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New Staunton theatre company to produce original play titled ‘The Silo’

Crystal Graham

A new professional theatre company is bringing its first production to stage on Oct. 21-23 and 29-30 at Mary Baldwin University’s student activities center.

The Queen City Theatre Company has announced it will bring to stage a new play, The Silo, written by Dais Johnston and Thomas K. Prater.

Johnston and Prater are also the founders of the company. The Silo marks their first collaboration.

The Silo is a journey of a couple exploring their relationship through different identities and settings. Local actors Michael Blackwood and Devlin Ford will star in the production.

Attendance at the 7:30 p.m. shows will be “pay what you will.” The activities center is located at 316 Academy St. in Staunton.

“Making theatre should always be a community-building endeavor,” said the founders in a news release. “Many theatre artists wear the title of, ‘storyteller’ with great pride, and while this title is accurate, we do tell stories, it is ultimately reductive as it doesn’t do any work to address the question, ‘What are you telling stories for?’

“Stories, words, and art in general are the most effective avenues we humans use to connect with one another. We believe that theatre can and should be used to strengthen the connection of a community and the countless sub-communities contained within.

“So, rather than aiming to create theatre for a global or even national audience, we choose to serve the people we work, play and live with on a daily basis. For these reasons, we prefer the title, ‘community-builders’ over, ‘storytellers.’”

According to the release, Queen City Theatre Company aims to create relevant, enlivening, and original theatre and performance art that is accessible to the city of Staunton and its surrounding communities by creating completely original work both for and from within the Queen City.

For more information, visit www.queencitytheatreco.com

Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is the regional editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for nearly 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of Virginia Tonight, a nightly TV news show. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.