributing Writer
(September 2011) – Due to its overwhelming popularity
the first time around, Wilderness Plots is returning to Madison. Based
on the book, "Wilderness Plots" by Indiana author Scott Russell
Sanders, the live event features a selection of songs in performance
and readings by Sanders.
The production was highly successful during its first run in June 2009.
“It’s essentially the same performance but more polished and
developed,” said Greg Ziesemer, who is part of Cultural Continuum
of Madison, the entity that is organizing the event.
The roster of actors includes basically the same cast of professional
performers: Tim Grimm, Krista Detor, Tom Roznowski, Michael White, Bobbie
Lancaster and Sanders. All are based loosely around the state of Indiana,
and Roznowski frequently performs in Madison at the Thomas Family Winery.
The idea for the Wilderness Plots program came about when the original
book was discovered by folk signer and songwriter Grimm. Along with
additional musicians, Grimm wrote songs inspired by Sander’s stories
about the settling of the American frontier. The result was a blending
of genres into a completely new experience.
The Cultural Continuum of Madison puts on three to four productions
annually. They do not produce more programs because they want to “make
them exceptional,” Ziesemer said.
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Photo
provided Bloomington
musician |
This year the Cultural Continuum of Madison has staged
Pure Prine, This is Jazz, Wilderness Plots and the upcoming Hoosier
Holidays. There will only be one performance of Wilderness Plots at
7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, at the Ohio Theatre in Madison. Tickets
prices are $15 in advance, $18 at the door. This event is sponsored
by the Rivers Institute at Hanover College.
“The songs and stories are an historical account of the Ohio Valley
area between the years of the Revolutionary War and the Civil War,”
Ziesemer said.
The first Wilderness Plots production was a kickoff event for the Madison
Bicentennial. “I wanted to put on a show in Madison, my hometown,”
said Ziesemer. “There was a lot of demand to bring it back.”
Even individuals who couldn’t make the original show asked about
it. “We had a really enthusiastic response to the show,” said
Kevin Watkins, a founding member of Cultural Continuum of Madison. “It’s
exciting to bring it back.”
Watkins said, “The way it is presented makes it very real. It’s
stories about real people that we can still relate to today.”
The Cultural Continuum of Madison prefers to be broad in its selection
of shows, looking for “quality entertainment,” Watkins said.
From musicals, performance pieces, and artistic renderings to programs
by comedians, Cultural Continuum of Madison provides an entertaining
experience for everyone. Local visual artists have contributed to past
shows by creating graphics in the form of posters for advertising the
productions.
• For more information, contact Greg Ziesemer at (317) 979-5380. To make reservations contact the Ohio Theatre at (812) 273-4880. Tickets can also be purchased at Village Lights Books and the Madison Chamber of Commerce.