Stealing Dixie

Stealing Dixie

Theatre in the Square

Through September 12, 2010

The War Between the States (or what them Yankees call the Civil War) had been raging for a while. The battle of Shiloh had claimed more than 100,000 lives, and a special operations group of 24 men had decided that maybe the war could wind down if they could grab off The General locomotive and train which ran from Atlanta up to Tennessee as it is explained in prime essays. Seemed like an unlikely heist, and had it succeeded we can only speculate on what effect, if any, it might have produced.

It kind of seems like a natural for Theatre in the Square where one can often hear the whistles of the trains as they pass just west of the theatre. But what Atlanta playwright Phillip DePoy has done is to let us into the minds of these guys starting the night before their bold moves.

You start off in a hotel room where the conspirators are rehearsing their routines. Made me think “Oceans Five” the way they try to nail down each move. Some of the action moves stage left to a prop that we quickly accept as the locomotive. And in the second act that hotel room becomes the CSA Court in which three of the gang are on trial.

A fine cast, wonderfully directed by Jessica Phelps West and a story that while somewhat irrelevant in today’s world, is nonetheless intriguing. And a very interesting scenic backdrop used to represent the General. Kind of makes you want to travel up to Kennesaw to visit him.

Tickets and more info at theatreinthesquare.com