BLOOD SONG: The Hatfields & McCoys Story Comes to Louisville in 2026

After more than a decade of performances throughout Eastern Kentucky and Appalachia, Artists Collaborative Theatre's production of Blood Song: The Story of the Hatfields & the McCoys by Chelsea Marcantel will be presented at Actors Theatre of Louisville as part of the 2026 Storytelling Revolution Festival.

Directed by Jason Justice, Blood Song is the official Kentucky state play on the infamous 19th century Hatfield & McCoy feud. Recognized in a joint resolution by the Kentucky State Legislature and the Governor's Office in 2016, the play is widely regarded as the most historically accurate re-telling of the true events that divided two families and captivated the nation. Spanning a nearly quarter of a century, Blood Song is a gripping rumination on family, tribalism, community, and the cycle of violence.

The play was commissioned in 2012 by the Hatfield & McCoy Arts Council, providing Chelsea Marcantel the opportunity to collaborate closely with local theatre artists and historians. Bruce Justice of the Mingo Messenger commented in his review that Blood Song is "A meticulous account of the feud which places an emphasis on the conflict's minor characters... far closer to the actual events and characters of the feud than any previous production, either on film or on the stage." The play is performed annually throughout Eastern Kentucky and Virginia, but these two performances will mark the first time in the play's history that it will be performed outside the Appalachian region.

Blood Song joins an exciting lineup in the inaugural Storytelling Revolution Festival, running April 1-12, 2026, throughout Actors Theatre's Main Street Complex. Produced in collaboration with the Louisville Fringe Festival, the festival celebrates daring new work from across Kentucky and the region-featuring world premieres, immersive experiences, dance-theatre, devised performance, and experimental forms.

Artistic Director Amelia Acosta Powell describes the festival as "a joyful gathering where audiences and artists can bounce between performances, discover new voices, and stick around to talk, toast, and connect."

For decades, Actors Theatre of Louisville has shaped the American theatre landscape as a launchpad for challenging new work. The Storytelling Revolution Festival continues that legacy-creating space for bold stories. Artists Collaborative Theatre is proud to join the talented artists being showcased at Actors Theatre this spring, and is grateful to be sharing this Appalachian story in Central Kentucky.

Performance Details

Blood Song: The Story of the Hatfields & the McCoys
Presented by Artists Collaborative Theatre
In the Pamela Brown Auditorium at Actors Theatre of Louisville

• Friday, April 10 at 7:00 P.M.

• Saturday, April 11 at 2:00 P.M.