Interview with Donna Porterfield, February 13, 2016

Partial Transcript: Alright, it's February 13th, 2016, uh, Rayna Gellert and Jeff Keith here with Donna Porterfield. And, again, we are here in, uh, the Norton office of Roadside Theater, uh, in your home. So, thank you so much for having us here.

Segment Synopsis: Porterfield describes how she became involved with Roadside Theater. She talks about when she was first hired to help book a production of the play "Red Fox/Second Hangin'." Porterfield details how difficult and tedious booking could be pre-Internet. Porterfield also discusses the Roadside Theater office location, where she and other Roadside employees worked, and also their decision to locate Roadside Theater in Whitesburg, Kentucky.

Keywords: Committees; Contract hires; Full-time work; Meetings; Mountain Review Magazine; Secretary work; Theater--Appalachian Region--History.; Traveling; Wide Area Toll-free Telephone Service; Working from home

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Plays.; Publicity.; Roadside Theater (Organization : Whitesburg, Ky.); Theater.

Partial Transcript: Here too I want to revisit something that we discussed a little bit in the last, uh, last time we met. When we--before we talked about how the residencies came to be and how that resulted in part from reactions on the road, so you talk a little about being on the road. But I'm just curious just about kind of what your memories are of, uh, being on the road with, you know, Ron, Tommy and Kim, or Ron, Tommy, and, uh, Angie and, and what the kind of like, road culture of the theater was?

Segment Synopsis: Porterfield shares her experiences traveling as part of the Roadside Theater. She talks about how she juggled both of her responsibilities, booking and tech, while on the road. She and her fellow co-workers traveled in a van and stayed in cheap, shared motel rooms. Porterfield talks about how well they all got along.

Keywords: Committees; Friends; Friendships; Fuzz busters; Fuzzbusters; Meetings; Parties; Radar detectors (Speed limit enforcement); Shows; Theater--Technology; Traveling; Working from home; Workshops

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Church.; Hotels.; Plays.; Roadside Theater (Organization : Whitesburg, Ky.); Street theater.; Theater.; Vans.

Partial Transcript: Tell me a little bit about some of the, uh, responsibilities and roles that you took on and, and how that, you know, the relationship between, say, Appalshop's functioning and, and Roadside over the, the '80s and what, what you were involved with.

Segment Synopsis: Porterfield describes some of the structural challenges Roadside Theater faced during its early years. Porterfield discusses how they were often understaffed and under-resourced and frequently learning from and relying on on one another's skills in order to make it. Porterfield remarks that many people had many duties, especially because all Roadside members were also either connected with Appalshop or also working on the Appalshop board.

Keywords: Budgets; Committees; Financial management; Fundraising; Management; Secretarial duties

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Bookkeeping.; Roadside Theater (Organization : Whitesburg, Ky.); Theater.

Partial Transcript: So, let's transition back to Roadside work and talk some about how it changed over the years.

Segment Synopsis: Porterfield discusses the economic and racial makeup of Roadside Theater's audience over the years, as well as changes in those demographics. Porterfield also discusses the importance of audience participation in Roadside Theater. Additionally, Porterfield shares about Roadside members writing plays together and doing residencies together.

Keywords: June Bug Productions; Performances; Performing; Residencies; Socioeconomic class; Socioeconomic status; Touring; Workshops

Subjects: African Americans--Economic conditions; Appalshop, Inc.; Plays.; Race relations--Appalachian Region; Roadside Theater (Organization : Whitesburg, Ky.); Theater.

Partial Transcript: Um, both logistically and, uh, practically in terms of social interactions and stuff like that, uh-- I would like to understand more about booking these kind of things.

Segment Synopsis: Porterfield describes early productions of "Junebug/Jack," a play Roadside collaborated on with Junebug Productions. The play was inspired by the increase in Ku Klux Klan activity in the South during the '80s. Porterfield discusses how the Roadside cast and crew traveled through rural Mississippi and performed "Junebug/Jack" at several public schools. Porterfield describes the socioeconomic and racial makeup of these public schools which she notes were, in comparison with private schools, financially disadvantaged. Porterfield shares a few stories from the 'story circles' they would do after the play finished and the incredibly insightful stories about race and class that were shared there.

