The performing arts are alive and well at Franklin County's Ferrum College.
It had been about 10 years since the Dinner Theater was onstage and the Jack Tale Players were working with college students. But they're now up and running again and there's a new exhibit celebrating the story at the school.
The Ferrum Drama Archive Gallery unveiling is Saturday afternoon.
There was a tremendous amount of material to sift through, but with help they managed, says professor of performing arts Emily Blankenship-Tucker. "Tina Hanlon, who is on the English faculty here at Ferrum College, has been compiling and storing a lot of memorabilia, programs and every kind of artifact. Tickets, newspaper reviews, that kind of thing."
But they aren't done yet. There's not enough room for everyone to see everything, so the exhibit might change from time to time. And someone out there might remember a piece of memorabilia they might want to add to the collection. The work is being handled professionally and will be safe. "The actual memorabilia is at Indigo Signs. Mary Turner owns Indigo Signs and she is the one who's putting the archive on the wall. So it's safely in her care," Blankenship-Tucker says. "She is doing nice digital scans and then those things can be put back into the collection."
The exhibit is free to the public. This weekend might be especially busy, since a performance of 'Treasure Island' is on the menu.