ABOUT BLEEDING PINES OF TURPENTINE

Southern Pines is a town named for its forest. In its heart is the oldest surviving remnant of a once 90 million acre forest of longleaf pines that covered the Southeastern Coastal Plain, many of the trees marked with V-shaped cuts made by former slaves or their descendants to let loose the flow of sap collected for turpentine. Hundreds of the trees remain in the Weymouth section, more than in any other town in America. The age-old tale about the woman who saved them from the axe is the inspiration for Bleeding Pines of Turpentine, a multi-arts performance that tells the story of the trees and how they have been marked in a way that marks the people who live there.

Based on a narrative written, directed and produced by Ray Owen, the performance utilizes dance, music, projected images and poetic monologue in a type of performance art known as "cultural theater." Essentially, it is a minimalist musical drama offered in celebration of the heritage of the Sandhills region. The layering of various artistic elements and the inclusion of performers whose roots are represented by the theme anchors the story within powerful intersections. It offers a new brand for an old inheritance, transforming this local legend into a human story of love, struggle and redemption.