By The Keystone Newspaper Highlighting the history behind the Pennsylvania town burning since 1962
By Winson Lin
From Thursday, Oct. 15 to Saturday, Oct 17, Schaeffer Auditorium premiered Centralia: The Fire Below, an original play written and directed by Dr. Deryl B. Johnson, Professor of Communication Studies at KU.
Photo Credit: Winson Lin
The 90-minute play presents a historical yet human exploration of Centralia, a Pennsylvania town, which is an hour and fifteen minutes northwest of Kutztown, that was consumed by an underground anthracite coal mine fire and has been burning since 1962.
According to Johnson, the play is a rewrite of a production he wrote back in 1998. The project initially began when he was asked to turn Coalseam: Poems from the Anthracite Region, written by poet and former KU faculty member Karen Blomain, into a performance.
After reading one of the poems in the book titled Centralia, he visited the town and kept returning over the course of 18 months. Over time, the play’s focus shifted from a book adaptation into a story centered around the town and its people.
“When I went up to Centralia, I met a man named Slavi who pointed out where buildings once stood and shared hundreds of old photographs from his trunk. It was through his stories and photos that I realized the whole play should be about Centralia,” Johnson said.
Around four years ago, Johnson decided to revisit the project for the play’s 25th anniversary, which led to this updated production that includes events from the last few decades.
The play featured a four-person cast consisting of Emily Novak, Dylan D. Miller, Keith Conallen and Julie Kershetsky, combining actors from KU, Allentown, New York and Philadelphia.
Photo Credit: Dr. Johnson, Professor of Communication Studies
The central premise involves students working on a documentary about the town. It also features two original short films being played throughout titled The Murder and Trial of Alexander Rea, and Centralia Hill: Silent No More. For these films, around 50 students took part in on-location video shoots, along with another 12 who spent a day filming 400 feet underground in coal mines.
In addition to the play, attendees were able to tour a student-run museum in the Schaeffer Auditorium lobby 30 minutes before and after the show. The tables featured historical photographs, regional artifacts and pop culture items such as comic books that either referenced Centralia or were written by people from the town.
Photo Credit: Winson Lin
Johnson claims that his aim in creating Centralia: The Fire Below, was to demonstrate that there is more to the story of Centralia than just the fire. Furthermore, as a professor for Intro to Theater, he expresses hope that this play would inspire students to have a better appreciation for live theater.
Photo Credit: Winson Lin