Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights Reveals 2016 Lineup

Barter Theatre's Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights (AFPP) selects exciting lineup for 16th annual summer festival, including six readings of new works and one small-scale production, to be performed August 18-28.

Nicholas Piper, Barter Theatre's associate artistic director in charge of new play development, said, "We are very excited to present this year's selection of new plays. From musicals to murder mysteries, this year's festival offers a wide range of material exploring and celebrating the Appalachian experience"

This year's readings, held August 18-21, will include: "To Tread Among Serpents" by Kelly McBurnette-Andronicos, "Madame Buttermilk" by Ross Carter, "Dreaming in Black and White" by Ron Osborne, "Though the Mountains May Fall" by Catherine Bush, "The People at The Edge of Town" by A.J. Delauder, and "Smoke" by Gloria Bond Clunie. A reading of a new play is the first step in AFPP's development process for new works and includes limited staging and only the suggestion of costumes.

AFPP has also selected one new work, which was read at last year's festival, to be performed as a mini-production at Barter Stage II. Piper said, "A mini-production is the second step in our development process where the playwright has had a chance to apply what they've learned from the previous year's reading and incorporate it into a small-scale production. It is the final step before a full production at Barter." This year's mini-production, "An Impossible Combination," by George Pate, will have seven public performances August 23-28.

Think Stephen King meets Southern Gothic as we dive into the life of Abetta Asbury, a woman with an unusual gift. Abetta enters into the minds of others and releases their suffering through a process her family calls "bleeding." This rare ability comes with an age-old warning, but will she ignore it to save her bother Harlan as he slips into decline? Caught between tantalizing dreams and family obligations "An Impossible Combination" examines the unpredictable consequences of trying to mold the world into a happier place. In the words of Mark Twain, "Sanity and happiness are an impossible combination."

AFPP has gained national attention for developing a platform to discover and produce new works. Barter Theatre's AFPP readings allow attendees to discover the next big hit, meet new playwrights, and be a part of the play development process. To qualify for AFPP, plays must have been written by an Appalachian playwright or be set in the Appalachian region but cannot have been published or have had a full professional production.

For more information about readings or to purchase tickets for "An Impossible Combination," visit bartertheatre.com/shows/afpp or call at 276-628-3991.

The Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights is made possible by sponsorship from Dunkin' Donuts and Roadrunner Markets. Barter Theatre is funded in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.