Musical production educates on Tobacco Wars

Community Spirit Inc. (CSI) is bringing a taste of Robertson County history to the stage in its upcoming production entitled Smoke: Ballad of the Night Riders written by Adams native, David Alford.
Alford was commissioned to write a musical play about the tobacco wars of Tennessee and Kentucky. During the early 1900’s, Red River area tobacco farmers created an association designed to force companies to pay higher prices for their crops. Actions by the association eventually had international repercussions, caused a struggle that touched every family in the "Black Patch" region, and gave birth to the infamous "Night Riders."

These masked vigilantes used intimidation, vandalism, destruction of property, and eventually violence to terrorize friends and neighbors who refused to join the movement.

At the height of the struggle, the Night Riders organized night-time demolitions of numerous tobacco warehouses across the region. This conflict was the largest episode of civil unrest between the years of the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement.

SMOKE is a historically accurate, family-friendly music production that reminds community members of their heritage, while providing the audience an opportunity to grasp and experience both the history and emotion of a serious struggle engaged in by the citizens of the Red River area.

The musical score consists of original compositions and new arrangements of traditional folk music and will be performed with live period instruments in acoustic bluegrass-style, further enhancing historical accuracy.

There will be six performances of the play in an outdoor venue on the grounds of the old Bell School in Adams. The performances will be 7 p.m. on June 3-5 and then again June 10-12. David Alford will serve as director.

CSI is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the unique history, stories, traditions, and culture of the Sulphur Fork and Red River area. Since 2002, the primary activity has been the annual production of the original play SPIRIT: The Authentic Story of the Bell Witch of Tennessee, also by Alford. This play, based on the historic, local legend, is produced outdoors each October on the grounds of the old Bell School in Adams.
Spirit has attracted growing audiences every year and last year's attendees numbered over 1,400 and included visitors from all over the United States. The productions are truly a community effort, and involve a unique mix of professional actors, community volunteers, and area college, high school and elementary age students, who are involved in every aspect of the play.

Community Spirit, Inc. (CSI) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization headquartered in the rural community of Adams in northern Robertson County, Tennessee.