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PARK HILL, Oklahoma – For its summer drama, the Cherokee Heritage Center will once again present the outdoor performance of “Under the Cherokee Moon.” The performance, scheduled to run Friday and Saturday evenings from May 30 to Aug. 16, takes audiences back to two important periods in Cherokee history. “You get to be part of history and say, ‘wow, what would I have done if I had been in that situation?’ There’s something about looking at these historical figures in the eye as an equal of theirs or as a contemporary,” said Laurette Willis, who wrote and performs in the performance. “It’s not just dry history; it’s history come to life.” Two acts make up the “Under the Cherokee Moon” performance. This year’s performance will have some minor changes from last year’s script, Willis said. Two additional actors will be hired for the “Around Cherokee Council Fires” portion of the performance, and the site for that performance will be moved closer to Adams Corner Rural Village where the first act, “Amazing Graces,” takes place. The front porch of the Adams Corner General Store, which is on the CHC grounds, serves as the stage for “Amazing Graces.” In the show audiences are taken back to the mid-1800s when the Cherokee Female Seminary stood on the grounds of the CHC. Willis portrays Trail of Tears survivor, Seminary graduate and teacher Carrie Bushyhead, as well as missionary/teacher Sarah Worcester in the interactive production. Willis, who is originally from New York City and was an actor there in off-Broadway productions, said she believes people enjoy sitting under the stars surrounding by a quaint village listening to her portray Bushyhead as she talks about her life and times including her experiences at the first Cherokee Female Seminary. During “Amazing Graces,” Willis transitions into portraying Sarah Worcester, the daughter of Rev. Samuel Worcester, a pivotal figure in Cherokee Nation history, who followed her father to Indian Territory to teach at the seminary. Willis portrays Sarah’s time at the school and her interactions with the students. “She’s quite a bit different than Carrie Bushyhead. The voice of Carry Bushyhead is quite different from Sarah’s, who has almost a childlike nature about her whereas Carrie has a genteel nature about her and has a more quiet, slow way of speaking and a different way of carrying her body,” Willis said. “Amazing Graces,” ends with Willis playing Bushyhead again as she endures the hardships of the American Civil War in Indian Territory. She also portrays her life after the war. For the second act, the audience will walk a short distance from Adams Corner Rural Village to a council fire surrounded by brush arbors. After a brief intermission, the audience travels back nearly 100 years from 1866 to May 1776 to take part in “Around Cherokee Council Fires” where Cherokee leaders of the late 1700s are debating about who they should ally with in the coming war between Britain and the American colonists who continue to encroach on Cherokee lands. Willis said the audience gets to meet the leaders and chiefs from that day such as Chief Attakullakulla; his son Dragging Canoe; Chief Oconostota; Captain Nathanial Gist, the father of Sequoyah; and Nancy Ward, the Cherokee Beloved Woman. “We use the real words spoken by these people from historical sources whenever possible. It’s important to bring the history to life in a way perhaps people aren’t accustomed to. People look at history as something in books, but here they see it acted out in front of them by characters that are talking directly to them,” Willis said. During the “Around Cherokee Council Fires” performance, audience members are invited to participate in the council meeting and some audience members are chosen to play characters. “When parents and grandparents have brought their kids they have been just effusive in their excitement about the show. The say, ‘we really went back in time, and I’m so grateful I brought my kids here to learn about our history,’” she said. “What a number of people have said is that the performance has sparked their interest in Cherokee history, and that’s what the Cherokee Heritage Center is all about; that’s what the museum is about.” Willis said she also plans to rewrite portions of “Around Cherokee Council Fires” to include more Cherokee language to give audience a historical experience. “I love bringing history to life and involving the audience in it so they don’t see it as this is stuff that happened to a bunch of people a bunch of years ago and who cares. I want them to feel this is a really pivotal point in Cherokee history.” Theatergoers will again have the option of being served dinner before show time or elect to see only the show. Seating in the Adams Corner Rural Village begins at 6 p.m. and dinner is served at 6:30 p.m. “Under the Cherokee Moon” begins at approximately 7 p.m. Willis said another change to this year’s performance includes using a different caterer for the food. “The food will be better. We want to make sure every year everything is better,” she said. Regular admission rates for dinner and theater performances are $25 for adults and $15 for children or $15 and $10 for theater only. Cherokee National Historical Society member rates for the dinner and theater are $20 and $12. Other discounted rates are available for groups and senior citizens. Call 1-888-999-6007 for reservations. Seating is limited. ‘Under the Cherokee Moon’ casting call set for April PARK HILL, Oklahoma – The Cherokee Heritage Center will hold auditions for the summer performance of “Under the Cherokee Moon” from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on April 3 and from noon to 2 p.m., as well as 5p.m. to 7 p.m. on April 4. The performance is scheduled to run from May 30 to Aug. 16. The outdoor theater offers an environment for actors to expand their skills while gaining valuable experience in a small cast. Auditions will be held at the schoolhouse located in the Adams Corner Rural Village on the grounds of the CHC. Cherokee men and women ages 20 to 60 are invited to audition. Acting experience is preferred but not essential for the paid positions. Six men and one female will be needed for the performance. Four of the male roles will be speaking roles. Understudies for each role will also be selected. Actors will need to prepare a one-minute monologue, speech or poem or they may choose to read biographies about the historical figures portrayed in the show. They may also select a monologue from the play at LauretteWillis.com. Those auditioning also need to bring a recent headshot photo and resume, if available. For more information, call Laurette Willis, phone: 918-458-1800 or the CHC, 918-456-6007 or toll-free 1-888-999-6007. Visit the Cherokee Phoenix online! Find out how to subscribe to the print edition!