JACK'S TALE
Book by Scot Copeland
Music by Paul Carrol Binkley
Lyrics by Paul Carrol Binkley and Scot Copeland
Jack’s Tale by Scot Copeland and Paul Carrol Binkley is a spirited theatrical journey inspired by the old Irish “Jack legends”. Blending myth and history, the play follows a cunning, larger-than-life hero through rugged mountains, Appalachian folklore, and sweeping adventure. It celebrates the resilient people who braved the wilds of Scotland and Ireland, wrestled farmland from the hills of Appalachia, and ultimately helped form the backbone of the American Revolution. Both intimate and epic, Jack’s Tale is a tribute to courage, heritage, and the enduring power of story.
MTSU Theatre and Dance is a proud participant of The American Collegiate Theatre Festival
What was the first folktale that you heard? It may be from so long ago you can hardly remember—those stories of long journeys, unusual creatures, and wily heroes tend to live so buried in our cultural history we’re hardly even aware of how they got there.
Take Jack, for instance. Maybe you know of his travels up the beanstalk, or his legacy as a “giant-killer.” Stories about Jack go all the way back to England in the fifteenth century, with different communities and cultures creating variations on his adventures. In the Southeastern United States, a number of ‘Jack tales’ are associated with Appalachian history, where Jack and his brothers seek adventure and face difficult trials. Like many folktales, these stories come to us primarily through oral tradition, which is often encountered through storytelling. Rather than writing these stories down, early versions were passed among communities through storytellers, who told and re-told these tales through generations. After all, these folktales remind us of important values—how to be brave, how to fight fair, and how to hold true to ourselves. We might return to these stories when we want to feel connected to our histories or when we need a good adventure.
In our version of Jack’s Tale, our storytellers illustrate some of Jack’s journey, including one version of how he might have ended up in our backyard of Appalachia. Incorporating the work of Scot Copeland and music by Paul Carrol Binkley, Jack’s Tale invites us back around the campfire for another journey.
| Jack | Mac Wright |
| Mama / Blue Beard Giant / Raggedy Bones | Morgan Conner |
| Will / Old Woman / Kings Daughter | Claire Lee |
| Tom / Beggar / Old King | Harris Thompson |
| Director | Alicia Fuss |
| Music Director | Paul Carrol Binkley |
| Fight and Intimacy Director | Madison Kisst |
| Dramaturg | Cate Heiner |
| Scenic Designer | J. Scott McElheney |
| Scenic Painter | Auto Payne |
| Costume Designer | Ella Althoff |
| Lighting Designer | Catherine M. Pratt |
| Asst. Lighting Designer | Mekiah Hayslett |
| Properties Coordinator | David Sharp |
| Sound Designer | Kevin O'Donnell |
| Wigs, Hair, Makeup Designer | Grace Myers |
| GUITAR, BANJO, DULCIMER, Mandolin | Paul Carrol Binkley |
| FIDDLE | Antonia Ferguson |
| UPRIGHT BASS | Brad Albin |
| Stage Manager | Brandi Lokey |
| ASSt. Stage Manager | Peyton Norris |
| ASST. STAGE MANAGER | Sylvie Roley |
| Technical Director | J. Scott McElheney |
| Asst. Technical Director | Jack Thomas |
| Lead Carpenter | Josh Bennett |
| build crew | Students of THEA 1025 and 2100 |
| Sound Engineer | Cooper Davis |
| Audio Assistant | Joy Donalies |
| Audio Assistant | Alex Thomason |
| Wardrobe Head | Regan Hudson |
| Wardrobe Crew | Students of THEA 3200 |
| Stitchers | Ella Althoff Madelyn Meek Norah Younger Maya Siciliano Haley Lunsford Drew Caldwell Brandi Lokey Regan Hudson |
| Light hang / focus crew | Mekiah Hayslett Joshua Leslie Gracie Lynch Robin Phelps Austyn Taylor The Students of THEA 3400 |
| Light Board Op | Zander Piper |
| Followspot Op | Ben Buckley |
| Followspot Op | Wes Christenson |
| House Manager | Kenan Trice |
| Production Manager | John Underwood |
| Dramaturgy Faculty Advisor | Dr. Cate Heiner |
| Stage Management Faculty Advisor | Scott Wray |
| Costume Design Faculty Advisor | Tommy Macon |
| Lighting Design Faculty advisor | Darren E. Levin |
| Lighting Technology/PE Faculty advisor | Catherine M. Pratt |
| Scenic Design Faculty Advisor | Scott Boyd |
| Technical Direction Faculty advisor | J. Scott McElheney |
| Sound Design Faculty Advisor | Kevin O'Donnell |
| Makeup, Hair, Wigs Advisor | Maria Mignone |
| Scenic and Properties Specialist | Josh Bennett |
| Costume Shop Supervisor | Katie Sellers |
Thank you, Ascend Federal Credit Union, for sponsoring MTSU Arts.
