STONEWALL COUNTRY Returns To Theater at Lime Kiln 7/1-3, 7/8-11

The heat of summer is here, and Lime Kiln is the place for theatre in Western Virginia. On July 1st -3rd and 8th-11th creators Don Baker and Robin and Linda Williams star in Stonewall Country. Written in 1984, Stonewall Country ran for 20 years. In 2009 Lime Kiln brought it back with Baker, the Williamses and several of the original cast.

Outdoor theatres are often created to house specific historical dramas. In Lime Kiln's case Stonewall Country was written for the theatre space. Kim Renz, executive director, explained, "Don Baker and Tommy Spencer approached Robin and Linda in 1983 with the idea for the show, and within a year they had created the signature piece around which Lime Kiln seasons revolved for two decades."

Founding artistic director Don Baker, who now lives in Wilmington, North Carolina, returned to Lime Kiln last year to perform as one of the narrators. Baker wrote and directed many plays at Lime Kiln over the years, and Renz says he is ecstatic so many performers from years past are involved. "It breaks out this way. We have the playwright, composer and lyricist, two former artistic directors, the band and six actors from the original team. Now that's exciting!"

This year Tom Conway, who directed Dracula, or How's Your Blood Count? has added more area actors to the production. "We're building on last year's production and its success," said Conway, who also performed in the show in 2009. "We returned to what made Lime Kiln and Stonewall special," he continued. "Lime Kiln was built on the oral tradition. If we are going to regain Lime Kiln's audiences, we need to reconnect to our storytelling roots."

Shenandoah Valley's Robin and Linda Williams, regulars on Garrison Kieiller's A Prairie Home Companion, provide the music for the production, with chorus help from the rest of the cast. R&L, as they are affectionately called by friends, are Lime Kiln favorites. Every year they perform at Lime Kiln, and on December 18th they will do a holiday concert at the Lenfest Center at Washington and Lee.
Staunton resident Christopher Van Cleave portrays Jackson again this year. When asked about playing the beloved iconic figure, he replied, "I had not been a Civil War buff prior to being cast in this role, but as an actor I wanted to approach this historical role well equipped with as much information and truth as I could find. The more I read about Stonewall, the more fascinated I became with this interesting human being and the more I wanted to render my portrayal respectfully, while including what could be considered the unusual eccentricities of his personality and mannerisms. An ideal goal of being a performing artist is to know what you are doing well enough so that your ego can get out of the way in order to let the role you are rendering come through most effectively."
Former Lime Kiln Artistic Director Barry Mines and Stonewall Country veterans Cherie Sheppard, Jim Watson, (who created the role of Jeb Stuart), and Doug Harwood revise their roles from last season. Conway also chose several newcomers: April Harris, who appeared in Good Ol' Girls last summer; Michael Brickler and George Bent, who recently performed in Ah,Wilderness! at Washington and Lee; newcomer Maria McLellan Quillin; and Brenna Dudley, a vocal performance major at the University of Wisconsin.

Gates and concessions open at 6pm, and the performances begin at 7:30. For tickets go online to theateratlimekiln.com. Tickets are also on sale at the Lexington Visitors Center at 106 East Washington Street, or by calling the Lime Kiln Office at 540-463-7088. To receive a printed brochure to an upcoming event, call Lime Kiln.

Upcoming Performances at Theater at Lime Kiln
July 1-3 & 8-11 Stonewall Country featuring Robin & Linda Williams
July 23-24 Willie Wonka, Jr. Summer FAIR Musical
July 30-31 Love's Labours Lost Traveling Players Ensemble
August 7 Bee Smith Does Lee Smith Barbara Bates Smith

Office: 540-473-7088
Website: theateratlimekiln.com

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