COURTESY: DIANE FERGUSSON
One of the great advantages of living in Oxford is the abundance of creativity put into celebrating its quirks, eccentricities and local legends. Around Halloween, these acknowledgements are even more pronounced: haunted houses spring up in purportedly haunted buildings, traffic increases at the local cemetery, and the Cedar Oaks Guild puts on its fifth “Spirits of Oxford” production.
Though past productions have featured the denizens of Oxford’s past, this year’s show involves characters from the imagination of William Faulkner.
“The characters are taken from novels, short stories and his one play,” stated the production’s press release. “Dressed in period costumes, the characters will tell their stories before a backlit screen that features a photograph related to each story. Different musical themes will introduce each character. Minimal props and staging will be utilized.”
Dianne Fergusson, president of the Cedar Oaks Guild, is the writer and director of this production. She is a former teacher and Faulkner scholar, so she brought her literary expertise to the table when choosing characters to feature.
“There wasn’t exactly a process that I used (to choose characters), but a combination of thinking of Faulkner characters that I especially liked and that were especially dramatic and then thinking of local actors who could play those roles,” Fergusson said.
This approach gave Fergusson and the actors a unique opportunity to collaborate on the writing — she was very conscious of the actors portraying these characters, as well as the personalities of the characters themselves. “With most of the characters, I wrote the script with the actor in mind, and that made it possible to really tailor the scripts to their strengths as actors,” Fergusson said.
The idea of writing a “Spirits of Oxford” show centered around Faulkner’s writings has always been in the back of Fergusson’s mind.
“I did my master’s thesis on mother figures in (Faulkner’s) novels,” she said. “We live right here in the inspiration for his fiction, his ‘little postage stamp of native soil.’ I thought using his characters would be unique.”
It took some time, but eventually the idea came to fruition and Fergusson began writing the show.
“I selected the characters, re-read all of the novels and short stories and the play that I wanted to use and wrote the scripts,” she said. “I began researching and writing them in October 2013 and completed the last one in June 2014.”
Marty Dunbar, who is an actor in the production, said she enjoys the atmosphere of the show, made so personal by Fergusson’s passion for Faulkner.
“It has been quite a learning experience to be in this production,” Dunbar said. “Faulkner is challenging but worth the effort.”
This production is only Dunbar’s second theater experience, but she is glad she found acting — even if a little late!
Fergusson is confident that this production, though different than the past four, will nevertheless go down in the books as a success.
“‘Spirits of Oxford’ is an established production,” Fergusson said. “I know there are some people who are disappointed that we’re not doing a cemetery tour this year, (but) it wouldn’t be appropriate to put these characters in the cemetery because they are not dead. They live every time someone reads one of these incredible novels or short stories.”
She expects attendance from people who are familiar with the “Spirits of Oxford” show as well as those new to the production.
“I think that some will be attracted by the actors themselves; each one comes with a following of friends and family,” Fergusson said. “Others will be curious about Faulkner. Others will be looking for something to do on Thursday night or Sunday afternoon and will find this to their liking. Whatever brings them in, I hope they’ll all go out with a desire to read the novels, the short stories and the play because these characters hooked them.”
“Spirits of Yoknapatawpha County” opens tonight at the Powerhouse. A reception at 7 p.m. will precede the performance, which begins at 8 p.m.
An additional performance will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday. There will be no performance the night of Halloween. Tickets for the opening performance and reception are $25; tickets for the Sunday matinee are $15.
