LEWISBURG (WVDN) – Greenbrier Valley Theatre (GVT) is preparing to host its first Voices of Appalachia Play Festival. Over 15 local performers will bring to life seven newly written one-act plays, all written by Appalachian playwrights. Jenna Sulecki, the artistic associate at GVT, is happy to be bringing stories to the stage that will resonate with the area.
“The people who live here are very passionate about Appalachia, about West Virginia, and about their community,” said Sulecki. “Having a festival that features stories about this region, written and performed by people from this region really is a celebration of what so many people here care about.”
Work for the play festival began in late 2022, when the theater opened submissions to Appalachian playwrights. Dozens of new plays were submitted before a panel of judges narrowed the selections down to the seven being produced. Plays were selected based on their relevance to the region and the quality of their ability to tell a complete story.
“We were delighted by the number of submissions,” Sulecki said. “And we feel that the community will resonate with and be entertained by the seven selected.”
“Voices of Appalachia” will run for two nights starting Feb. 24, with both performances beginning at 7:30 p.m.
