The Kentucky Cycle Begins Anew

By Scott Smith in Arts & Entertainment on May 19, 2005 3:06PM

In theatre, the word “epic” is usually thrown about when used to describe massive productions on an Andrew Lloyd Webber scale or if a show clocks in at over three hours. More appropriately, the word describes a sprawling narrative incorporating many lives, loves, and battles. So it’s no surprise to see “epic” pop up in the press materials of The Kentucky Cycle, a series of nine short plays presented by the Infamous Commonwealth Theatre in a run that begins tomorrow and continues through July 3rd at the National Pastime Theater (4139 N. Broadway).

Robert Schenkkan’s The Kentucky Cycle won the Pultizer Prize for Drama in 1992 and it’s the final work in the Infamous Commonwealth’s examination of the theme of Home. A story that begins in Civil War times and continues up until present day, the Kentucky Cycle will be presented in two parts. Audiences can see Part 1 on Friday nights at 8 PM or Saturday afternoons at 4 PM. Part 2 plays on Saturday nights at 8 PM or Sundays at 4 PM. Tickets are $18 for each individual part of $30 for both. But their best deal is a $40 ticket that not only gets you in to see the full Saturday show but also buys you dinner at Bar on Buena just up the street.

The show received a nice bit of press recently when its production blog made the pages of the Literary Managers and Dramaturg’s Association Review. The blog explores the show’s historical figures, aspects of lighting and set design, finding the voices of the characters, and the grueling rehearsal process form table reads to brutal fight choreography.