Kentucky Cycle, The

The Oxford Companion to American Theatre | 2004 | 700+ words | Copyright

Kentucky Cycle, The (1993), a play in two parts by Robert Schenkkan. [Royale Theatre, 34 perf.; Pulitzer Prize.] In this sprawling epic that filled two full‐length plays, three families (two white and one black) who inhabit a section of Eastern Kentucky are traced from 1775 to 1975, the sins of the ancestors coming back to haunt later generations. The plays also served as a history of the whole nation as everything from tribal Indian skirmishes, the opening of the West, the Civil War, coal miners' strike and the emerging labor movement, the recession, and the government's “war on poverty” served as the background for the extended tale. The drama was seen in Seattle, Los Angeles, and Washington, and was awarded the Pulitzer before its Broadway production (co‐produced by the Kennedy Center, the Mark Taper Forum, and others), which boasted a large cast, led by Stacy Keach, playing multiple roles. But mixed notices and an expensive production shortened the run to a month.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Kentucky Cycle, The." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Kentucky Cycle, The." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-KentuckyCycleThe.html

Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Kentucky Cycle, The." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-KentuckyCycleThe.html

Learn more about citation styles