THE AMERICAN MYTH CENTER PRESENTS
~THE BALLAD OF ROMEO & JULIET~
THE AMC LIBRARY TOUR
Instead of asking our community to come to us, we’re bringing our storytelling to them.
THE BALLAD OF ROMEO & JULIET: Produced last June in the lot at 68 Haywood, it was originally created at Northwestern University with subsequent workshops at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and in Chicago under the banner of the AMC. This roots music-infused intervention into Shakespeare’s classic tale focuses on the themes of tribalism and inherited hate.
Adaptor, director, and curator of the AMC, Aaron Snook, says, “In order to create a new American Myth, we take an old story and inject it with a crucial aspect of our nation’s history to come up with something that holds fresh relevance for our community. With this show we take Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and set it in a mythical land inspired by Reconstruction Era Appalachia. For a full preface, click here. At the end of the day, the conversation we want to spark comes from our source material and asks, ‘How can we prevent the casualties of a tribal society?’ Or, put more simply, ‘How can we turn a heritage of hate into love?’ It’s a conversation that we believe is urgent and necessary on both a national and local level.” For a teaser, click here.
THE LIBRARY TOUR: Opening May 31 and continuing throughout the month of June, The Ballad will tour the community, partnering with a different Buncombe county library branch each weekend. Evening shows are Fridays and Saturdays at 6:30 with three matinees on Saturdays at 2pm. With the exception of the matinees in the Pack Memorial auditorium, the show will be performed outdoors on the AMC Show Truck (mobile stage). The cast will play a half hour set of music followed by the two-hour production. All shows are free. BYOSeat.
Snook says, “We did one show last year away from downtown and it was with the Swannanoa Library. The initial reasons were quite personal as my mom grew up right down the road. We pulled the Show Truck into the grove next to the library and had a magical afternoon. It occurred to me that the AMC and the library share a common mission: to bring free stories to our community. So, I decided to reach out and found mutual excitement. This is what the Show Truck was built for, so we’re excited by this next evolution of the AMC.”
TOUR SCHEDULE:
May 31 @ 6:30pm The Lot at 68 Haywood
June 1 @ 2pm Pack Memorial Library (downstairs auditorium)
June 1 @ 6:30pm The Lot at 68 Haywood
June 7 & 8 @ 6:30pm Fairview Library
June 14 & 15 @ 6:30 pm Leicester Library
June 21 @ 6:30pm Swannanoa Library June 22 @ 2pm & 6:30pm Swannanoa Library
June 28 @ 6:30pm The Lot at 68 Haywood
June 29 @ 2pm Pack Memorial Library (downstairs auditorium)
June 29 @ 6:30pm The Lot at 68 Haywood
The Ballad of Romeo & Juliet is being directed by Aaron Snook, with musical direction by Elizabeth Bagby and will feature Anna Lyles, Bill Chameides, Carter Bostwick, Cody Lovell, Daniel Henry, Elizabeth Bagby, Jeff Untz, Julia Christgau, Shawn Morgenlander, Simone Roos Snook,and Sonia D’Andrea. Costume Design by Caitlin McLeod.
AMC INFO: The AMC’s mission is to create new American Myths to spark necessary conversation within our community. Upon reflecting on the AMC, founder Aaron Snook says,“In the nearly two years of our young existence we’ve created two American Myths: The Ballad of Romeo and Juliet and An Appalachian Christmas Carol. We are currently working on our third, The Lost Bacchae, which will premiere in 2020. We look at these productions as living works that grow and evolve with each iteration, always honing our storytelling and reaching new audiences. I hope this Library Tour will lay a foundation on which we can build in the years to come.”
MEDIA CONTACT:
Aaron Snook
curator@americanmythcenter.org
773.551.8172
AT A GLANCE:
What: The AMC Library Tour of The Ballad of Romeo & Juliet, adapted by Aaron Snook with musical score by Elizabeth Bagby
When: May 31-June 29, Friday and Saturday evenings at 6:30 with three Saturday matinees at 2pm
Where: The Lot at 68 Haywood St., Pack Memorial Library, Fairview Library, Leicester Library, Swannanoa Library.
Free admission and BYOSeat
SUMMARY:
The American Myth Center presents the AMC Library Tour of The Ballad of Romeo & Juliet, a roots-infused adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet under the direction of Aaron Snook and musical direction of Elizabeth Bagby. The tour will take place May 31-June 29, Friday and Saturday evenings at 6:30 with three Saturday matinees at 2pm in the Lot at 68 Haywood St., Pack Memorial Library, Fairview Library, Leicester Library, and Swannanoa Library. Music will start at 6:30pm and patrons are welcome at any time. Free admission for all.
For more information on the AMC, please visit: www.americanmythcenter.org