OAKWOOD 2025: UN/NAMED to be Presented at Burning Coal Theatre Company

Burning Coal Theatre Company will present Oakwood 2025: Un/NAMED, 6 Short Plays by North Carolina Playwrights, directed by Hayley Philippart.  Un/NAMED will run September 26th and 27th at 6:30 pm and September 28th at 2pm, 2025 at the Oakwood Cemetery located at 701 Oakwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27601. Tickets are $20, or $10 for students. 

About Un/NAMED

Un/NAMED tells the layered stories of societal change and personal growth through the lens of North Carolina's history. From debates on homeownership and health fads in the 20s, to reflections on capital punishment, women's rights, and community activism. These plays highlight the impact of individual actions and the connections that shape our present and future.

Fever Pitch by Ken Walsh is a comedic drama set in 1920s Raleigh, North Carolina, where two men—O.C. Currin, a charismatic real estate auctioneer, and Cleveland Fowler, a skeptical war veteran—engage in a back-and-forth about homeownership, health fads, and the power of persuasion. As O.C. pitches his dubious health cure, Cleveland counters with wit and charm, highlighting their contrasting views on life, business, and the ever-changing world around them.

Annie “Sallie” Bailey, by Courtney Pisano, is a conversation between three spirits—Sallie Bailey, Elisabeth Stueven, and Needham Broughton—who, though long deceased, enjoy reflecting on their pasts and family legacies while strolling through Oakwood Cemetery. As they share stories of their lives, accomplishments, and loved ones, the play explores themes of memory, identity, and the bonds that persist beyond death. With wit and warmth, the characters weave together tales of family pride, business dealings, and personal achievements, giving a glimpse into the interconnected history of Raleigh.

William & Annie Bost, by Ian Finley, explores the weight of societal complicity in capital punishment, through the voices of two prominent figures from early 20th-century North Carolina. As William, a renowned political reporter, and his wife Annie reflect on their legacies, they are confronted by the haunting presence of an interloper, a victim of the death penalty, challenging their views and memories of justice, inhumanity, and remorse. William & Annie Bost examines the moral cost of state-sanctioned death and the legacy of a cruel system still resonating today.

In Chatting About Mister Clark by Renee Nixon, Mo turns to their Grandpa for advice about life after graduation. Grandpa shares the inspiring story of his mentor, Moses Sylvanas Clark, a legendary roofer who made a lasting impact on the trade and his community. The play weaves together family history, mentorship, and the importance of finding one's path, while highlighting the legacy of hard work and the value of learning from those who came before us.

An Atrocious Crime by Lydia Sbityakov tells the story of Carrie Lougee Broughton, the first woman in North Carolina to hold a statewide office as the State Librarian. Set in 1918, it highlights the struggle for women's rights and equality as Carrie, long overlooked for the position, is finally recognized for her qualifications. Carrie takes a step closer to breaking barriers in a pivotal moment of history.

One Step at a Time, by Brook North, is set in Oakwood, where a stressed resident preparing for a Candlelight Tour receives wisdom from the spirits of Peggy &Frank Daino, former residents who fought to save their neighborhood. The play celebrates how small efforts and community actions can drive meaningful change in tough times.

About the Writers

Ian Finley (William and Annie Bost) holds an MFA in Dramatic Writing from the Tisch School at NYU, where he received the Harry Kondoleon Award for playwriting. He served as Resident Playwright for Burning Coal Theatre from 2004 to 2012. In 2012, he was named the Piedmont Laureate in the field of Playwriting and Screenwriting by the arts councils of central North Carolina. He is the author of The Nature of the Nautilus (winner of the Kennedy Center’s 2002 Jean Kennedy Smith Award), Native (recently adapted into the film, The Problem of the Hero, streaming on Amazon Prime), The Greeks, 1960, Jude the Obscure, and the Our Histories cycle of site-specific plays.

Brook North (One Step at a Time) is an Actor/Producer/Writer/Director more or less in that order based in Raleigh, NC. He has written many (many) short plays which have been produced locally and nationally. This is his fifth work for Oakwood unless he's forgetting one. A collection of his short plays was produced by South Stream Productions in 2018 (this doesn't end well) and more recently a staged reading of his first full length play (Teamwork Makes the Dream Work) is to be presented at Raleigh Brewing Company in September 2025. Thanks to his family, his cats, and his boo.

Courtney Pisano (Annie “Sallie” Bailey) For Burning Coal Theatre: Oakwood Series (2025, 2022, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016), Kidswrite (2013, 2009). Courtney is a Burning Coal Company Member who graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a degree in Media Production – Go Heels! She would like to thank Jerry and the rest of the Burning Coal staff for giving her the opportunity to write these plays. She loves researching and learning new things about the people who used to live around Raleigh. 

Renee Nixon (Chatting About Mister Clark) is a movie critic, playwright, philanthropist, and native of Durham. She is one of the coordinators for the Garland Lee Thompson, Sr. Reader's Theatre of New Works at the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem. Nixon has written several plays, including Blindsided, WORRIED, WORRIED 2.0, and We've Come to Praise Him: The History of Holy Cross Catholic Church. She has had several one act plays read at the National Black Theater Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In 2015, she co-directed her first documentary, "We Are Holy Cross", about Holy Cross Catholic Church's 75th Anniversary.

Lydia Sbityakov (An Atrocious Crime) co-founded Cary Playwrights' Forum in 2008 and has written, directed, and produced plays around Triangle. This is her 6th year writing for Oakwood. 

Ken Walsh (Fever Pitch) of Raleigh writes for the black box stage, but his short plays are often performed in bars, cemeteries, audio streaming services and (fingers crossed) putt-putt courses. Ken hunts for characters’ connections conquering quirky conduct in his produced full-length pieces The Glimmer Within (CPF Radio Hour) and The Unsanctioned Minutes from Saint Lucy’s Quaternitarian Church Council’s Last Meeting.

About Hayley Philippart
Hayley Philippart (Director) is a Triangle-based director. Credits include EMMA (Sweet Tea Shakespeare) and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (South Stream Productions). She is thrilled to work with Burning Coal to celebrate the stories of those buried here.

About the Cast

An ensemble cast consisting of new and veteran Burning Coal artists will take on multiple roles in this year’s production. Kurt Benurd, Faisel Imitaz, Laura Jenkins, Jack Wood, and Lemony Wood have all appeared in past Oakwood productions, as well as various other Burning Coal projects. Joy Bryant, Adalynn Eller, Carena Lemons, and Phillip Solano all make their Burning Coal debuts with this production.

About the Team