Director's Statement

This original production, collectively created by a team of twelve volunteer UM-Flint students, including two MLS Theatre and Community candidates, served to contribute to the revitalization of Flint by making an original spite-specific touring performance event in the cemetery, intending to “reveal place, revive history, restore spirit” for audiences.

The script was created from history papers of UM-Flint students in Dr. Ami Pflugrad-Jackisch’s 19th century American History course in Winter 2010, ensemble-based theatre devising methods on site, research in local libraries and archives, including the Crapo archives of UM-Flint’s Willson Thompson library. Community conversations throughout the project were another source of inspiration and information for the project. We gathered stories from interviews with citizens who have family at rest in Glenwood, educators who have brought student groups, former tour guides, and members of the Genesee County Historical Society. The project partnered consistently with the cemetery sexton, Peter Lemelin, whose family resides on the cemetery grounds.