The Crimora Players are fixin’ to start a war with politicians in Washington, D.C. ahead of November’s election.
“Granny Runs for President” will be presented Friday, September 20 to Sunday, September 22, 2024 at the Crimora Community Center.
When the Crimora Players performed “Granny Runs for Governor,” a woman was not actually running for governor, but now a woman is actually running for president of the United States.
“With the world we’re living in, all this political correctness, this play is very soothing to it,” said Tammy Cash, who portrays “Officer Cathy Campbell” on stage alongside her sister, Carla Coffey, and mother Irene Cash, who founded Crimora Players.
The production comments on the absurdity of how far political correctness has gone in American society in the 21st Century, but is not intended to offend anyone in the audience.
“We’re not out to hurt anybody’s feelings with this,” Tammy Cash said.
Irene Cash’s grandson, Eric Cash, wrote the production for Crimora Players and has written several previous productions. Eric Cash portrays two characters in the production.
“All through history, Granny’s family has had a still and they know how to use it,” Teresa Stewart says at the start of the play as the reporter.
She explains that the federal government has come after Granny’s “elixir of life” so Granny and kin are taking the war to D.C.
“Are ya’ll gonna be Republican or Democrat?” Irene Cash said onstage as “Granny.” “I ain’t gonna be either one. I’m for me.”
All proceeds from the weekend’s performances will benefit Melissa Hewitt of Lyndhurst. Battling two types of breast cancer, Hewitt lost her job and also her health insurance. A recent operation removed the cancer and she will soon begin radiation.
“At this point, he feels like he’s gotten it,” Hewitt, a Stuarts Draft High School graduate, said.
Hewitt’s journey with cancer began with an annual checkup on January 3, 2024. On January 19, she was told she had two types of breast cancer, one in each breast. The right breast was diagnosed with triple negative, a “very aggressive” breast cancer and the left breast was diagnosed with hormonal. Both were stage 1.
Last week, Hewitt, 53, had an operation to remove all of the tumors in both breasts after she underwent two rounds of chemotherapy.
“They said they could save my breasts,” she said physicians at Augusta Health, including Dr. Raybon and Dr. Thompson.
On September 25, she will return to Augusta Health to find out if she is healing well enough, then she will begin radiation. In the meantime, she is taking an organ immune booster until February 2025. Every six months she will be examined for reoccurrence.
Hewitt said that her father is a 25-year leukemia survivor and she lost her younger sister to osteogenic sarcoma (bone cancer). Diagnosed at age 9, her sister died just before age 18.
Hewitt lost her job and health insurance in early August after her doctors took her out of work until October 31 and she ran out of vacation and paid-time off. She did not quality for FMLA. She said the money that Crimora Players raises through the weekend’s performances will pay her house payments and buy her medications.
“God’s brought me this far,” Hewitt said.
Performances will be at 1648 New Hope and Crimora Road at 6:30 on September 20 and 21, and at 1:30 p.m. on September 22.
Tickets are $15 per person, including a meal, and available with cash or check at the door or by calling or texting Teresa Stewart at 540-487-0526 or via email [email protected].
The next Crimora Players show is scheduled for November 22 to 24, 2024.
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Rebecca Barnabi
