Story of dramatic Whiteside Mountain
rescue to be centerpiece of March MHC Liars Bench show.
Gary Carden of The Liars Bench,
a two-year old program featuring authentic traditional Southern
Appalachian storytelling, music, poetry, and drama, announced the
first of the “Balsam Chronicles,” starting with the story
of “Gus Baty, the man who jumped/fell off Whiteside Mountain”
Thursday March 15 at 7:00 pm at WCUs Mountain Heritage Center to
follow the successful February 16 and 23 Liars Bench
performances of “Coy.” Free admission for all.
First in the series of “Balsam
Chronicles,” a set of three Liars Bench programs in
March, April and May, supported in part by a grant from the
Grassroots Arts Program of the Jackson County Arts Council and the
North Carolina Arts Council, this is the compelling story of the
circumstances of Gus Baty jumping/falling off “Fool's Rock,”
sliding sixty yards down the steep mountain side and coming to rest
against a Laurel bush suspended on the very edge of Whiteside's cliff
a thousand feet above the valley floor, and his rescue by his friend
Charlie Wright.
In addition to Liars Bench
regulars Gary Carden, host and storyteller; Lloyd Arneach, the
Cherokee storyteller; Paul Iarussi, claw-hammer guitar specialist;
William Ritter, vocalist and musician; Karen Barnes, musician and
Eric Young (mandolin and guitar); the March 15 performance will also
feature Haywood County native Joe Sam Queen with a square dance team
and buck dancers.
Each of the three “Balsam
Chronicles” shows will showcase the history and folklore of
one of the counties in the Balsam range. The March 15 show will
celebrate the history, music, and folklore of Cashiers Valley. Among
the subjects to be presented March 15 are Gus Baty, the man who
jumped/fell off Whiteside Mountain; Charlie Wright, the man who
received the Carnegie medal for rescuing Baty; and Kidder Cole, the
most beautiful woman in Cashiers Valley, who prompted Felix E. Alley
to write a square dance tune that was played all over Western North
Carolina.
During the past year, Carden has
designed and directed a series of shows that dealt with Cherokee
history and culture; religious music, Jack Tales, and myths and
legends. After a show from last October was recently featured on the
regional television program Life in the Carolinas, both the
performers and the staff of the Liars Bench became convinced
that the show should move toward becoming a significant voice in
defining and preserving the region's culture. This decision was
confirmed by the cover story publication in a WNC newspaper recently
of Carden and his creation, The Liars Bench show.
Recently, The Liars Bench, in
conjunction with the Mountain Heritage Center, developed a grant
proposal that was funded by the Jackson County Arts Council. “This
grant will give us the resources to develop programs that deal with
topics such as Dr. John R. Brinkley, the hanging of Jack Lambert, and
the historical basis for the belief that Abraham Lincoln was born
here. We plan to do this with storytelling, music, poetry and drama.”
The story of Gus Baty and Charlie Wright is the first “Balsam
Chronicles” effort. For additional information, call the
Mountain Heritage Center at 828.227.7129.
The North Carolina Arts Council works
to make North Carolina The Creative State where a robust arts
industry produces a creative economy, vibrant communities, children
prepared for the 21st century and lives filled with discovery and
learning. The Arts Council accomplishes this in partnership with
artists and arts organizations, other organizations that use the arts
to make their communities stronger and North Carolinians-young and
old-who enjoy and participate in the arts. The Arts Council is a
division of the Department of Cultural Resources.
http://hollernotes.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Liars-Bench/205980006131269
The Mountain Heritage Center at WCU:
828.227.7129
