Events

1. Book Discussion - Washington County Public Library System (Sep 20...

    

    Thu, Sep 20th - Washington Co Library  Family & Education 0

   The Great American Read, hosted by PBS, includes "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott as one of America's 100 Best Novels. Join us as we talk about the book

2. Great Expectations (Sep 20) 4 days. Sep-14th to Sep-20th

    

    Thu, Sep 20th - Barter Theatre  Arts & Culture 0

   Adapted by Catherine Bush From the original book by Charles Dickens In a humorous and moving adaptation of Dickens’ tale, Barter’s Playwright-in-Residence Catherine Bush amazes audiences as the story comes bursting to life in a stylized and fast-paced world that is sure to leave you gasping for breath and on your feet with excitement. Pip, a poor orphan child in 19th century England, is mysteriously plucked from obscurity by the wealthy and decaying Miss Havisham, changing his life forever. A secretive benefactor, unrequited love, and a series of great expectations plague Pip as he attempts to discover whether people can change who they truly are. Download study guide. Director's Notes RISIN’ ABOUT YOUR RAISIN’ Thoughts on GREAT EXPECTATIONS Barter commissioned this script as a gift for all of us. When we started brewing it, I had been recently acquainted with the incredible production of a different Dickensian novel, Nicholas Nickleby , that was done by the Royal Shakespeare Company back in the 1980’s; I loved the show’s focus on the actor, its celebration of the theatrical, and its sheer audacity. Inspired, I went back to my favorite Dickens, Great Expectations , for a look, and what struck me right away was how Dickens had captured something that felt simultaneously so true to his time/ place and to ours. He puts his finger on something palpable about growing up: a special brew of ambition, yearning, heartache, excitement, and struggle that I feel around me everyday here and now. What do you do when you have enormous ambitions for your life, but those ambitions give you deeply complicated feelings about where you come from? How do you achieve great things and still honor your home? I think Dickens hit upon something universal here—we all push back against our families and homes as we are figuring out who we are going to be; we all struggle in some way between our need to achieve and our need for home. It also struck me and struck me hard how Appalachian it felt to me. It reminded me of so many of the conversations I have had with young people here who have such a desire to fly away and such a fierce love of exactly where they are. The phrase I often heard them worry about was one you all will recognize: “Risin’ above your raisin’.” It occurred to me that the journey of Pip in this story has deep resonance for us. Pip comes from a rural place; he dreams of becoming something else and sometimes feels guilty that he wants that; he struggles between love of where he comes from and trying to distance himself from it. Pip in this play talks directly to us; he confides in us about what it feels like to strive and sometimes fail and what it is to finally discover what it means to reach as far as you can and also love who you actually are. It’s a gift to be reminded that we aren’t alone in this, no matter when and where we were born. For aren’t we all walking around with that young person inside us who knows what it is to yearn for success and home at the same time? Aren’t we all a messy and beautiful combination of our authentic selves and our great expectations? Katy Brown Director, GREAT EXPECTATIONS Cast & Credits Cast: Pip: Shaan Sharma Compeyson/ Estella: Brandy Drzymkowski Mrs. Joe/ Biddy/ Soldier #2: Katherine Lyle Joe/ Uncle Pumblechook/ Bentley Drummle/ Soldier #3: Justin Tyler Lewis Magwitch/ Mr. Jaggers/ Matthew Pocket/ Father: Nicholas Piper Soldier #1/ Miss Havisham/ Herbert: Rusty Allen Clara/ Servan/ Musician – Violinist: Bethany Dawson Collaborators: Director: Katy Brown Original Music: Dax Dupuy Costumes Designer: Lee Martin Lighting Designer: Andrew Morehouse Music Director: Lee Harris Music Coach and special arrangements: Brandy Drzymkowski Dialect Coach: Zacchaeus Kimbrell Fight Choreographer and Fight Captain: Justin Tyler Lewis Stage Manager: Sara Douglas Corporate Sponsor: Bristol Regional Medical Center Media Sponsor: Photos Videos

3. The Bridges of Madison County (Sep 20) 8 days. Sep-6th to Sep-20t...

    

