Local history to come alive onstage this summer
In honor of Davidson County’s bicentennial this summer, The Davidson County Public Library will be presenting a brand-new theatrical production. Entitled Pigs, Chairs & Small Town Squares (The Complete History of Davidson County in 82 Minutes) the play was written by Library employees Jason Roland and Tonya Hensley and will be performed on tour across the county in July, 2022.
The play is a fast-paced (and family-friendly) comedy which attempts to tell the long and storied history of Davidson County within a very brief period of time. Many different techniques are utilized to spin this narrative including, rap, melodrama and even TV spoofs (the entire Lexington BBQ industry will be presented as a wacky television game show)! A cast of four performers will bring all of this information to life. The cast includes Jacques Belliveau of Salisbury with Bonnie Byerly and Wendy Lerch, both of Davidson County. The cast is full of well-known, talented faces as Jacques Belliveau recently wrote, directed and performed in the critically acclaimed film “Reggie: a Millennial Depression Comedy” and Bonnie Byerly and Wendy Lerch were both highly active performers with the popular theatre group The Hot Flash Players Performing Arts Company. Playwright Jason Roland rounds out the cast as a history professor intent on delivering a long-winded lecture on county history, only to be shown by the others how to make these vast volumes of information both exciting and fun. The main goal is to entertain, but don’t be surprised if you learn a few new things about your own community along the way!
The play will be performed as a touring production, giving free performances at locations throughout the county during the month of July. The play is produced by the Davidson County Public Library with its producing partners Arts Davidson County, Thomasville Tourism, Lexington Tourism, The Davidson County Historical Museum and The Genealogical Society of Davidson County and is an official event of the Davidson County Bicentennial celebration.
Performances and venues will be as follows:
July 14: Davidson County Cooperative Extension
301 E Center St. Lexington, NC @ 7:00 PM
JULY 15: Memorial United Methodist Church
101 Randolph St. Thomasville, NC @ 7:00 PM
JULY 16: Wallburg Amphitheater (In Wallburg Town Park)
8020 NC-109 Winston-Salem, NC @ 11:00 AM
JULY 21: Reeds Elementary School
791 NC-150 Lexington, NC @ 7:00 PM
JULY 22: Midway United Methodist Church
9795 Old US Hwy 52 Lexington, NC @ 7:00 PM
JULY 23: The Southern Theater & Event Center
18639 NC-109 Denton, NC @ 11:00 AM