Keywords: Children; Civil rights movements--20th century--Songs and music.; Community; Cornerstone Theater Company; June Bug Productions; Performances; Performing; Private schools; Public schools; Residencies; Socioeconomic class; Socioeconomic status; Story circles; Touring; Workshops

Subjects: African Americans--Economic conditions; Appalshop, Inc.; Civil rights movement; Education.; Plays.; Race relations--Appalachian Region; Roadside Theater (Organization : Whitesburg, Ky.); Theater.

Partial Transcript: But first I want to stay on Junebug/Jack if possible and, and, and, and ask you to elaborate on a point you just made.

Segment Synopsis: Porterfield elaborates on the intricacies of creating art that focuses on issues of class and race, forming relationships with other audiences, and collaborating between different groups such as the collaboration between Roadside Theater and Junebug Productions. Porterfield also shares her perspective on the educational and methodological implications of Roadside Theater's work, particularly the story circles.

Keywords: Childhood; Children; Community; June Bug Productions; Socioeconomic class; Socioeconomic status; Story circles; Therapeutic; Therapy

Subjects: African Americans--Economic conditions; Appalshop, Inc.; Education.; Methodology.; Plays.; Race relations--Appalachian Region; Roadside Theater (Organization : Whitesburg, Ky.); Theater.

Partial Transcript: well, um, I wanna shift again and, and talk about, uh, uh--ask you about, that is, a different, um, collaboration.

Segment Synopsis: Porterfield shares how she first met Zuni individuals. She describes the storytelling aspect of their culture and how important these ancient stores are. Porterfield also shares how Roadside Theater came to work with Zuni people and their stories, and how the Zuni language theater Idiwanan An Chawe was established. She also talks about the financial constraints Roadside faced during these years and the personnel changes that took place as funding was cut more and more.

Keywords: Bilingualism; Children; Community; Endowments; Fables; Families; Finances; Funding; Grants; Heritage Foundation; Idiwanan An Chawe; Indigenous people.; Mythology; National Endowment of the Arts; Oral tradition; Siblings; Storytelling; Touring; Zuni; Zuni Indians Art; Zuni culture.; Zuni language—Study and teaching; Zuni people

Subjects: Drug addiction.; Fairy tales.; Native Americans; Plays.; Roadside Theater (Organization : Whitesburg, Ky.); Theater.; Zuni art.; Zuni language

Partial Transcript: Um, what, what projects stand out to you though as stuff that really kind of kept you going?

Segment Synopsis: Porterfield talks about a couple of the more successful projects that did end up being funded. Porterfield also talks about how she ended up working on a play titled 'Calls from Home', originally a radio show that connected central Appalachian residents with local prison populations. Porterfield describes the research and interview process that helped to inspire her writing as well as Appalshop's Holler to the Hood's involvement.

Keywords: Activism; Churches; Community; Correction officers; Families; Fundraising.; Income; Interviews; June Bug Productions; Playwrights; Prison; Prison wardens; Social justice; Socioeconomic class; Socioeconomic status; State prisons; Storytelling; Touring

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Incarceration issues; Plays.; Roadside Theater (Organization : Whitesburg, Ky.); Theater.

Partial Transcript: Um, I'd like to ask about a couple more things.

Segment Synopsis: Porterfield shares her thoughts about some of the generational changes in Roadside Theater's personnel beginning in 2005. Porterfield talks about how inspiring she finds her younger co-workers. She also discusses how the Appalachian-Puerto Rican play 'Betsy!' came to be, and Roadside's relationship with Pregones Theatre.

Keywords: Children; Generational differences; Generations; Playwrights; Youth

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Plays.; Pregones Theatre (New York, N.Y.); Roadside Theater (Organization : Whitesburg, Ky.); Theater.