Tantrum Theater and Invisible Ground present West State Street Cemetery History Tour on Nov. 16

Ohio University’s professional theater company Tantrum Theater has partnered with Athens-based media arts project Invisible Ground to lead development of a Historic Walking Tour of West State Street Cemetery created by seventh and eighth-grade students from the Athens Middle School's Andrew Jackson Davison Club (AJDC).

AJDC students researched local history, took tours, interviewed local experts in the humanities and collaborated in small groups to cover topics in the cemetery ranging from black history to Revolutionary War Veterans to the iconic recording angel statue. Angela Hall, an eighth grade social studies teacher and Andrew Jackson Davison Club advisor, and Madison Donohue of Appalachian Understories also worked with the students to develop their research and presentations.

The final product is a public tour of this historic cemetery on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., when the students will share the stories of the many famous Athenians buried there.

Along with the public tour, Invisible Ground has created an online self-guided tour and printed pamphlet, so residents and visitors can learn more about West State Street Cemetery. Visit findinvisibleground.com for more details.

This project was made possible through funding by Tantrum Theater and the Ohio Arts Council in collaboration with the Andrew Jackson Davison Club at Athens Middle School, Mount Zion Black Cultural Center, the Southeast Ohio History Center, Appalachian Understories, Ohio University and the City of Athens.

Tantrum Theater was founded in the fall of 2015 by Ohio University’s College of Fine Arts. The theater is a professional company and serves as a training ground providing apprenticeships for students in the School of Theater and training conservatory in a partnership with the Ohio University Chaddock + Morrow College of Fine Arts.