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Blowing Rock Stage Company takes playgoers on ‘journey,’ beats ticket sales |
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Thursday, 20 September 2007 |
 Special to The Appalachian
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by ALLISON CASEY
Lifestyles Reporter
The Blowing Rock Stage Company’s latest production is a celebration of love, life, and locals.
Jan Karon, a former Blowing Rock resident, wrote the Mitford series- books that became the play “Journey to Mitford.”
“Mitford is basically Blowing Rock, but it could be any small town in America,” said Rick D. Suyo, the director of marketing for the Miriam & Robert Hayes Performing Arts Center.
“Journey to Mitford” is the No. 1 show The Hayes Center has ever produced in terms of ticket sales and attendance, Suyo said.
Of the 23 scheduled shows, 15 have already sold out.
Bob Inman, a local playwright who has written several plays for the
Blowing Rock Stage Company, adapted the books for the stage.
“It’s basically condensing nine books into one two-hour play,” Suyo said.
The Blowing Rock Stage Company presents the play “Journey to Mitford” through Sept. 23 at The Hayes Center.
The
play is presented in conjunction with “Mitford Days,” a Blowing Rock
festival that took place last week in celebration of Jan Karon.
“Journey to Mitford” follows Father Tim, an Episcopalian priest.
“It’s his life journey in Mitford,” Suyo said. “It’s about any small
town in America and the people who come in and out of your life there.
He meets his wife there. It’s about faith.”
The “Father Tim” character began as short stories in weekly installments in “The Blowing Rocket.”
The stories soon turned into Karon’s first book, “At Home in Mitford.”
The Mitford series draws a wide Christian following.
“The church is a big character in the show,” Suyo said. “A lot of
[Karon’s] fans say that even though Jesus Christ isn’t actually in the
show, he’s the biggest character.”
Getting the rights to adapt the books into a play was difficult, Suyo said.
“[Karon] told us she has had plenty of offers to sell the rights to
other theaters, to Hollywood to make a movie, and she’s turned them
down,” he said. “She’s very protective over her work.”
Karon attended a performance and was pleased with the adaptation of the book into a play.
“She really loved it. It was everything she had envisioned,” he said.
“She really thought it was exactly how it was supposed to be.”
In addition to “Journey to Mitford,” Rocket Players Youth Theatre, a
division of the Blowing Rock Stage Company, presented “Miss Fannie’s
Hat” Sept. 15.
The play by Kim Cozort Hay was adapted for the stage from one of Karon’s children’s books.
It was first performed five years ago and was revived in conjunction with “Journey to Mitford.”
In “Miss Fannie’s Hat,” an older woman named Miss Fannie has a beloved
collection of elaborate hats, each of which has a more interesting
story than the next.
When asked to donate one of her hats to the church auction, Miss Fannie
decides to give up her favorite so the church can pay for renovations.
For the 2007 season, the Blowing Rock Stage Company will present
Tennessee William’s “The Glass Menagerie” from Oct. 10 to Oct. 21.
The 25th anniversary of “Pump Boys and Dinettes” will show from Oct. 24
to Nov. 11 and Robert Inman’s musical “The Christmas Bus” will show
from Nov. 28 to Dec. 16.
For tickets, call 295-9627.
Ticket prices vary based on show.
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