Artistic Director’s Notes: 

The second quarter century. Daunting to consider. And yet, the first blew by like a breeze, here one
minute, then gone. I remember so clearly the meeting Simmie and I had in John Mcllwee’s office at
NCSU, and our tentative ask: “Could we possibly use your studio space? We’re starting a theatre.” And John’s immediate reply: “Sure!”. Not what I was expecting, but then Raleigh and this community has been a never ending supply of ‘unexpecteds’ over the years. And with that positive and cheerful reply, we
stepped into a new world (for us), and began the work that would lead us to today.

One of the reasons I wanted to start this second quarter-century with this wooly mammoth is this: it is a new play. Twenty-five years ago, the idea of doing that in Raleigh would have been all but unthinkable.
Most plays on tap were from the cannon, either genuine oldies or modern plays that had cleared the
gauntlet of a ‘Broadway Production’ and thus infiltrated the minds of the general public sufficiently to ensure some interest. Today, things are different. Now it is possible for an intimate theatre like ours to commission a playwright from 5 time zones away, get a hearty ‘Sure!”
from that playwright, and then get it on the boards. New Works has always been the life’s blood of the theatre. Think Shakespeare in England, Mo liere in France, Fugard in South Africa, Chekhov in Russia.
Unlike many other art forms, where the form takes precedent, the theatre is really only as good as this
morning’s headlines. Sure, the characters, the setting, even the theme of a play might be ‘old fashioned’, but in the theatre, what really matters is “what does it mean to us, now?” And of course the people for
whom that meaning must be derived is you, the audience. Well, guess what? You aren’t the same
audience! You’ve up and changed. And so, too, then must the meaning of plays change. In every art form, but most particularly in storytelling, the meaning of a word, a gesture, a casting choice, can change as the wind shifts direction. To continue to serve our changing community, it is important that we continue to do
what we have done: look at the cannon for new meaning, but also add to that cannon.

We’ve done new plays before. We’ve commissioned plays before. But to launch such an auspicious season with this new work is beyond thrilling to me. It makes clear a few things. The blood is flowing, the body
is healthy and doing what it needs to do. We’re alive! Please, if you like this show, or if you believe in the idea of new plays being presented in Raleigh, NC, tell your friends. Without your support, the company and its work has no relevance. But with you, who knows what new worlds might be possible?

Jerome Davis

Cast:

Ben Apple — Chris

Gene Cordon– Jim

AC Donohue — Leah

Matt Hager –Justin 

Have a fond or interesting memory of this play you’d like to share with us? We’d love to hear it! 

Please Contact Us to Share!

Burning Coal Theatre 

 (919) 834-4001 

  info@burningcoal.org   

224 Polk St., Raleigh NC 27604