Stephen Vincent Benet's epic poem of John Brown's Body will be presented as a staged reading with musical score for the Civil War Days celebration on Labor Day Weekend in Virginia City, Nevada. St. Paul's Episcopal Church at F and Taylor Streets hosts the show on Friday Sept. 3, Saturday Sept 4 and Monday, Sept 6 at 7:00 pm. There is a Sunday Matinee at 1:00 pm. Donation of 7 dollars for adults at the door; 5 dollars for children, eighteen years old and younger. The Pulitzer Prize winning poem is presented by a professional theatre cast from Southern California. Virginia City’s Bed and Breakfast inns and the VCCTA are sponsoring the event.

John Brown’s Body will be a staged reading of the poem by Steven Vincent Benet which details John Brown’s raid on the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia which touched off the Civil War. It is a serious presentation of the issues of the time which were foremost in the minds of Americans as they fought the Civil War.  It’s patriotic message is that some things are worth fighting and dying for; in this instance freedom for the enslaved African Americans of the South.  The material is suitable for older children and adults. John Brown's Body was written in 1928 and received a Pulitzer prize in 1929. It was similarly staged on Broadway in 1953 as a dramatic reading.  

The actors in the production include Jeanette Knight and Mr. and Mrs. Andy Harmon, all from Southern California.  Jeanette will be remembered as the director and star of the Sesquicentennial show, A Handful of Nickels which played at Piper’s Opera House to very enthusiastic audiences. Jeanette Knight began her stage career as a dancer, garnering adjectives like "superb" from Variety for her adagio dancing.  She has acted in, directed, and/or choreographed productions nationwide.  She has served as an artist-in-residence for the California Arts Council, Beaumont Actors Studio, and the McCallum Theatre, where she also served as Education Program Manager for 9 years.  She is the founder of Joe & Mustard, the desert's only long-form improvisational acting troupe. Jeanette currently teaches acting and improv as part of the theatre faculty at the Idyllwild Arts Academy, one of only three arts-based boarding schools in the United States.   

Andy and Anita Harmon have more than 20 years experience in teaching the creative process (as it relates to theatre) in the UK and in the US. Andy grew up in a theatrical family in which his father was a director and producer. Andy has recently worked on the feature-length film productions Shakespeare’s Cat, and Shot to Hell. His specialty has been improvisational theatre.