In 1944, Harlem Renaissance legend Zora Neale Hurston deposited her script for Polk County in the U.S. Copyright Office. There it lay unseen and untouched—until 1997, when this musical was discovered in the Library of Congress. A testament to Hurston’s abilities as anthropologist, folklorist and writer, Polk County tells the story of aspiring blues musician Leafy Lee as she leaves New York to return to her childhood home in the working quarters of a sawmill camp in Polk County, Florida. With a rich cast of characters and a live band performing dozens of authentic early blues songs, Polk County is a musical guaranteed to lift the spirits. The extraordinary individuals of this rural hometown face the hardships of survival in the Depression-era South with a sense of humor and faith in the Blues, forming an unforgettable ensemble whose existence is seldom easy but always lived with gusto.
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In 1944, Harlem Renaissance legend Zora Neale Hurston deposited her script for Polk County in the U.S. Copyright Office. There it lay unseen and untouched—until 1997, when this musical was discovered in the Library of Congress. A testament to Hurston’s abilities as anthropologist, folklorist and writer, Polk County tells the story of aspiring blues musician Leafy Lee as she leaves New York to return to her childhood home in the working quarters of a sawmill camp in Polk County, Florida. With a rich cast of characters and a live band performing dozens of authentic early blues songs, Polk County is a musical guaranteed to lift the spirits. The extraordinary individuals of this rural hometown face the hardships of survival in the Depression-era South with a sense of humor and faith in the Blues, forming an unforgettable ensemble whose existence is seldom easy but always lived with gusto.
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Berkeley Repertory Theatre (Berkeley Rep)
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2025 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704
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