The elephant in the room - A discussion about "Elephant's Graveyard" episode artwork

EPISODE · Nov 11, 2025 · 41 MIN

The elephant in the room - A discussion about "Elephant's Graveyard"

from The Levee Podcast

This week, University of the Ozarks Theatre opens their production of "Elephant's Graveyard" by George Brant, a true story of the 1916 execution of a circus elephant in a Tennessee town. The show is a mix of fact and legend told by characters embodying people of the town who witnessed Mary the Elephant's death, a tale highlighting "the deep-seated American craving for spectacle, violence and revenge." Brant's narrative draws a connection between the hanging of Mary and lynching in the Jim Crow South. The Levee host Estefania Bautista Lopez spoke with Walton Professor of Theatre Dr. Macy Jones and Philosophy of Religion Professor Dr. Dave Daily to discuss those connections as well as the necessity of examining the subject of lynching today.

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The elephant in the room - A discussion about "Elephant's Graveyard"

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This episode is 41 minutes long.

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This episode was published on November 11, 2025.

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This week, University of the Ozarks Theatre opens their production of "Elephant's Graveyard" by George Brant, a true story of the 1916 execution of a circus elephant in a Tennessee town. The show is a mix of fact and legend told by characters...

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