13 BREA PROGRESS The Orange County Register Thursday August 15, 2002

Stunning 'Trail of Tears' Touches Historical Heartbeat at the Chance

By Chris Creson Northern Lights The world premiere of Joseph Hullett's "Trail of Tears" stunned a Chance Theater opening night audience with its hard-hitting, historically accurate tale of genocide that happened right here in the United States. An award-winning playwright, Hullett traces the impetus for this project to an Atlanta, Georgia statue of an 1838 Cherokee woman named Nancy Still. "The statue depicts a shy two year old girl peeking out from behind Nancy's skirts," Hullett remembers. "The pedestal quotes Nancy's letter begging to be spared the eviction facing Cherokees from Georgia to Tennessee. Her failed plea concludes 'And if you make us leave, my children will surely die.'" Die they did, along with 5000 other men, women and children as Cherokees were uprooted and herded west on a 1,000 mile forced migration to the Oklahoma Territory. Even though many of these people were solid fixtures in their communities, they had to abandon their homes, leave their farms, and walk away from their churches. Eighty percent died of starvation or froze to death on what soon became known as 'The Trail of Tears." Hullett, who also has a young daughter, was touched by the heartbreak. "It was always in the back of my mind to write about this," he said. "About three years ago I began the long journey of telling this story." Eventually, Hullett brought the project to The Chance Theater. Well-respected for producing two other powerful pieces about historical and ethnic oppression — "The Stroop Report" and "Unrelenting Relaxation" — Artistic Director Oanh Nguyen jumped at the opportunity to produce and direct this one. "We worked closely with Hullett in developing 'Trail of Tears' as a viable play," Nguyen stated. "Through a series of workshops and readings, we were able to streamline the script to a manageable length and are very proud of the results."

THEATER REVIEW What: 'Trail of Tears' When: Fri/Sat 8 pm; Sun 2 pm through Sep 8 Where: The Chance Theater, 5576 E. La Palma Ave. (near Cinemapolis), Anaheim Hills Admission: $15, general; $13, seniors; students with ID Info: (714) 777-3033 _________________________ An unforgettable experience, Nguyen's stylized staging of "Trail of Tears" springs many surprises. One of them is the circle-in-a-spiral time line that spins early 19th Century tales of horror into a modern tapestry of similar sorrow as characters struggle to tell Nancy Still's story at great personal risk. This play is about much more than any one story, however. It explores the nature of what makes each of us civilized and human. Hullett, Nguyen and company present a vivid, heroic and touching work that is important, timely, and rises to the level of great literature. Actors Karen Webster, Casey Long, Sean Hannaway, Tree Henson, Richard Comeau, David Perez, Alan Hartung and Frank Valdez Jr. portray 15 characters whose stories enfold upon each other strikingly. All are to be commended for their collective focus and devotion to a project. whose realization is simultaneously devastating and moving. Lest we forget the lessons offered, Nancy Still is there to reminds us, "An echo can change things." As history repeats cruelty upon cruelty, "Trail of Tears" suggests that injustice is preventable if good people take a stand for decency before it is too late. Until that day, there will be many different trails, but the tears are all the same.