Splittin’ the Raft at the CAC

The Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville/Douglas County is delighted to present Scott Kaiser’s “Splittin’ the Raft,” a musical retelling of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, produced by Kennesaw State University’s Department of Theatre, Performance Studies and Dance with support from the National Endowment of the Arts, on Friday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m., at the Cultural Arts Center. The performance, which includes African-American spirituals and songs by Stephen Foster, is free and open to the general public. However, seating is limited so reservations are recommended.

In Scott Kaiser’s unique interpretation of Mark Twain’s classic novel, four dynamic actor/singers and one musician perform 31 characters emphasizing the themes of personal and social transformation – and the play’s narrator is the character of the great orator, ex-slave, and abolitionist Frederick Douglass.  After its opening run in the Black Box Theater at Kennesaw State University in late September, the production is being performed at various community arts organizations and schools including the Cultural Arts Center in Douglasville, The Arts Association in Newton County, The Earl Smith Strand Theatre in Marietta, and many high schools in metropolitan Atlanta and North Georgia.

"This project is exemplary in its community engagement," noted John Gentile, chair of the KSU department. "It brings a canonical work of American literature and a thoughtful consideration of contemporary social issues involving diversity to today's students in the greater Atlanta community."

“I’m very excited,” stated the play’s director Harrison Long, an associate professor with the KSU theater department. “We have an amazing cast which reflects the range and diversity of our talented student body. It’s amazing to see the quality of our students and how they have grown in recent years.”

Originally developed for high school students and their families, the project includes a web site to prepare audience members for the play, with an electronic curriculum guide, historical information, biographies, photographs and other support material. Audience members and workshop participants are encouraged to post comments before and after each performance. In addition, the performers and the director will conduct a short discussion following each performance. More information about the play and the project, including study guides for students and teachers, is available at www.kennesaw.edu/theatre/SplittinTheRaft/.