We were really looking forward to Seattle Rep's Fire on the Mountain last night, in part because it's an Appalachian coal mining thing and we love the Steven Segal movie Fire Down Below based on the same. Yes, we know, it's an indication of some serious flaw in our cultural map if upon hearing "Appalachian coal mining" we respond with "Steven Segal!" Maybe we fixed it last night. Maybe the next time we hear "Appalachian coal mining" we'll respond with "Fire on the Mountain at the Seattle Repertory Theater through March 24!" All we remember from Segal's version is that he saves some mining town and gets the girl through strength of body and character. Seattle Rep's production does a much better job of communicating the blatant rape of culture, people and land of the southern mountains that was (and is) perpetrated by the coal mines. They cover the low wages, black lung, cave-ins, busted families, ruined earth, the unions, strip mining, flight to the cities, the end of agrarian society, man's inability to confront death without a fistful of morphine, etc, all via song. The black and white photographs of Appalachian miners that were projected on large screens behind the musicians were a great addition, although none of the photos depicted a greasy-haired man with a little paunch righteously delivering a roundhouse to the face of a one-dimensional bad guy. more ›