Our first production was CROSSING MOUNTAINS: to teach all we can and to learn all we can, exploring 100 years of education and change in the Kentucky mountains at The Hindman Settlement School. From its birth as a settlement school founded by Katherine Pettit and May Stone (upon invitation by the Troublesome Creek resident Uncle Sol) to its evolution into an arts and culture center, community center, regional boarding school for students with dyslexia and other learning differences, and more - this play shares the inspiring story of the lengths that people will go to to secure a good education and a better life for themselves and others in their communities.
Company co-founders Shannon Woolley Allison and Trina Fischer had journeyed to the Hindman Settlement School in Knott County, KY in the summer of 2001, to conduct oral histories and research primary sources, and upon this research, CROSSING MOUNTAINS was created. While there, we offered drama classes to the students at The James Still Learning Center for students with dyslexia and other learning differences, thus birthing our educational and community outreach programming as well. This LFL inaugural play premiered in NYC in the fall of 2001 and toured throughout Kentucky for the rest of that season, including performances at the The Hindman Settlement School 's centennial celebrations in the summer of 2002! We also brought an excerpt of the play to the 2001 Alternate ROOTS Annual Meeting and became members of this regional social justice and arts organization. The Hindman Settlement School has continued to be supportive of this production as we have revived several versions of CROSSING MOUNTAINS over the years.