by Ashley Hunter
In celebration of Tallahassee’s Bicentennial, the Council on Culture & Arts will highlight a specific artist or organization each month that is the epitome of artistic ambition in our capital city. The spotlight on Ben Gunter and Idy Codington & Theater with a Mission is the Artistic Ambition spotlight for the end of the year.
Tallahassee has a secret time machine.
“Theater with a Mission is a troupe that brings Florida history to life through time travel,” says Ben Gunter, Artistic Director with the Tallahassee-based theater troupe. “We create opportunities to step through a portal and be in two different times at one time.”
“We are an immersion experience organization,” adds Idy Codington, the troupe’s assistant director. One of those experiences will be a final birthday hurrah for Leon County with a Bicentennial Birthday Bash heldon Dec. 27-29 at Goodwood Museum & Gardens. From brawls to balls, Theater with a Mission (TWAM) will host a bicentennial fun weekend, with everything from storytelling, workshops, costuming, and games in between.
TWAM started pre-pandemic when the troupe gathered for the first time to bring Spanish history to life for a special performance at Mission San Luis in Tallahassee. “Visitors to Mission San Luis were perplexed by the fact that the mission was burned down by the people who built it,” said Gunter, referencing the early 1700s destruction of the mission and fort by Spanish settlers following the increasing attacks from British forces and the encroaching presence of British colonies in the south. “The Spanish settlers and Apalachee decided to burn the mission and abandon it. The question was, ‘Why would they do that?’ so a performance became our answer to that.”
At the request of the museum based on the original mission site, TWAM recreated “The Siege of Numancia,” a Spanish play set against the backdrop of war and conquest from Roman forces, but showing the will of Spanish determination. “It is about the last Iberians to stand against the Romans. They decide that everybody will die willingly; everybody will die, rather than give the Romans triumph.” TWAM performed the play (a work of history, as it was composed in the late 1500s) at Mission San Luis, using the siege as an example of what lengths the Spanish would go to in preventing the capture of their North Florida mission.
“It was really exciting to do, and people started saying ‘I understand that’ because when they see the Spanish ideal, that glory of Spanish spirit, they do understand a bit more,” said Gunter.
After that performance, Gunter said TWAM’s journey was launched. Their name pays homage to their start at Mission San Luis while also outlining their overall goal of creating theater that does more than entertain.
“Our journey…is getting in touch with the ideals of the past and putting them on stage so people can see and understand,” says Gunter, adding, “The more we learn about Florida, the more impressed we become with how multi-ethnic, multicultural, and multilingual our state is. We have a mission to connect Floridians to their cultural and historical roots.”
The troupe’s Dec. 27-29 performances will occur at Goodwood, just as their first show was held at Mission San Luis. Partnerships with historical sites are what give the theater that ‘living history’ edge, Codington and Gunter say. “We started at Mission San Luis, which has rebuilt architecture so visitors can immerse themselves in that period. Goodwood is immersive, as it does primary research to recover histories that were not written down. We do immersive theater. It is self-biotic,” says Gunter.
As dual thespians and historians, Codington says working with historical sites that value research and immersion is something TWAM values. “We do research so we can put history on stage and make it live for the people who need to know their pasts. Lots of people and places in Florida’s history have just been erased,” said Codington. “So much was never written down: the history of women…the history of Native Americans…the history of Black Americans…the history of Crackers.”
TWAM is a theater without a formal stage, but Codington says it allows the troupe to move freely throughout the community. “Then, there is the indispensability of rehearsal space,” Codington adds, stating that Goodwood has provided free rehearsal space for the troupe as they prepare for their December weekend of shows and activities. “Goodwood has been visionary in terms of seeing that we have storytelling resources and that together we can prosper,” says Gunter. “It is our way of operation to find partners who are doing things to bring people in and are interested in our experiences.”
Bringing people in is the modus operandi for TWAM and will be reflected in the Dec. 27-29 weekend of fun. While TWAM itself has a diverse, multicultural, multi-ethnic, and multilingual cast, the troupe will be partnering with the Yamasee Nation of Florida/Georgia and the Muskogee Nation of Florida in telling Native American history; the Ayoka African Dancers and Essential Theatrical Associates in telling Black American history; and Un Poquito de Mexico in telling Spanish history. “It is going to be a great cultural experience,” said Codington.
On Friday, Dec. 27, the immersion experience will launch with an encounter that replicates the greeting Florida’s territorial commissioners received 201 years ago when they met in the middle space between St. Augustine and Pensacola, in what would eventually become the state’s capitol, Tallahassee. Beginning at 7 PM with a Native American welcome and meal, the experience continues through the night with a “Dance Through Time,” showcasing 200 years of dance traditions in North Florida. “It is a dance through the decades. We will have you spinning all over history,” said Codington. “You will literally move through time.”
On Saturday, Dec. 28, the family-focused activities come in full swing with petting zoos, pony rides, food trucks, and vendors. There will be a Native American stickball game with an opportunity for festival attendees to learn to play and join in, storytelling sessions from cultural voices, and workshops on dance lessons and ball accessories. The latter is important, as Saturday evening, starting at 7 PM, is the crowning jewel of the event: the “Territorial Ball for All.” The ball will harken back to the days when politics, marriages, friendships, and rivalries met on the dance floor, with historic ballroom dances, dramatic reenactments from TWAM actors, toasts, and a light supper. “There is a dress code,” said Codington. “Long dresses and gloves for the ladies. Gentlemen can wear their steampunk tailcoats or real tailcoats.” TWAM will also have a select number of costumes on loan for those who don’t have an 1823 gown hanging in the back of their closet. “You will not be turned away because you come in a miniskirt or sandals.” The ball will be precepted by Susan de Guardiola, a world-renowned dance master.
On Sunday, Dec. 29, the activities take a birthday party-style spin, starting with a family dance party at noon and ending with a birthday cake for Leon County at 4 PM. In between, there will be a candle-decorating workshop, reenactments of the first Christmas in Tallahassee, and the debut of “Tales from the Log Cabin Capitol,” TWAM’s signature show that dramatizes the politics of the fledgling state of Florida.
Perhaps best of all, every activity, from the ball to workshops, is free. There is no cost to attend or participate in any TWAM-hosted activity throughout the weekend, and Codington says the weekend promises to be entertaining to everyone. “Our festivals are some of the most fun you can possibly have while learning something. That makes the fun deeper and more complete.”
“It comes right after Christmas but before New Year’s. You want to get out of the house; you want to do something fun,” concludes Gunter. “This is a great chance to do something really different. Bring your family, bring your out-of-town guests, and let us entertain them for a bit with Florida history.”
Learn more about the Bicentennial Bash
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