“What’s your definition of a Good Old Boy?”

...was the springboard for GOOD OLD BOYS, a performance and dialogue experiment focused on southern working class white men. The Good Old Boy project centered on a series of participatory activities and performances.

Participatory activities include meeting folks where they already were and doing stuff like: sittin' a spell in gas stations at 5am, inviting grown folks to play with remote control cars and answering trivia questions, and hosting viewing parties to watch the Dukes of Hazzard and talk about the politics of the show. 

The performance included original old time music and characters inspired by the Dukes of Hazzard hosting an event that fuses live action roleplay, political discussions, and a remote control car race. Designed as a portable show to tour easily, performances happened for small, southern audiences where they already hang out: a 7-11 parking lot, a mechanic’s shop, Hardee's over breakfast, etc. 

ashley sparks is a southern theater maker. As a director, she prefers making site-specific devised work and participatory events that may involve line dancing or group singing. Or other things that instigate giggling and joy. As an engagement strategist, sparks has worked with dozens of artists and organizations to deepen the connection art can have with a specific audience.

Talking about race in a predominantly white community is complicated and can raise eyebrows for some. A multi-racial accountability team was pulled together and had ongoing conversations with ashley about the complexities and implications of this project.  

Special Thanks:

Cristal, Jonathan, Phil, Mark, Sage, Jason, Pam, Peter, Drew, Dan, Reed, Tad and actors from MET, Robert, Lisa, Ron, Roger and Rosemary, Nick, Ellen and Connie, Todd, Jill, and Erford, the dozens of men that I’ve had coffee with. This project was funded in part by A Blade of Grass.