MORGAN CHRISTOPHER
On Sun., Sept. 25, at 2 p.m., the Anthracite Heritage Museum will present a sampler production of “Under the Lackawanna Moon” to tell the story of the Anthracite Region. But how did northeastern Pennsylvania develop as a center for anthracite? According to Horace Hollister’s “History of the Lackawanna Valley,” local Native Americans are said to have been using anthracite coal as early as 1850 near Nazareth, and in the 1860’s survey reports of the Susquehanna Company included mention of anthracite deposits in the hills beyond Wilkes-Barre. Obediah Gore came to the Wyoming Valley in 1769 from Connecticut and learned about the black stones from local natives. He is credited as the first white man to recognize the practical use of anthracite coal to generate heat ,but it would take more than 30 years for the process to catch on. On Feb. 8, 1808, a blacksmith living in Wilkes-Barre conducted an experiment at his home on Northampton Street that would prove once and for all that stone coal could be burned for domestic use. He built a crude grate to provide the draft needed to feed a coal fire in one’s home and, because of his experiment, any opposition to the domestic use the stone coal was forever halted. Anthracite was now recognized as a viable fuel alternative to wood. Jesse Fell’s grate is now part of the collection of the Luzerne County Historical Society and a reproduction of it is currently on display at the Anthracite Heritage Museum. Theatrical production and historical preservation share the same basic mission: to celebrate the human spirit by illuminating that which links us as people. “Under the Lackawanna Moon” is designed to tell the story of Northeast Pennsylvania’s Anthracite Heritage Region through monologue, dialogue and music.
The initial presentation will offer an idea of what the full production is about, offering those in attendance an overview of the potential this piece has as a tourist attraction in the region. The project began in 2004 as collaboration between the Lackawanna Historical Society and the Past Players when a group of actors presented a “living theatre” program that chronicled the lives of those interred in the historic Dunmore Cemetery. Written by award-winning playwright Nancy Hasty, and featuring original music by her sister, critically acclaimed composer Cyndie Hasty, this successful presentation received recognition throughout the commonwealth. The donation fee for the program is $22 for members of the Anthracite Heritage Museum and Iron Furnaces Associates and $25 for others. The story will be developed and used in the full production as a starting point for visitors to understand why a visit to a working coal mine is integral to understanding the story of this region. The Northeast Theatre Center, collaborative partners in the production, would like to grow the project as a summer presentation . For more information, call (570) 963-4804 or visit www.phmc.state.pa.us or www.anthracitemuseum.org.