IN SOME DARK VALLEY: THE TESTIMONY OF REVEREND BRAND To Make International Debut at White Bear Theatre

Following critically acclaimed performances in the United States, IN SOME DARK VALLEY: THE TESTIMONY OF REVEREND BRAND will make its international debut at the White Bear Theatre later this spring.

Written and performed by Robert Bailey and directed by Billy Siegenfeld, the 65-minute solo work centers on a post–Civil War circuit preacher who emerges from the mountains of Appalachia to recount a story shaped by religious fervor, war, poverty, and disease.

Throughout the performance, Bailey embodies multiple characters and incorporates traditional songs originating in the British Isles and passed down through generations of Southerners in the United States. The piece explores themes of moral conviction, personal cost, and redemption within a historical landscape that resonates with contemporary audiences.

Bailey has served on the faculty of the University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts since 2010. A graduate of Brown University, he was awarded a Samuel Arnold Fellowship to work with Jerzy Grotowski at the Polish Laboratory Theatre in Wroclaw. He later became a founding member of the Washington Theatre Laboratory and, after relocating to New York, worked with Circle Repertory Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre, American Place Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and The Actors Studio. His directing work in Los Angeles has also received critical recognition.

Siegenfeld is the founder and artistic director of Jump Rhythm and a professor in the Department of Theatre at Northwestern University. His career spans performance, choreography, and scholarship. He received an Emmy Award for choreography and performance in the documentary Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There and has appeared in off-Broadway productions and the Broadway production of Singin’ in the Rain.

Speaking about the collaboration, Bailey said, “Billy offered me the gift of his uncompromising directorial eye, dramaturgical insight and unconditional love. He launched into a process of encouraging, prodding, probing, and contributing over the next two years, as if the idea had been born in his soul as well as mine.”

The production has received honors including the 2024 LA Gem Award for Outstanding Dramatic Performer (Male) and “Best of the Fringe” at the 2024 TVO Awards. Stage Raw LA described the work as “memorable theatre... certainly of our time, and every other time as well.”