Tecumseh!, an outdoor drama held seasonally in Chillicothe, Ohio, may not seem like an obvious piece of local history, but it has shaped the community and stirred up some controversary. Beginning in 1973, the Scioto Society (1970-Present) has been putting the play on for almost fifty years now. According to the Tecumseh! website, “Along with serving economically and culturally to the area, Tecumseh! serves as a tradition to many families and is the first live arts experience for many children in Ohio.” The Society also remains committed to sharing local history in general.[1]
In an article from 1974, Hamilton, Ohio’s Journal Newstake a slightly different perspective, admitting the merit of the show but questioning some of its historical value.[2] After all, the portrayals of Native Americans are definitely influenced by late twentieth-century conceptions rather than the reality of the late 1700s. Therefore, Tecumseh may tell us more about how twentieth-century viewers and current viewers perceive Native Americans and 1700s life rather than about the time in which Tecumseh!lived.
For Rosemary Virginia Hathaway, a student who was finishing her masters in philosophy in 1998, the play affects the tourism industry and outsider views of local history.[3] According to one interview Hathaway conducted, the Tecumseh!Staff were looking to create an immersive experience for viewers. Therefore, although they try to stay as true to the history as possible: “This is not a history lesson. It’s a play. It’s a piece of theatre.”[4] As someone who grew up attending outdoor dramas like Tecumseh!and Blue Jacket, I can attest to the fact that it influenced my view of Native American history. Therefore, while Tecumseh!may not be the best representation of frontier life, it can tell us something about contemporary culture and early experiences with history.
[1]Tecumseh!, “About Us: The Scioto Society, Inc.,” Scioto Society, Inc., 2019, http://tecumsehdrama.com/about-us/.
[2]Sam Pendergrast, “Great Spectacle, Slight Script,” Journal News(Hamilton, OH), 30 June 1974, Page D-1, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/51571/News-OH-JO_NE.1974_06_30-0033?pid=510883873&backurl=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D51571%26h%3D510883873%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DKMK58%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=KMK58&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true.
[3]Rosemary Virginia Hathaway, “Reading Tourist Sites, Citing Touristic Readings: Anglo Constructions of Native American Identity and the Case of Tecumseh,” Dissertation, The Ohio State University, 1998, Ii-iii.
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