The Kentucky Cycle

The Kentucky Cycle is a series of nine one-act plays by Robert Schenkkan

The original text

The plays explore American mythology, particularly the mythology of the West, through the intertwined histories of three fictional families struggling over a portion of land in the Cumberland Plateau.

The work underwent several years of development, starting in New York City at New Dramatists and the Ensemble Studio Theatre. The two part epic was later workshopped at the Mark Taper Forum, EST-LA, the Long Wharf Theatre, and the Sundance Institute. The complete cycle had its world premiere in 1991 at the Intiman Theatre in Seattle (Liz Huddle, producer), where it set box office records. In 1992, it was the centerpiece of the Mark Taper forum's 25th Anniversary Season. It was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the first time in the history of the award that a play was so honored which had not first been presented in New York City.

The cycle contains the following one-act plays:

Masters of the Trade (set in 1775)

Courtship of Morning Star (set in 1776)

The Homecoming (set in 1792)

Ties That Bind (set in 1819)

God's Great Supper (set in 1861)

Fire in the Hole (set in 1920)

Which Side Are You On? (set in 1954)

The War On Poverty (set in 1975)

Published by Dramatists Play Service

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

2003: Five of the plays were presented by the University of Stellenbosch Drama Department in the H.B. Thom Theatre, opening on 23 April 2003, directed by Charles Dumas. The casting was as follows:

The Courtship of Morning Star: Riaan Visman, Jan-Hendrik Opperman, Brenda Julius, Kim Taylor.

The Homecoming: Brenda Julius, Reinard Cronje, Ben Claassen, Jackie van den Heever, Jan Hendrik Opperman, Stian Bam.

Ties That Bind: Eben Genis, Hanna Grobler, Jeremy Davids, Reinhard Cronje, Brenda Julius, Ockie Coetzer, Ralston Oliphant, Schalk van der Merwe, Stian Bam, Jackie van den Heever.

God's Great Supper: Chloe Liebenberg, Adriaan Botha, Hanna Grobler, Schalk van der Merwe, Reinhard Cronje, Eben Genis, Janna Austin, Sharon Kelly, Stian Bam, Jeremy Davids, Jan-Hendrik Opperman, Ockie Coetzer, Kim Taylor, Ralston Oliphant, Riaan Visman.