The Kentucky Cycle

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Kentucky Cycle is a series of nine one act plays by Robert Schenkkan that explores the idea of American Mythology, in particular, the Mythology of the West, through the intertwined stories of three fictional familes as they struggle over a portion of land in the Cumberland plateau. It won numerous awards, including the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the first time in the history of the Pulitzer that a play had won without a NY production. The play was produced on Broadway in 1993 and was nominated for several Tony awards.

Because of the nature of the production, many productions include an ensemble cast. The Opening Night Cast included: John Aylward, Lillian Garrett-Groag, Gail Grate, Katherine Hiler, Ronald Hippe, Gregory Itzin, Stacy Keach, Ronald William Lawrence, Scott MacDonald, Tuck Milligan, Randy Oglesby, Jeanne Paulson, Stephen Lee Anderson, Michael Hartman, Philip Lehl, Patrick Page, Susan Pellegrino, James Ragland, Jennifer Rohn, Novel Sholars, Lee Simon Jr.

The play generated controversy with some Kentucky writers claiming it trafficked in stereotype while others lauded its honesty and noted that they, too, suffered similar criticism from their peers when their work was deemed "politically incorrect." Several articles and editorials were written, including a book, 'Confronting Appalachian Stereotypes: Back Talk from an American Region.' However, in 2001, when the play was finally produced in Eastern Kentucky at the Breaks Interstate Park, directed by native Kentuckian, Stephanie Richards, with a cast that included both professional and local Kentucky actors, the audience response was overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Whatever academics thought of the play it was clear that Eastern Kentuckians had embraced the story as their own.