The City of Apache Junction is located in south central Arizona, in the shadow of the Superstition Mountains. With its rich history on the silver screen and a plethora of natural and cultural attractions, Apache Junction has significant potential for tourism. Already, the city’s population of roughly 40,000 doubles to nearly 80,000 each winter due to the seasonal migration of residents from colder climates. Beyond this current winter influx, Apache Junction officials would like to see the quality of life of its residents improve and the number of visitors and full-time residents increase. To attain that goal, City officials believe it is important to overcome the negative perceptions of the city. With the “PositivelyApache Junction” campaign, Apache Junction aims to improve its image, attract business, and show that the city is a compelling year-round destination for residents and non-residents alike.
Through the Project Cities program of Arizona State University (ASU), two Spring 2018 classes enlisted to support the Positively Apache Junction campaign. Theatre students in THP 514demonstrated how such knowledge can be employed using art and performance to build community connections, shared narratives, and positive energy. They partnered with community members to perform four ghost tales drawn from Apache Junction’s history, legend, and landscape. Graduate students in this course created four 15-minute community-based performances. The performances were based on local stories to empower and enrich the community. The students devised their short plays by reviewing related literature, surveying, and informally interviewing community members, and visiting related locations. In collaboration with community members, each student group interpreted the information they gathered to create a performance story. The resulting interactive performances featured: legends from the Apache and Zuni tribes native to the Superstition Mountains, a ghost tale set in the local Dirtwater Springs restaurant, a tale of miners and explorers revolving around maps, and a ghost story about the Lost Dutchman GoldMine and gruesome murder. On April 15, 2018, at Apache Junction’sFlatiron Park, the plays were performed for a multi-generation audience. Final student recommendations for Apache Junction were: 1) build more artistic experiences that encourage intergenerational engagement through local history to further develop a sense of cohesive community; and 2) incorporate the arts into city planning.