It has taken me a little longer than normal to write a review of BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS, a world premiere now showing at Barksdale Theatre Hanover Tavern. It’s not that I disliked the play, to the contrary, I rather enjoyed it, although I have a few issues with the production, I think that the music alone is worth the price of admission. The author of the play, Bruce Miller, artistic director of Barksdale Theatre, is a man with a passion for his Appalachian heritage. This is something that he and I share. And when he first described his approach to this production many months ago I was intrigued and have been looking forward to the play ever since.
Music runs deep in Appalachia. It is not uncommon for whole families to gather together, bring out musical instruments and play and sing the night away. Add to this storytelling which is another great facet of Appalachian culture and you have the basis for BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS.
Miller’s approach is to gather together people who may have lost their homes but not their heritage their history or their culture. He has based the play around the stories of people whose homes and farms were taken from them in order to create Blue Ridge Mountain Park. These folks have climbed up a mountain bringing their musical instruments with them and perform some of Christmas carols and tell the stories of the Bible reworked to fit their lives.
The ensemble is one of the strongest gatherings of musicians, singers and actors led by musical director and all around fun guy Drew Perkins. Perkins has made quite a career out of playing good-natured good old boys but don’t let that fool you use one hell of a musician and his violin and guitar playing among others are on the display here.
Other members of the ensemble include Emily Cole, David Janeski, Katrina Carol Lewis, Nick Shackleford, Anthony Smith, and Eric Williams. They each take turns harmonizing and more than a few solo turns as well. Along the way they re-create some of the mystery plays that date back into the Middle Ages, including their version of The Second Shepherds Play, perhaps the oldest comedy written in English. It is a rare treat to actually see some of these plays performed and the group seems to have a lot of fun doing so.
On the technical side, Terrie Powers has created a unique set that allows entrances and exits from all directions including the floor. While Powers has always had a strong approach to her set designs, recently she has been doing some very good work. Lights by K. Jenna Ferree are well done and bring a soft glow to an otherwise starlit night. Lynn West’s costumes are good if a little generic and the musical direction by Drew Perkins is extremely well done.
Director Anna Senechal Johnson has done very well with play although there are a few pacing issues that I think will be worked out in subsequent productions. While the play is enjoyable in its current state, I truly feel that there is a great deal left to explore and to solidify the script.
For WCVE Public Radio, I’m John Porter.
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