Michael Fegley will perform Whitman By Fire at Delaware Water Gap NRA in August/Michael Imlay

Whitman By Fire, a theatrical production that brings Walt Whitman's poetry to life, will be performed at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in August.

Performed by Michael Fegley in the fire-lit outdoor amphitheater at the Pocono Environmental Education Center at Dingmans Ferry, Pennsylvania, on August 6 and again on August 20, the production runs 65 minutes and is free to all. The performance begins at 8:30 p.m.

The soaring, enigmatic work of America’s greatest poet is staged in the most primitive way possible to tell the American story and reveal Whitman’s “password primeval” to our common existence. Let your soul be embraced this hour, as we “unscrew the doors” to embark on a brief odyssey of the mind - from the smallest blade of grass to the reaches of the cosmos - finding our shared humanity among ourselves, and awakening our familiar self in its immortality.

Whitman By Fire is directed by Daniel Amenda, who most recently directed critically acclaimed productions of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler and Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard in New York City. Mr. Amenda states that, “delving into this master work of the American canon, and staging this theatrical experience in this most-stripped-down way is exhilarating. It represents a new direction for Treasure House Theater as we begin to adapt original American work for the stage. We’ve purposely developed the piece to be in communion with the environmental mission of PEEC - which is, in turn, at one with the Whitman philosophy of exposing ourselves to nature and the open road as often as we can for our sense of well-being.”

Whitman By Fire is brought to life by Michael Fegley. Mr. Fegley recently starred in the world premiere of The Ballad of Trayvon Martin; this fall he’ll star in the web series The Great WTYT960 Billboard Sitting Contest, and is currently filming the sister feature-film Billboard Movie this summer. He has performed extensively in New York and Philadelphia (including the Off-Broadway production of Small Potatoes), in works ranging from the classical to the avant-garde. On screen he has been in such films as Children of the Moon (with Oakes Fegley), Escape to Life (with Vanessa Redgrave) and Tracks (with John Heard).

You can build on the Whitman By Fire experience with optional overnight cabin accommodations offered by PEEC; the center also offers a farm-to-table dinner in the dining hall prior to the performance (cost of accommodations and meals are listed below).

At dusk, the audience is encouraged to journey together on a moderate one-mile nature hike as a quiet overture to Whitman By Fire (hike is optional and the amphitheater is easily accessible). Emerging from the forest, drawn by the beckoning firelight, you'll come upon the intimate amphitheater for the evening’s event.

The farm-to-table dinner costs $15 and will be served at 6 p.m. in PEEC’s state of the art passive solar dining hall (reservations required, two weeks prior). Breakfast is available for a cost of $7 at 8 a.m. Sunday morning.

Private cabins are offered for accommodations at $150 per night for up to three people, and $25 dollars for each additional person. Reservations: 570-828-2319