By Bonny Gable
Bonny Gable is a former theater professor and freelance writer based in Bristol, Virginia. www.bonnygable.com
Catherine Bush unveils the heart of Appalachia in her latest creation for the Barter stage. In “Go Tell It on the Mountain” she weaves traditional Christmas anthems with a collection of stories that offer a mix of pathos and humor to inspire the rebirth of our spirits. Directed by John Hardy, the new play features Eugene Wolf and Carrie Smith Lewis playing a variety of characters who share their personal stories accompanied by the imaginative music of guitarist Matt Martin. Prepare to be captivated by the magic of their tales and to hear familiar tunes as you’ve never heard them before.
Bush says inspiration for writing the play began long ago. “For years I had been playing around with the idea of writing a Christmas show using a series of monologues accompanied by music in the public domain, but my original idea wasn’t at all Appalachian-based. Then Barter’s Producing Artistic Director Katy Brown told me she needed a small show to go opposite ‘A Christmas Carol’ in the 2024 season, and she was hoping to use Barter favorite Eugene Wolf. Eugene’s a wonderful storyteller, and I realized that with him in the play, I could adapt my original idea (monologues and songs) into an homage to Christmas as celebrated in this region. The addition of Carrie Smith Lewis to the cast was the icing on the cake.”
Arriving at the show’s title came naturally to Bush. “I’ve written several Christmas shows for The Barter Players using the title of a well-known Christmas song as the springboard for the story. I think using familiar song titles helps the audience connect with the piece even if it’s brand new. And what song title could be more perfect for a Christmas show set in Appalachia than ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’?”
Asked what inspired the various characters who tell the play’s stories, Bush replies, “Oh golly - so many things. Bits and pieces of stories I’ve heard or read over the years. The Nutcracker segment was inspired in part by a story Katy Brown told me about yearning to be a ballerina in her youth. The Gingerbread House segment is based on my dear friend Kelly Strand and her mother Ellen’s many attempts to win their local gingerbread house competition. There was the story I read in the local paper years ago about a guy dressed as Santa Claus performing a citizen’s arrest on a naked man trying to steal a car in Damascus ... I couldn’t pass that up. My friends Christal and Jane run a donkey rescue in Alvarado, which led me to write a segment from the donkey’s point-of-view. Even my nephew Declan’s surreal relationship with fireflies made it in. Nobody’s safe.”
Bush believes that the play will appeal to both native Appalachians and outside viewers. “It’s always a unique experience to see a place you’re familiar with used as a setting for a story. I mention several regional locations in this play: War (West Virginia), Pineville (Kentucky), Knoxville (Tennessee), Asheville (North Carolina), Kingsport (Tennessee), Damascus (Virginia), Bristol (Tennessee), Harrogate (Tennessee), Alvarado (Virginia), and Pennington Gap (Virginia). I think everyone will enjoy the play, but I believe it will be a deeper, richer experience for our local audience. I hope so, anyway. It was written for them.”
Actor Eugene Wolf says, “This play gives you the ‘flavor’ of the people here. The populace of Appalachian diversity and the old traditions come through. It’s about how the Appalachian people react to the obstacles in front of them.” Actor Carrie Smith Lewis adds, “Natives will definitely relate to it, but ultimately, its themes are universal.”
Asked if there were challenges in a play that is a series of individual scenes, Smith Lewis didn’t hesitate to answer. “I love working in this kind of format.” Wolf explained the attraction. “Each character has a particular ‘arc.’ So, for this play you are dealing with seven or eight arcs, and you have to also look at that many parts of yourself.” Wolf has performed many roles in a single play before, but says the characters in this play are much more involved and must be more fully realized.
Hardy adds, “This play’s type of format is the most difficult one to direct. I’m excited about directing it because it is difficult. I work with the actors to discover ways to make the moments ‘immediate,’ and we implement them into the format. We also create mechanisms to get smoothly from scene to scene.”
Each performer derives their own personal joy from performing this new work. For Matt Martin, it is his approach to the guitar accompaniment he creates for the play. “My musical choices are determined by the emotional moments.” He also loves to evoke images with music, such as picking a light tune on his guitar strings to represent lighting bugs dancing in the night air.
Hardy has high praise for Martin’s musical talent. “Not only is he a skilled musician, he is also extremely creative. As soon as I ask for something, I can see it percolating in his mind. He has great instincts, and he trusts them.”
Smith Lewis says, “Catherine Bush created this play with Eugene and me in mind, so it’s very special to be performing it with him.” She and Wolf spring from the same Appalachian soil; their families are both from Greene County, Tennessee, so the nature of Appalachian people is in their blood. Wolf says each performer’s joy spills over to the others, and he finds personal connection in the play’s music. “The play is about the value of joy coming out of sorrow. I find that music fills in the gaps, takes us beyond where words can go.”
Bush’s wish is that viewers will take away something special from seeing this play. “I hope they all leave having felt like they were given the best Christmas present ever. I hope they glow from the inside out. I hope they are ready to make room for the impossible.”
“Go Tell It on the Mountain” runs through Dec. 22 at Barter’s Smith Theatre.
