‘Steelbound’ party will usher in Touchstone’s celebration of the arts
Bethlehem’s Touchstone Theatre will feature a special video screening of one of its most memorable productions as a warm-up act for its upcoming 10-day arts celebration.
A viewing party of “Steelbound” will take place 6:30 p.m., Wednesday at the National Museum of Industrial History, and will set the stage for Touchstone’s Festival UnBound community event, which begins Oct. 4.
“Steelbound,” which premiered in 1999, was the centerpiece of Steel Festival: The Art of an Industry, Touchstone’s multiarts festival celebrating Bethlehem’s heritage of steelmaking and featured Bethlehem steelworkers.
Touchstone’s Festival UnBound community arts event is planned for Oct. 4-13 and will feature 10 days of original theater, dance, music, art and conversation designed to celebrate and imagine the future of Bethlehem 20 years after the closing of Bethlehem Steel.
The festival includes “Prometheus/Redux,” a sequel to “Steelbound” that features William George returning in the lead role. George is a co-founder of Bethlehem’s Touchstone Theatre, ensemble member and project director of Festival UnBound.
The work is written by Gerard Stropnicky, a founding member of the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble.
“Steelbound,” a collaboration with Cornerstone Theatre of Los Angeles, was conceived when Bethlehem Steel shut down steelmaking in Bethlehem after almost 150 years. .
“Steelbound,” was an adaptation of Aeschylus’ “Prometheus Bound,” a Greek tragedy in which Prometheus stands for human progress against the forces of nature. “Steelbound” featured a prematurely retired steelworker chained to a 24-ton ladle. The cast featured more than 50 people, including former steelworkers and their families and neighbors. The sold-out production was presented in the iron foundry of the closed Steel plant in south Bethlehem. It included music by Ysaye Barnwell, founder of the a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock. Some of that music is included in “Prometheus/Redux.”
Festival UnBound will feature “Prometheus Redux,” on stage in the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts Oct. 4-6. George returns as Prometheus 20 years after he left the Steel as he struggles while hospitalized to find a place for himself in a changed world.
Hank Barnette, former CEO of Bethlehem Steel, is scheduled to present opening remarks at Wednesday’s video viewing. The screening will be followed by a talk-back with local artists and community leaders who worked on the original production.
Admission is free.
Festival UnBound will feature 20 free and ticketed events, including nine pieces of original theater, at locations throughout the Lehigh Valley — primarily in Bethlehem.
The festival is a collaboration with the City of Bethlehem, local African and Latino communities, educational institutions such as the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts and Moravian College, area steelworkers and other residents.
For information, visit festivalunbound.com or call 610-8671689.