    Thu, Sep 20th - Barter Theatre  Arts & Culture, Music 0

   Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown Book by Marsha Norman Based on the novel by Robert James Waller Based on the best-selling novel, a forbidden love affair between a photographer and a housewife changes them forever. This sweeping romance about the roads we travel, the doors we open and the bridges we dare to cross will leave you breathless. With a soaring score, this powerful musical captures the lyrical expanse of America’s heartland along with the yearning entangled in the eternal question “What if...?” Director's Notes THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY “There are songs that come free from the blue-eyed grass, from the dust of a thousand country roads. This is one of them.” So begins the book The Bridges of Madison County written by Robert James Waller in 1992. Appropriate, then, that this incredible book, and popular movie, would become a 2014 Tony award winning musical. The lush romantic score written by Jason Robert Brown ( The Last Five Years , Parade , Songs for a New World ) and beautiful script by playwright Marsha Norman (‘ night, Mother, The Secret Garden, The Color Purple ) take us into the lives of Francesca Johnson and Robert Kincaid and their beautiful love story. There have been several times in my life when a play comes along that I “need”. A story that strikes chords and pushes buttons in me that I need to listen to, I need to hear its message. The Bridges of Madison County is one such story. This music, these words, these people touch places in my heart and soul and shake me to my very core. I have been moved by the truth of this tale, and it has made my heart open up to the possibilities of true love and romance, of destiny and forever. At the end of chapter one, Robert James Waller writes: “In an increasingly callous world, we all exist with our own carapace of scabbed-over sensibilities. Where great passion leaves off and mawkishness begins, I’m not sure. But our tendency to scoff at the possibility of the former and to label genuine and profound feelings as maudlin makes it difficult to enter the realm of gentleness required to understand the story of Francesca Johnson and Robert Kincaid. If, however, you approach what follows with a willing suspension of disbelief, as Coleridge put it, I am confident you will experience what I have experienced. In the indifferent spaces of your heart, you may even find, as Francesca Johnson did, room to dance again.” Tricia Matthews Director, The Bridges of Madison County Cast & Credits Cast: Francesca Johnson: Hannah Ingram Robert Kincaid: Sean Maximo Campos Carolyn: Hope Quinn Richard “Bud” Johnson: Nick Koesters Michael: Zacchaeus Kimbrell Marge: Paris Bradstreet Charlie: Rick McVey Marian: Kim Morgan Dean Chiara: Sarah Laughland Collaborators: Director: Tricia Matthews Musical Director: Dishon Smith Set Designer: Derek Smith Lighting Designer: Camille Davis Costume Designer: Jane Alois Stein Sound Designer: Tony Angelini Stage Manager: Cindi A. Raebel Corporate Sponsor: Media Sponsor: Photos

4. A Hologram for the King - Washington County Public Library System...

    

    Fri, Sep 21st - Washington Co Library  Family & Education 0

   Movies for Grown-ups continues with "A Hologram for the King." A U.S. businessman travels to Saudi Arabia to sell a holographic telecommunications system

5. Join us on our Annual March as we tell our... (Sep 24) 14 days. S...

    

    Mon, Sep 24th - Overmountain Victory Trail Association  Family & Education 0

   Join us on our Annual March as we tell our story to thousands of school children Sept 24 - Oct 7.

6. Monday night Royal Oak Jam at the Henderson - nice (Sep 24) 7 day...

    

    Mon, Sep 24th - The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail  Music 0

   Monday night Royal Oak Jam at the Henderson - nice way to start your week

7. Open Mic Night at Wolf Hills Brewing (Sep 25) 7 days. Sep-25th to...

    

    Tue, Sep 25th - Wolf Hills Brewing  Food & Drinks 0

   Tuesdays are open mic night at Wolf Hills Brewing Co. Sip one of the four year-round beers on tap or try the rotating six to ten other taps while listening to live music acts. The brewery takes its name from the original appellation that Daniel Boone gave to the wilderness that became Abingdon. Tradition holds that Boone and his hunting companion spent a sleepless night along a hill on the Great Road after their dogs encountered a pack of wolves, which had a den in a nearby cave. Drawing from this rich history, Wolf Hills Brewing Co. melds together time honored brewing methods using only the highest quality ingredients with modern beer styles. The result is a level of fresh, savory beer that is unmatched in this region. Discover one of our many styles for yourself . . . you’ll be howling for more.

8. Project Teen - Washington County Public Library System (Sep 25)

    

    Tue, Sep 25th - Washington Co Library  Family & Education 0

   Join Project Teen and help set the course for your library. Choose materials, tell us what events you want etc., and you community service credits

9. Kindles For Beginners - Washington County Public Library System (...

    

    Tue, Sep 25th - Washington Co Library  Family & Education 0

   Are you having problems using your Kindle? Join us and learn the basics. This class covers the basics of using a Kindle – no matter the model

10. It's Wednesday and time to play BINGO - at the Community Center o...

     

     Wed, Sep 26th - The Community Center of Abingdon  Sports & Recreation 0

    Its Weds. and time to play BINGO - at the Community Center of Abingdon - 300 Senior Drive, Abingdon, Va Just off Whites Mill Road. Doors open at 5:00 pm and games start playing at 6:30 pm. Food and Drink are available for sale, free coffee and tea. Play all games