![]() The festivities of the reunion continued as current and former cast members presented Barbara Polly with an award and beautiful roses. But while the girls got to use the basement, the boys would hang a clothes line outside with blankets draped across and would change under the stars! Another told me a story about the performers having to dress in the basement of the June Tolliver house because, at the time, they did not have proper dressing rooms. At one point, they had simple wooden benches for people to sit on. One man told me about how visitors used to bring lawn chairs, patio furniture, and blankets because there was nothing else. Slowly, over the course of decades, a bigger stage was built, stadium seating was added, overhead lights were installed, an audio system was put in place, and the drama continued.Īs everyone else enjoyed their food and conversations, I sat around listening to the stories. When it first began in 1964, the outdoor drama was nothing more than a wooden stage in a field right in the heart of town. Dozens of former cast members returned from all points of the globe and across the country to visit with old friends they had not seen in years and to admire how much the outdoor drama had changed. The events of the day began with a reunion dinner that, of course, included fried chicken. So, while I was not exactly a part of the reunion, I was not exactly an outsider, either. I did not grow up in Big Stone, but I did grow up about ninety minutes away in another small country town. In 19 she performed in the outdoor drama, just as many high schoolers did from the region. You see, my mom grew up in East Stone Gap, just minutes from Big Stone Gap. But on this particular day, I was not entirely an outsider. ![]() ![]() ![]() I am a person from another state, another decade, another part of the country coming into a town, usually for the first time. In 2013 the drama celebrated its 50th anniversary with a large reunion of all current and former cast members in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. owns and operates the outdoor drama along with the June Tolliver House next door. Since the first season in 1964, the outdoor drama has grown from a simple stage and wooden benches to include several buildings, dressing rooms, a sound system, and comfortable outdoor theater seating. The story follows a long-standing feud between the Tolliver and Falin families and the growing love between Jack Hale and June Tolliver. The Trail of the Lonesome Pine Outdoor Drama is based on the novel The Trail of the Lonesome Pine written in 1908 by John Fox, Jr. I attended the special 50th Anniversary and Reunion in the small country town of Big Stone Gap, Virginia, and met a group of people with a passion, vision, and talent I never expected. While presidents have changed, Star Trek has gone through multiple series and feature films, prices have risen, and cars have changed, the Trail of the Lonesome Pine Outdoor Drama has remained. The average household income was $6,000 per year, a gallon of gas cost 30 cents, and a postage stamp cost 5 cents. Kellogg’s Pop-tarts were introduced to the world, as well as Star Trek: The Next Generation. Fifty years ago it was 1964 and Lyndon Johnson was President of the United States.
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