If it seems that the community theater at the Stokes County Arts Council has been focusing on plays with a little more relevance to North Carolina, that is because the folks there have been doing exactly that since returning from the pandemic closures.
The play opening this weekend also brings a bit of Grammy exposure to local audiences.
“Brother Wolf: An Appalachian Adventure” opens on Friday for a four-show run over the weekend. Under the direction of Laurelyn Dossett, the show features several musical pieces, including the song “Anna Lee,” penned by Dossett and recorded by multiple national artists, including by Levon Helm and Appalachian Road Show. It appears on two of Helm’s Grammy-winning recordings, “Dirt Farmer” and “Ramble at the Ryman.”
“Anna Lee is half death ballad and half lullaby. I wrote it in the carpool line when my daughters were in school. I never expected that little song to go as far as it has,” Dossett said.
The show, a loose retelling of the epic Beowulf, was written by Preston Lane, with music written by Dossett, and debuted 16 years ago in Greensboro before going into national publication.
That was the same team which wrote Bloody Blackbeard, a show that was performed last year at The Arts Place in Danbury.
“We’re going in that direction,” said arts council Executive Director Eddy McGee, in referencing this year’s play and last year’s Bloody Blackbeard. “What we’re trying to do is go in the direction of supporting more North Carolina based stories. For years, we were much like a lot of other arts councils, producing nationally recognized productions. We’re just trying to add a little more home state flavor, if you will.”
He said that is important to the arts center.
“We are looking for North Carolina-based content…it’s not just performance, there is an educational component as well. You’re learning about North Carolina history, you’re preserving history as well. It’s not just performances for performance sake.”
That effort has paid off handsomely thus far. In 2021, McGee said the arts council made the mistake of scheduling just three performances for Bloody Blackbeard.
”They all sold out and we basically had standing room-only at those performances.”
This year, Brother Wolf is set for four shows — 7 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, along with a 2 p.m. Sunday performance.
“I fight sin with the good book. But I fight hell with a long sharp knife.” Such is the creed of the show’s hero, Brother Wolf, an itinerant mountain preacher.
In addition to Dossett directing, the show will include actors Lee Bodenhamer, Elise Spencer, Ava Smith and five members of the Burgess family of Danbury: Bruce, Emily, Anakin, Django and Zinn. The music will be performed live by Dossett, Andrew Young, Marci Shore and Molly Heath, a fiddle student in the Junior Appalachian Music program. Among the traditional instruments to be used are the fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and guitar.
“Beowulf is one of those classical literature pieces that everyone has heard of, but few of us really know it,” Dossett said. “Brother Wolf is a fun and exciting way into the story, with mountain monsters crawling up out of caves to wreak havoc on the Speerdane family. It’s a story of revenge and forgiveness, themes as old as time but as relevant today as ever,” said Dossett.
Some Stokes County high school seniors study the original Beowulf in class. “Seeing Brother Wolf can really help bring it to life,” she said.
All shows will be at The Arts Place, 502 Main Street in Danbury. For tickets or more information, call 336-593-8159 or visit www.StokesArts.org. Brother Wolf is rated PG-13 for mild language.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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