Alleghany Lives—Rehearsing a scene from the play, "Alleghany Lives," are (from left) Bonnie Vaughan, Judge Richard Doughton, Tom Burgiss, County Commission Chairman Ken Richardson, Charity Gambill-Gwyn, Mayor John Miller and Amos Wagoner Jr. of Farmer's Hardware. BELOW LEFT - ALLEGHANY LIVES—Ben Huysman (left) and Agnes Joines share the stage in one of the scenes of the history-based play to open Friday. Photo by Drew Stewart

"Alleghany Lives" is this weekend

Alleghany Community Theater will perform "Alleghany Lives 1859-2009" this weekend at the Sparta School Auditorium. The performances are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., with a matinee starting Sunday at 2 p.m. Cost of admission is $5.

The play is being held in honor of the county's sesquicentennial and harkens back the play on the history of the county that was held on the anniversary of the county's centennial in 1959. The play is an original work wirtten by local resident. According to a release from act, "This original production is not just a play or a concert or a history lesson. It is all of the above."

The play, which focuses on the early years of the county, will include three acts. The first act, "A Question of Allegiance," features Brad Jenkins portraying Confederate Captain Hort Doughton, and Jim Williams as Billy Moxley whose son was killed by the Confederate Home Guard. Nathan Lundy and Ben Huysman portray Doughton's sons, Rufus and Bob. Rufus was later elected lieutenant governor of the state, while Bob Doughton was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1910 and served for 42 consecutive years. Jenkins and Williams are both veteran actors, having acted in and directed several Alleghany Community Theatre productions. Lundy, a recent graduate of Alleghany High School, and Ben Huysman, a 13-year-old banjo player, are relative newcomers to the stage.

The second act, "The Quilt of Memory," features six female actors well-known to Alleghany audiences: Deborah Brady plays Suddie Doughton, Evelyn Hash portrays her own grandmother, Margaret Crouse is a factory worker of the 1950s, and Kay Bodeen and Amy Huysman portray schoolteachers Una Edwards Lindh and Vera Reeves.

Bob Black will then provide narration as photographs of Alleghany people and scenes from the 1880s to the 1930s are displayed on the big screen in the auditorium. Donna Brawley recalls her schooldays in the 1960s and pays tribute to John Woodruff to close the act.

The final segment of "Alleghany Lives" focuses on the period from the 1930 up to the 1980s and includes as such Alleghany ‘celebrities' as Mayor John Miller, Judge Richard Doughton and pharmacist Tom Burgiss.