STAGE PLAY
A West Virginia Story
I began working on A West Virginia Story in the late summer of ‘22 with the thinking that, if the team at WV Collective and I had bitten off more than we could chew making the musical comedy FRACK!!, what if this time we produced a full audiovisual hybrid stage production?
Clearly, that’s exactly what happened. The reason I landed on the idea of making AWVS an AV production hinged on my desire to give people in southern West Virginia a glimpse of what the state looked like from the end of the 70s into the 80s, when West Virginia was one of the bluest states in the nation (a notion I felt especially important for younger audiences). In addition to weaving the onstage storyline with news footage from that era, the WV Collective recreated scenes with actors from the play in a green-screen studio, which we also incorporated into the storyline.
What was created was a show unlike anything that had ever hit the stage in this region, and for that alone I remain very proud of this production.
About the story: Telling the story of the fictional Callahan family, AWVS follows the ups and downs of coal miner Beau Callahan, his medical professional wife, Tandy, and their three teenage children as they navigate high school and young adulthood.
A West Virginia Story, as a narrative, offers a lighthearted window into a simpler time when we, as a community, were grappling with issues such as adapting to the dawn of the Digital Age and the economic and interpersonal/familial challenges of a rapidly changing political and societal landscape. In addition to telling a story of the relatable domestic struggles through this time period, we at WV Collective felt it was equally as important (especially for younger audiences) to deliver a theatrical experience that explores the nuances of what life was like before the box stores, epidemics, digital gadgets, and social media drastically altered our small-town life in the Mountain State.
Learn more about the production here: https://www.wvstory.com/
words: JC Lacek
director: Jason Lockart
AV director: Jamie Smith
production company: WV Collective
actors: Will Davis, Sasha Cantley, Aden Vance, Tristan Lockart, Savannah Vance, Kristi Dumas, Ash Baisden, Tobias Sears, Linda Boyd, Chris Cohenour, Felicia Bone
PRESS
Affected by writers’ strike, playwright comes back to his roots
- Jeri S. Knowlton – The Register-Herald
Play ‘West Virginia Story’ Takes Viewers Through The ’80s In Southern W.Va.
- Breana Heaney – WV Public Broadcasting
A New Play Takes the Stage at the Raleigh Playhouse and Theatre
- Serena Davanzo – WOAY