River Arts Center 105 Ninth Street Prairie du Sac, WI
Directed by Meghan Randolph
Music Direction by Christopher Powers Choreography by Marin Johnson
Featuring Parke Fech as Floyd Collins, Kevin Blakeslee as Homer Collins, Sarah Melton as Nellie Collins, Matthew A. Schrader as Skeets Miller, John Jajewski as Lee Collins, Roberta Riportella as Miss Jane Collins, Jordan Peterson as Jewell Estes, Paul Milisch as Bee Doyle, Jason Atkins as Ed Bishop, Henry Verden as HT Carmichael, David Meldman as Cliff Roney, Patrick Mattingly as Dr. Hazlett, Patricia Gullo Hetland as Miss Abby, Joel Roberts as Young Floyd, Alex Roller as Young Homer, and Wes Johnson, Jason Atkins and Patrick Mattingly as the Reporters.
A statement by Roger W. Brucker, author of Trapped!, the book on which Floyd Collins is based:
"As the co-author of the book that Tina Landau described as "the Bible" on Floyd Collins, I saw the stage production of the musical Floyd Collins by Adam Guettel and Tina Landau at the River Arts Center in Sauk City, WI last Saturday and Sunday. I saw an EXCELLENT production of the work -- great music, superb singing, lively action, and imaginative staging.
I have attended about ten different productions of Floyd Collins around the country, including its opening at Playwright's Horizons in NYC, the Goodman Theater in Chicago, Niagara on the Lake, Lakewood Playhouse in Ohio, and several others. The Music Theatre of Madison production is one of the top two or three in my opinion. Why?
Some producers 'over-produce' by having elaborate, shifting scenery, hoards of extras, and gratuitous movement of actors here and there. Meghan Randolph's conception comes closer to the spirit of the musical than most because the scenery is simple and focuses the audience on the singer-actors and the poignant story. For example, in a scene in which the trapped and dying Floyd meets with his brother, Homer, they recount their youthful pastimes -- swinging on the old swinging vine and fishing in the Green River. Only in this production can the audience understand the comforting recall of good old times of these close companions and its role in the story. And it sets up the final climax scene so it is completely understandable. Randolph recognized that the action calls for youthful versions of Floyd and Homer -- an understanding that every other director missed.
All of the actors sing beautifully in one of the most original musicals in many years. It is entertainment at a rare high level of performance. Those looking for the frenzy of of A Chorus Line or Oklahoma may be disappointed, but the Floyd Collins musical by Music Theatre of Madison in Sauk City next Saturday and Sunday is the best performance of what has become a "cult" musical you are ever likely to see. "
Roger W. Brucker
Co-author: "Trapped! : The Story of Floyd Collins"
Click here for more info on Roger and his books!
Photos by Jim Horne
Sponsored by
JOHN AND CAROLYN PETERSON FOUNDATION
With support from Schwarz Insurance and North Star Resource Group
Having put this beautiful show on hiatus in 2007, MTM is delighted to bring it to our audiences at last! Floyd Collins is a gorgeous piece written by Tony Award winning composer Adam Guettel (grandson of the great Richard Rodgers) and Steppenwolf Theatre company member Tina Landau. The show premiered off-Broadway at Playwright's Horizons in 1996, and was followed by a national tour and West End production, both in 1999. Since then, it has been revived at numerous regional theatres. Floyd Collins features a delightfully unique bluegrass score, a cast of thrilling characters, and the story of an all but forgotten historical event that swept headlines in its day. Read on for history, media and links!
FLOYD COLLINS
Floyd Collins was born July 20, 1887. His family owned Crystal Cave in Cave City, KY, which they attempted to use as a tourist attraction to provide income. However, business suffered because of nearby Mammoth Cave, which was more accessible from the highway and simply more visible to travelers. Floyd, an experienced caver, was certain that Mammoth Cave was linked to the other, smaller caves in the area. In order to prove this theory he explored a hole he dubbed "Sand Cave". After digging he was able to fit through the narrow, unstable passageway and venture underground.
See a tour of Crystal Cave with Roger Brucker HERE
On January 30th, 1925, as Floyd began to climb back out of Sand Cave, a rock fell and pinned his foot. His lamp died, and Floyd was left underground until someone came looking for him. Jewell Estes, a local teenager, discovered Floyd and quickly alerted the Collins family. Locals banded together to attempt Floyd's rescue, but his foot was pinned in such a way that it was impossible to simply pull him out. Because of the dark, narrow chute and his distance from the entrance (150 ft.), doctors felt it would not be possible to amputate Floyd's foot because it would require sawing through bone. Chances were Floyd would bleed to death before he reached the surface. The only option was to chip away at the unstable ground around Floyd and the rock.
