Abby Whitt
Contributing writer
Proclamation Theatre in downtown Christiansburg will be presenting four plays based on real people and events for the Heritage Weekend New Play Festival this weekend.
Coinciding with the Montgomery Museum of Art and History’s Heritage Day festivities, Executive Director of Proclamation Theatre and New River Stage Mark “Hiram” Curtis said this is the second year that the production company has added a live theatre element to the celebration.
“Last year was a full production, three shows, about the Lewis and McHenry Duel,” Curtis said. “This year, instead of a memorized play, local actors will bring the new work alive in a stage reading format.”
The first featured show, titled “What the Hill Remember,” will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22. Run time is about two hours, and it is written by Samantha Oty, who works at the June Bug Center in Floyd County.
“What the Hills Remember” is a mystery thriller, Curtis said, “about a small Appalachian town and how a wave of sudden memory loss impacts people who live there.”
Two shows will be read on Saturday with the first being Christiansburg’s “Three Sisters Dressed in Black” by Anna Bond, from 4-5 p.m.
“This show has been performed countless times over the past 20 years,” Curtis said. “Folks wanting Heritage Day to continue can enjoy a scary story in the cool environs of Proclamation Theatre.”
Then, from 7-8 p.m., the “Last Word on Jesse James” will tell “a real life of story of a homeless Mississippi River fisherman interwoven with the infamous life of crime led by the James Gang,” Curtis said. Tickets for this show are sold out.
On Sunday, Aug. 24, hear about DAvy Crockett’s time as a teenager in Christiansburg during a story written by Curtis, himself, titled, “Young Davy Crockett.” The show is slated for 2-3 p.m.
“Next summer our plans are to perform a play about post civil war Montgomery County,” Curtis said. “We need black and white actors of all ages — people who want to tell the story about what happened here during the time of reconstruction.”
Anyone interested in performing or getting involved with Proclamation Theatre in any way should email proclamationtheatre@gmail.com.
All four shows set to be featured this weekend are pay-what-you-can, and tickets that are still available can be reserved online at www.proclamationtheatre.com. Proclamation Theatre is located at 400 College St. in Christiansburg.
