Opening night for Highlands’ first play of the year, Kentucky Cycle was on Thursday night. The show began on November 2nd with a welcoming speech from Mr. Burgess, the director of the theater program. Burgess thanked everyone who helped with the show, then stepped off stage and let the cast and crew take over. The play launches with a short video providing the audience background information on the topic.
The play takes you on a tour through the 1900s following the life of the Rowan family and their legacy in Kentucky over 200 years. When Mary Anne was a young girl, her family sold their land to the Talberts. Located on that land was a mine, where many of the men spent their days. Throughout the story, you can see the progress of this family and how they kept their inheritance alive.
The show was a challenging opportunity for members of the cast and crew. The ability to correctly portray a moment in history is not appreciated enough. This show can be relatable for many people due to the setting being mainly eastern Kentucky. Although the show was full of historical references, it remains an engaging performance for everyone.
This show covers many deep and serious topics, including scenes where actors must scream forcefully at each other. The actors gave the audience the authentic and emotional feeling that comes with serious scenes of this magnitude. Despite the consistent scenes of arguing, the closing scene was a comforting piece added to the end.
As a result, opening night was a success. This show is what will be representing Highlands at the Cappies Awards at the end of the year, meaning the thriving of this show is important. Overall, the show was a beautiful piece to start the arts of 2023.