William Burke "Skeets" Miller, a 21 year old reporter who had once aspired to sing opera, was sent from the Louisville Courier-Journal to cover the story. Miller was nicknamed "Skeets" because he was "no bigger than a 'squito". His incredibly small stature allowed him to crawl into the passageway and conduct interviews with the trapped Floyd. These interviews earned him a Pultizer Prize after they were published.
The media quickly descended on the story and exaggerated the predicament significantly, claiming that the 26.5 pound rock pinning Floyd's foot actually weighed 7 tons. Eventually, people from all over the country arrived, some to help, but many to sell souvenirs and food. The scene resembled a carnival.
AN EXAGGERATED PRESS PHOTO
SAMPLES OF NEWSPAPER HEADLINES.
The digging of a second shaft and continuous navigating through the narrow passageways to reach Floyd and give him food eventually caused the ground to collapse. When rescuers finally reached him, he had died of starvation.
FLOYD'S CORPSE AFTER BEING EXCAVATED IN 1925
The body was initially left at the site and not excavated until April 23, 1925, when it was buried in the family plot. When Floyd's father Lee sold the land in 1927, the new owner moved Floyd's body into Crystal Cave and displayed it in a glass topped coffin. In 1929, the body was stolen and eventually recovered with one leg missing. It was returned to Crystal Cave, this time in a chained coffin. Mammoth Cave National Park eventually bought Crystal Cave and closed it to the public. In 1989, the body was moved a final time to Flint Ridge Cemetery, where it remains to this day.
The Floyd Collins story was the third most publicized event in the years between World War I and World War II. The other two were Charles Lindbergh's trans-atlantic flight and the kidnapping of his son. Oddly enough, Lindbergh played a small role in the Floyd Collins story as well. He was hired to fly over the site of the frenzy and to photograph it.
LITERATURE ON FLOYD COLLINS:
- Trapped! By Roger Brucker and Robert K. Murray is the most celebrated account of the tragedy. Roger Brucker, the foremost expert on the Floyd Collins tragedy, will attend MTM's performances and give lectures to audiences and students.
- The Life and Death of Floyd Collins by Homer Collins, Floyd's brother, who is a main character in the musical.
- The Caves Beyond by Roger Brucker and Joe Lawrence, Jr. goes into additional detail on Floyd's exploration of Crystal Cave.
- There are several out-of-print accounts of the story by numerous authors, including another book by Homer Collins.
- Davis McComb's poem Floyd Collins Interview, Sand Cave, 1925
- Ace in the Hole was a 1951 flop starring Kirk Douglas and directed by Billy Wilder. The story centers around a media circus surrounding a man's entrapment in a cave, but it takes place in the 1950s, and the Floyd Collins story is specifically mentioned as being a separate event.
- The Floyd Collins Story is an documentary/reinactment filmed onsite in Kentucky and screened at the Cave City Convention Center in 1999.
- Floyd Collins will be a film directed by and starring Oscar winner Billy Bob Thornton. The film is based largely on Roger Brucker's book Trapped! and currently in development. A release date has not been announced. Click here to view a video.
MUSIC INSPIRED BY FLOYD COLLINS (Click on the links to hear the music where available. All songs available for download on iTunes.)
- Vernon Dalhart's The Death of Floyd Collins (1925) This extremely popular folk song has been covered by numerous singers and bands including Fiddlin' John Carson (1925), Ronnie Hawkins (1960) and John Prine and Mac Weisman (2007)
- Rob Stitt's The Legend of Floyd Collins (1975)
- Black Stone Cherry's The Ghost of Floyd Collins (2008)
- Paul Clayton's Floyd Collins (1957)
- Cracklin' Moth's Battle of Floyd Collins (2005)
- Ego Summit's Floyd Collins (1997)
- Kern Ramble's The Ballade of Floyd Collins (2003)
FLOYD COLLINS LINKS:
The best site out there for information on Floyd! Tons of pictures and links plus a detailed geneology of Floyd's family. Click on the very small Floyd Collins link at the top of the homepage under "Contacts"
The official site of the author, cave expert and lecturer who will join MTM for lectures this fall! Brucker's book Trapped was the "bible" for Adam Guettel and Tina Landau as they wrote their musical. Videos on the site include a tour of Crystal Cave, where Floyd Collins was trapped.
www.newlinetheatre.com/floyd.html
A great essay by musical theatre expert Scott Miller, Artistic Director of New Line Theatre in St. Louis, MO:
www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2105
Site on the Floyd Collins museum.
http://floydcollins.tripod.com
Info site on the musical and its history.
www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1976/6/1976_6_34.shtml
Interesting article on the situation
The rock that sealed Floyd's fate is owned by a Sturgeon Bay, WI resident!