Catherine Bush / Playwright
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GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN

  • Eugene Wolf & Carrie Smith Lewis
    Photos courtesy of Barter Theatre

  • Eugene Wolf
    Photos courtesy of Barter Theatre

  • Carrie Smith Lewis & Eugene Wolf
    Photos courtesy of Barter Theatre

  • Eugene Wolf & Matt Martin
    Photos courtesy of Barter Theatre

Synopsis

This play with music gives witness to the lives of ordinary Appalachians as they celebrate “the most wonderful time of the year.” From the young girl in Tennessee obsessed with being a ballerina in The Nutcracker, to a West Virginia coalminer’s son who dreams of finding a guitar under the Christmas tree, these monologues and songs remind us that faith and family is what Christmas in the mountains is all about.

Cast

Slab Boggs an Appalachian musician from War, WV
Mommy Slab's mother
Deejay disc jockey for various Appalachian radio stations
Arnette Combs a veterinarian, Pineville, KY
Frank Molino Brooklyn-born second-story man, Pineville, KY
Mama Frank’s mother, Brooklyn, NY
Santa #1 the real deal, NYC
Junebug Jensen a professional baker, Knoxville, TN
Suds Jensen her mother, Kingsport, TN
Harold Jensen Junebug’s brother, sells Christmas trees, Damascus, VA
Shirleen Sprinkle police officer, Damascus, VA
Announcer concert announcer
Ginny Drain clogger, Kingsport, TN; owns a donkey rescue, Alvarado, VA
Backup Singer sings backup for Slab Boggs
Daddy Ginny’s father, Kingsport, TN
Lana Chavies college professor, Harrogate, TN
Charles Dickens spiritual presence of English novelist, Harrogate, TN
Abner a rescue donkey, Alvarado, VA
The Lady Jesus’s mother, Alvarado, VA
Lloyd Drescher a drug dealer, Pennington Gap, VA
Nanny Shirleen’s grandmother
Santa #2 arrests Lloyd in Damascus, VA
Mamaw Lloyd Drescher’s grandmother
Angus MacAulay Slab Boggs ancestor, War, WV

Specs

Cast Size: Three (1m, 1w, 1 guitarist)
Approximate Run Time: 1h 40m w/intermission
Number of Acts: Two
Script Sample
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Sample Music

Production History

"Go Tell It on the Mountain" was first produced in 2024 by Barter Theatre (Abingdon, VA), Katy Brown, Producing Artistic Director

Casting Notes:
MAN: Slab/Frank/Suds/Harold/Daddy/Dickens/Abner/Lloyd/Nanny/Santa #2/Angus
WOMAN: Mommy/Arnette/Mama/Santa #1/Junebug/Shirleen/Ginny/Backup Singer/Lana/The Lady/Mamaw/
GUITARIST: Deejay/Announcer
Cast Size: Three (1m, 1w, 1 guitarist)
Approximate Run Time: 1h 40m w/intermission
Number of Acts: Two
Script Sample
Request Rights
Sample Music

Synopsis

This play with music gives witness to the lives of ordinary Appalachians as they celebrate “the most wonderful time of the year.” From the young girl in Tennessee obsessed with being a ballerina in The Nutcracker, to a West Virginia coalminer’s son who dreams of finding a guitar under the Christmas tree, these monologues and songs remind us that faith and family is what Christmas in the mountains is all about.

Cast

Slab Boggs
an Appalachian musician from War, WV
Mommy
Slab's mother
Deejay
disc jockey for various Appalachian radio stations
Arnette Combs
a veterinarian, Pineville, KY
Frank Molino
Brooklyn-born second-story man, Pineville, KY
Mama
Frank’s mother, Brooklyn, NY
Santa #1
the real deal, NYC
Junebug Jensen
a professional baker, Knoxville, TN
Suds Jensen
her mother, Kingsport, TN
Harold Jensen
Junebug’s brother, sells Christmas trees, Damascus, VA
Shirleen Sprinkle
police officer, Damascus, VA
Announcer
concert announcer
Ginny Drain
clogger, Kingsport, TN; owns a donkey rescue, Alvarado, VA
Backup Singer
sings backup for Slab Boggs
Daddy
Ginny’s father, Kingsport, TN
Lana Chavies
college professor, Harrogate, TN
Charles Dickens
spiritual presence of English novelist, Harrogate, TN
Abner
a rescue donkey, Alvarado, VA
The Lady
Jesus’s mother, Alvarado, VA
Lloyd Drescher
a drug dealer, Pennington Gap, VA
Nanny
Shirleen’s grandmother
Santa #2
arrests Lloyd in Damascus, VA
Mamaw
Lloyd Drescher’s grandmother
Angus MacAulay
Slab Boggs ancestor, War, WV
Casting Notes:
MAN: Slab/Frank/Suds/Harold/Daddy/Dickens/Abner/Lloyd/Nanny/Santa #2/Angus
WOMAN: Mommy/Arnette/Mama/Santa #1/Junebug/Shirleen/Ginny/Backup Singer/Lana/The Lady/Mamaw/
GUITARIST: Deejay/Announcer

Production History

"Go Tell It on the Mountain" was first produced in 2024 by Barter Theatre (Abingdon, VA), Katy Brown, Producing Artistic Director
Script Sample
Request Rights
Sample Music
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