Springer Theatre Unveils The Mvskoke Project World Premiere and On the Far End

April has emerged as "Muscogee Month" at the Springer Opera House, the State Theatre of Georgia.

Continuing its commitment to recognizing and honoring Indigenous peoples, the Springer Opera House will produce two original productions this spring: The Mvskoke Project, a commissioned work making its world premiere at the Springer, and On the Far End, a dynamic one-woman show that tells the story of a beloved Muscogee (Creek) leader and Indigenous rights activist, Ella Jean Hill. Both of these plays feature all-Native casts.

Before their first encounter with Europeans, the Muscogee (Creek) people thrived in the Southeast from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River. Their early ancestors were the ancient mound-builders whose vast tribal complexes are still evident along the Chattahoochee, Ocmulgee, Coosa and Etowah Rivers, among others. 

For a time, the US Government promised the Muscogee that their homelands would be protected from encroachment by land-hungry colonizers. But those promises were broken when the onslaught of settlers became too great to control. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 empowered the government to remove the Southeastern tribes to Oklahoma forcefully. Those included the Muscogee, Seminole, Cherokee, Chickasaw and Choctaw people.

Two of the Muscogee people's traditional cultural centers are close to the Springer Opera House.  "Mother Town" Coweta was a significant complex across the Chattahoochee River just south of present-day Phenix City, Alabama. “Daughter Town" Cusseta was situated on the Georgia shore of the river on the site of the US Army's Fort Benning.

Locally, some 15,000 of Columbus' Muscogee neighbors were rallied nearby at Fort Mitchell and driven west at bayonet-point with little more than the clothes on their backs.  At least a third did not survive the journey. This sad saga is part of what is known as the "Trail of Tears."

Today's Muscogee Nation inhabits 4,800 square miles in eastern Oklahoma – roughly the size of Connecticut. It is a sovereign nation with executive, judicial, and legislative government branches. It has its own college, security force and ambassador to the United States.

The Springer Opera House has been developing relationships with Muscogee artists, writers, educators, and tribal leaders for several years. In 2021, now-retired Producing Artistic Director Paul Pierce proposed a commissioned work by Muscogee playwright Eri Nox.

After an extensive process of collaborative writing, devising, interviews and improvisation with Muscogee, Cherokee and Seminole contributors, a world premiere of The Mvskoke Project will be performed at the Springer April 3-13 under the direction of award-winning guest director Tara Moses. Moses, who is Seminole and Mvskoke, is currently based on Narragansett Land or what is colonially known as Providence, Rhode Island. In addition to the public performances, there will be three 10:00 a.m. matinees for school groups on April 8, 9, and 10. 

"Mvskoke" is the traditional spelling of the tribe. In the Muscogee language, "V" is a neutral vowel, and "K" is a hard-G sound. Therefore, "Mvskoke" is pronounced "Muhs – GO- gee." "Mvskoke" and "Muscogee" are used interchangeably by the tribe.

The play's action centers around a Muscogee family gathering at the home of their matriarch, Lahoma, who is soon to pass over to the other world. As they arrive, a cascade of family tales burst forth - tales full of ghosts, dreams, tricksters, visions, memories, wild ones who ran away and dutiful caretakers who stayed behind. Three Muscogee generations confront the challenge of celebrating Lahoma's legacy while striving to honor her memory - and a new path forward. 

The Springer Opera House is eager to share the results of this four-year artistic effort as it welcomes back the original inhabitants of this land for a Muscogee homecoming nearly 200 years in the making.

Bonus Mvskoke event added to Springer schedule

As the Springer developed a relationship with theatre colleagues in the Muscogee Nation in recent years, collaborating with a well-known Native artist has become possible.

Actor/playwright (and sovereignty attorney) Mary Kathryn Nagle will come to the Springer to perform her one-woman show, On the Far End, on April 17, 18, and 19 in the Springer's McClure Theatre. These dates follow the closing of The Mvskoke Project.

"On the Far End provides the Springer with an opportunity to share more Muscogee theatre on our stage as well as some public-facing community talk-backs," said Springer Executive Producer Danielle Varner. "Our former leader, Paul Pierce, saw this play twice and got to know Ms. Nagle. She performed "On the Far End as part of the Ocmulgee Indigenous Festival in Macon last fall and a month later at Theatre Emory."

On the Far End tells the story of Muscogee leader Ella Jean Hill, the central character who re-enacts her grandfather's experience on the Trail of Tears to the family's allotment in Oklahoma to Ella Jean Hill's escape from a Native boarding school, her marriage to a young Bengali scholar and the tribal advocacy that became her life's work. 

"This play is a fascinating true-life tale that illustrates the Muscogee people's journey from sovereignty in the homelands of Georgia and Alabama through painful periods of suffering and uncertainty and back to tribal sovereignty in Oklahoma," Pierce said. 

"Mary Kathryn Nagle is an astonishing storyteller with a gift for humor and dramatic surprise. Having these two plays on the Springer stage this spring will be a rare treat for our audiences and an important part of building partnerships, friendships and trust among our two communities."

The play's title comes from the 2020 McGirt v. Oklahoma case in the US Supreme Court, which confirmed that the Muscogee Nation had jurisdiction over its reservation and that the State of Oklahoma did not. In his opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch began, "On the far end of the Trail of Tears was a promise." 

To complement these productions, the Springer will host community forums and post-show talk-backs, providing audiences an opportunity to engage personally with the original inhabitants of these lands. The Springer will announce the dates for those community-facing events in the coming weeks.

According to Springer Artistic Director Keith McCoy, The Mvskoke Project and On the Far End exemplify the theatre's longtime commitment to supporting plays that amplify underrepresented voices in the dramatic arts. "We are thrilled to host these amazing Native theatre artists this April," McCoy said. "With these plays, we acknowledge that the land we live and prosper on today is land that was brutally taken from the Muscogee people. It is truly a blessing for the Columbus community to join in common cause with them, allowing us to hear their voices on Muscogee land again."

In perpetuity, a portion of the royalties for The Mvskoke Project will go to support the Muscogee Language Revitalization Program at the College of the Muscogee Nation.  In addition, Springer audiences will be able to contribute directly to the program.  Spreading the use of the Muscogee language is an essential aspect of preserving Muscogee culture and sovereignty. 

The Mvskoke Project is presented as a Springer Studio II Series production in the Dorothy McClure Theatre ("The Dot") and runs April 3-13.  On the Far End is a limited engagement that runs on April 17, 18, and 19 and is also in the McClure Theatre.

The Mvskoke Project is supported by special grant funding from South Arts, VisitColumbusGA, Truist Bank, and the Russell County Historical Commission.