Free River of Life Screening

For those who missed the live performances of River of Life recently, or if you'd like to see it again FREE, here's your chance to see the original musical in which the history of the area comes alive.

St. Marys Little Theatre will be showing the River of Life DVD on its movie screen at Theatre by the Trax this Friday, June 1, at 7 pm. Admission is free, but only the first 150 people to show up the night of the screening will get in.

We had five sold-out performances with standing ovations every night and we think River of Life was so popular because it depicted accurate history in a fun and whimsical way.

Here are more details:

"People loved to hate Admiral Cockburn as he bragged about burning the White House and burning St. Marys. When Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton, the message was couched in a lyrical song that proclaimed 'it's the gentleman's way.'" Burr figured into local history when he retreated to the Clark House on Osborne Street in St. Marys after the infamous duel.

River of Life begins in the earliest of times with the Timucuan Indians, then traverses thousands of years portraying the trials and triumphs of St. Marys' founding fathers, the tragic Acadians, early settlers, railroad and paper mill workers, the founder of Black education, Carnegie descendants on Cumberland Island and more…all the way to the establishment of Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base and St. Marys' iconic waterfront park.

L. J. Williams, Vice Chair of St. Marys Little Theatre, says River of Life brings together all the great cultures that contributed to the diversity of Coastal Georgia.

"The upcoming free screening will engage the audience in the same way as the live performances did," Williams said. "Through the eyes of those who came before us, a powerful story unfolds and shows how everything fits into the big picture that is who we are today."

Williams went on to say that every school child should view the screening if they missed the live performances.

"Here is an opportunity for students to absorb living history in an entertaining format that will stay with them long after the written word may have faded away," he said. "Even those who don't fancy themselves fans of history will enjoy the way fact has been woven with song and whimsy resulting in high art and wonderful entertainment. Many people who have lived in St. Marys all their lives came up to me after the show and said, 'I really learned something.'"

Most of the 20 songs performed in River of Life were written by Barbara Ryan and orchestrated by her son, Jerry Lockamy, who was a student of Andre Segovia's last protégé.

"Jerry has added a masterful touch to the words and tunes that carry the stories," Ryan said. "We're confident that audiences will leave inspired with a greater feeling of their connection to history."

The River of Life DVD Screening is free and open to the public. There is no need to reserve ahead of time, but the first 150 people at the door the night of the screening, will be admitted. Theatre by the Trax is located at 1100 Osborne Road in St. Marys. For more information, call 912-729-1103.

St. Marys Little Theatre is a 501c3 organization with a mission to "Enrich Lives through Performance Arts." River of Life is supported by the Georgia Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities and through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly.