'Tecumseh!' drama celebrating 50th anniversary this summer in Chillicothe

In 1970, The Scioto Society was declared a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that dedicated itself to the mission of bringing statewide and national awareness to the area surrounding Chillicothe.

Three years later, the outdoor drama “Tecumseh!” debuted in the Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre.

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On Thursday night, the show will kick off its 50th anniversary celebration.

How the 'Tecumseh!' production began

“Tecumseh!” follows the story of the titular Shawnee governor and warrior on his journey to defend his homeland in Ohio country in the late 1700s.

Despite the 50-year milestone, Brandon Smith, the show’s producer and CEO of The Scioto Society, says that they don’t have any huge event planned to celebrate.

“I don't know that we're making a big deal about it,” Smith said. “We're not doing a big gala or anything like that. We made the decision that whatever money we were going to use to celebrate 50 years was going to go into the production of the show.”

Smith says that money was used to invest in a new digital surround sound system with microphones for the stage, which had never been used before in previous years.

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They also  upgraded the living areas of the actors, which had not been done since the buildings were built in 1972.

Director Brent Gibbs, entering his fourth year directing “Tecumseh!,” used this milestone as a chance to approach the show like he had never done before.

“I purposely tried not to do many of the patterns that maybe we've done in years past and just tried to take a new look at it and move scenes and actions where they seem to make the most sense,” Gibbs said.

Marking the milestone

Since the show’s premiere in 1973, more than 3 million people have visited Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre to see the production, making it the most popular attraction of its kind in the Midwest, according to the event's website.

Smith has witnessed how generations of families have enjoyed the show.

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Born and raised in Chillicothe, Smith has been a part of 17 seasons of “Tecumseh!” and still looks forward to his favorite parts — from the first rehearsals to opening night.

“We see a lot of parents bringing their kids because they saw it when they were young and they want their kids to experience it as well,” Smith said. “Even grandparents at this point. ‘Tecumseh!’ is one of those things that while a lot has changed about the facility and the production, it's still kind of one of those things that you come back and you're like, ‘This is exactly how I remembered!’ and there aren't a whole lot of experiences like that.”

Staying true to the story

Smith sees the show’s message as to what can happen when an entire community comes together, but also it’s a story about an individual who did not achieve his goals.

“It's an important lesson that history is often told from the vantage point of the victors,” Smith said. “There's another side to that story. Certainly in the time of an awakening in our country, what (do) racial relationships mean not only from neighbor to neighbor, but in a larger sense of what does that mean collectively as a country?"

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While audiences are presented with an indigenous perspective, the play is not meant to offer some overarching answer about the early settlers of this country. Smith believes the play humanizes these historical figures in a way to make audiences understand them better.

“Is this story about good and evil?” Smith said. “Or is it just a story about people who thought they were doing the right thing? It's a complicated thing to think about. We don't try to present answers. We have to present a whole lot of questions for people to hopefully continue thinking about long after they leave the theater.”

Safety of patrons and cast considered due to COVID-19 pandemic

Although theater has seen a resurgence in a COVID vaccine world, there are still some safety regulations that visitors must abide by.

Capacity is at 70% and there are restrictions backstage to help prevent anyone in the cast from getting sick.

“We have the advantage of being outdoors which, as far as being a large group of people, is much safer with being indoors,” Smith said. “I think that led to good ticket sales last year. I think people knew and understood that they felt safe coming here.”

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Sugarloaf Mountain had closed down for an entire year back in 2020 once the pandemic hit. The closure was early in the schedule so they were lucky to not be too far into production. However, the year was still devastating to their financial picture, losing close to $1.5 million.

Then, due to funding through the community; the CARES Act (the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act); and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, they were able to open in the 2021 season successfully.

“It was a ticket bonanza last year,” Smith said. “When we opened last year, there were a lot of things in place, including limited seating capacity…There were a lot of things (the actors) could not do. This year, we're not in post-COVID yet, but we've kind of shifted into learning how to live with it rather than trying to prevent it.”

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Ready for opening night

As he has been for the past 17 seasons, Smith is eager for the season to get underway.

“There's always that moment when we get the sound system hooked up and play that music for the first time,” Smith said. “That always puts a tear in my eye.”

Like Arthur Rolette said in 1973, this play has kept the legacy and memory of Tecumseh alive for a half-century. Smith hopes that his accomplishments as not only an Indigenous man, but also as an Ohioan, are always remembered.

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“A lot of people hear the name, they know the name,” Smith said. “A lot of times they don't know why they know the name. As we think about celebrating great Ohioans, Tecumseh certainly is in the top 10 of that list. He was a man who changed the area that we live in, changed the nation and came really, really close to changing the whole world.”

David Kwiatkowski is a features intern for The Columbus Dispatch. You can reach him on Twitter @kwiatkdm or his email dkwiatkowski@gannett.com.

At a glance

The show runs through Sept. 4 at the Sugarloaf Mountain Ampitheatre, 5968 Marietta Road, Chillicothe. All shows start at 8 p.m., but doors open at 6:30.

Weeknight tickets start at $25, weekend tickets start at $35. There is an option to purchase a VIP package starts at $45. 

All tickets come with an additional $5 rain insurance fee. If the show you bought a ticket for is rained out, you will receive a rain check to see another performance during this season.

For more information, visit www.tecumsehdrama.com, email tecumsehdrama@gmail.com or call 1-866-775-0700

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: "Tecumseh" to celebrate 50th anniversary at Sugarloaf Mountain