By Greg Russell

In a far corner of the Earth, where humans are few and far between, a “voice” from the University of Memphis can be heard, one that will soon be on a national stage.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has commissioned the theatrical group Voices of the South, made up wholly of U of M alumni, to create an original stage play for the 50^th anniversary celebration of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which is located in northern Alaska. One faculty and one staff member are involved in the production.

Voices of the South performed Place of Enchantment, based on the Muries’ conservation work in Wyoming, in 1992. The group has been commissioned for a similar project that celebrates the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s 50th anniversary. (photo courtesy of Fowler Photography)

The theatrical piece will pay homage to Olaus and Mardy Murie who were major players in the establishment of the Arctic Refuge, considered the crown jewel of the 552 national wildlife refuges in the United States. Mardy Murie is known as the “Grandmother of the Conservation Movement” and was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, by President Clinton in 1995. The Muries are known throughout the world for their conservation work in Alaska and in the Grand Teton National Park region in Wyoming.

Voices of the South will premiere the show, titled Wild Legacy, in Alaska this December, and the performance will have its Lower 48 debut just outside of Washington, D.C., in January.

U of M theatre professor Gloria Baxter said the performance is one of only three major components of the national celebration of the Arctic Refuge, meaning Voices of the South landed a major coup when it was chosen for the theatrical part of the celebration.

“This is really prestigious for our University and for Voices of the South,” she said.

Baxter, who has taught theatre at the U of M since 1965, is both playwright and stage director for Wild Legacy. The stage manager and all five cast members are graduates of the Department of Theatre and Dance: Jerre Dye (BFA ’93), Alice Berry (BFA ’94), Virginia Ralph Matthews (BFA ’98), Geoffrey Wood (BFA ’91), Michael Khanlarian (BFA ’01) and Tiffany McClung (BFA ’95). Berry is also the director of publicity for the U of M’s theatre and dance department.

Baxter has been involved in several highly visible performances during her long tenure at the U of M.

“Those of us who have known Gloria and her work for several decades know what an unbelievable talent and intellect worked amongst us, but having that recognized on such a national scene is a wonderful validation and recognition of the truly inspiring top-level theatre that has been produced by our Department of Theatre and Dance every year for Memphis and Mid-South audiences to enjoy,” said College of Communication and Fine Arts Dean Richard Ranta. “We, of course, are very proud of the recognition she has achieved.”

Baxter said the group would present the play in “narrative theatre,” which is the signature style of the company. “Narrative theatre” involves the process of adapting literature not originally written for the stage — “performing the book” in a sense.

Voices of the South will draw from Mardy Murie’s book Two in the Far North, which details the Muries’ years of work to preserve the area that is now the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Muries’ adventures and explorations in the northeastern corner of Alaska had them traveling via dogsled, floatplane, boat and snowshoes, sometimes with a baby in tow.

“We will be focusing the show on the three-month expedition that the Muries took to the Sheenjek river valley of the Brooks Range in 1956. The trip was pivotal in the campaign to establish the refuge,” Baxter said.

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is home to 45 species of marine and land mammals. It is considered the crown jewel of the nation’s 552 national wildlife refuges. Voices of the South will help celebrate the refuge’s 50th anniversary with a national tour. (photo by Greg Russell)

“The Muries were trying to raise public consciousness about how rare and special the area that became the national refuge is,” continued Baxter. “We are trying to show that the legacy is ours to continue.”

Baxter traveled to the Arctic Refuge with The Murie Center in late August of 2001. She wrote at the time, “Here in the Arctic Refuge at the edge of winter, the sights and sounds are singular. A haunting melody on a solo flute. This is a landscape complete in and of itself. Human presence seems neither its subject nor its object …”

Voices of the South was selected based on a previous work the group had done on a similar project. On the occasion of Mardy Murie’s 100^th birthday in 2002, the group performed Place of Enchantment, based on the Muries’ conservation work in the Teton area of Wyoming.

“That piece was wonderfully received and had to do with our being asked to create this piece as well,” Baxter said.

The upcoming theatrical piece will be about 90 minutes in length and will be performed in Fairbanks, Anchorage and Homer, Alaska, from Dec. 1-14. Tour engagements will continue throughout 2011.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has also commissioned a documentary film and a large photo exhibition that will examine the special significance of the refuge.

The Arctic Refuge is one of the few true remaining wilderness areas left in the world. Its 19.2 million acres is inhabited by 45 species of marine and land mammals, including caribou, Dall sheep, polar and grizzly bears and wolves. Large-scale ecological and evolutionary processes continue there, free of human control or manipulation. There are no roads in the area, which can only be accessed by foot or plane.

Preview performances of Wild Legacy can be seen in Memphis at the Evergreen Theatre (formerly the Circuit Playhouse) Nov. 12-14 and Nov. 18-21.