Red Fox/Second Hangin'

Film Description

A film version of Roadside Theater’s highly acclaimed play, Red Fox/Second Hangin’ is the story of M.B. “Doc” Taylor, called “the Red Fox.” Taylor was a red-headed, red-bearded, highly popular preacher, doctor, philosopher, mystic, and U.S. Marshall. His execution, the second in the history of Wise County, Virginia, followed that of a local troublemaker, who — like Taylor — had been implicated in murders resulting from a feud that began during the Civil War. The hangings kicked off a law-and-order campaign that Northern speculators considered essential to expanding their coal mining operations in turn-of-the-century Appalachia. Onstage, Roadside Theater actors Gary Slemp, Frankie Taylor, and Don Baker recount this historical tale, adopting different voices and personae, and weaving economic and political tensions into a family saga. The program was recorded before an audience in Carcassonne, Kentucky.

Screenings & Festivals

• KCET/Los Angeles