'Osceola's Muse' coming to Battery Gadsden in October
There’s an untold story on Sullivan’s Island. Street names like Osceola and Thompson Avenue whisper it. Osceola’s grave at Fort Moultrie nudges us to remember. Overgrown fort batteries give us an inkling of what conditions were like in the 1830s when over 100 Seminoles and Black Seminole were imprisoned there.
Among the captives was Morning Dew, Osceola’s wife and the daughter of an escaped slave: his muse. Many escaped and freed slaves allied themselves with the Native Americans since they were both being pursued by the U.S. Army. When Osceola died at Fort Moultrie after just a few months in captivity, he was the most famous Indian that had ever lived. His death made worldwide headlines and prompted people to toast, “To the still unconquered Red Man” since the Seminoles had never surrendered to the U.S. forces.
For the last several months, I have been working with a passionate group of creative people including Jonathan Green (costumes and scenery), PURE Theatre, Kris Manning (art installation), Delia Chariker (Native American music), Nina O’Bani ( African American music) and others to conjure a highly interactive theatrical production that will take place at Battery Gadsden this month. Historians from Fort Moultrie and Keepers of the Word (a Native outreach organization) have served as advisors. The school children at Sullivan’s Island Elementary School have helped paint the scenery. The famous Gullah artist Jonathan Green designed the costumes and scenery for Spoleto’s “Porgy and Bess” and saw this as a similar project.
“I’m always thinking of what I can do to visually remind us of the beauty of Africans,” said Jonathan. “Every time I approach the canvas, I strive to capture the magnificent legacy my ancestors left me and my family despite their enslavement, oppression, and horrific challenges. I choose to paint my heritage not with angst but to celebrate the traditions.”
The talent this idea has attracted is a testimony to the story’s compelling themes: Osceola’s flamboyance and leadership, the alliances formed as the country seethed in slavery and the controversies about forced migration, assimilation and cultural misunderstanding that continue today.
Unlike a traditional theater show, “Osceola’s Muse” will be an interactive experience. The venue includes three historic gun emplacement “stages” next to the Poe Library and an indoor area within the battery. Audience members will walk at their pace through the venue encountering vignettes on the stages and go indoors to view a dynamic art installation. Music and dance from both Native and African cultures will enliven the scenes. The Battery Gadsden Cultural Center, which is the beneficiary of the event, will sell refreshments. Throughout the evening there will be voluntary opportunities to engage with the actors and musicians and take a small part in the show. Using artistic license, Osceola’s Muse will juxtapose authentic history with spectacle to provide an entertaining experience that is historically-based as well as enlightening.
Osceola’s Muse is sponsored by Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park, The City of Isle of Palms, The Presson Group, Isabella and William Rocco, Dr. Mike and Claire Walsh, The Daniel Island Historical Society, Battery Gadsden Board of Directors, Lucky Dog Publications and generous neighbors. Shows will take place on Fridays and Saturdays October 11, 12, 18 and 19 starting at 7:30 p.m. at Battery Gadsden (1917 I’On Ave, Sullivan’s Island). Tickets are available at http://pure theatre.org/ for $35 regular or $55 VIP. A pop up show of Jonathan’s designs will take place on Friday, Oct. 11 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Sandpiper Gallery (2210 Middle Street, Sullivan’s Island) and is free.