The Anson County Writer’s Club is considering a reunion for the cast and crew of the outdoor drama, “Sneydsborough: A Ripple in the River,” celecrating the 30th year of writing.
The outdoor drama, written and produced by the ACWC, was held from 1993-2002. The ACWC started the production’s performance at the football field at Anson Junior High School, now Anson Senior High, for the first two years.
With the help of a grant from the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, the Helen Goodman Amphitheater was built at South Piedmont Community College, where the drama was presented until 2002.
“The outdoor drama would not have been possible without the help of many people from the community,” said Sandy Bruney, Sneydsborough Project Committee chairman from 2000-02. “People not only acted out the story, but built and painted sets, provided sound and lighting, sewed costumes, did make-up, designed programs, directed, and provided refreshments.”
Bruney said that with the passage of time, contact information for those involved has been lost.
“We are asking that if you participated in any way to contact the club,” Bruney said. “Also, let us know if you are interested in joining the reunion committee. Your input is not only welcome, but needed.”
Anyone interested can contact the club at info@ansoncountywritersclub.org or call Bruney at 704-694-5211.
“Word of mouth is still the best advertisement, so please pass the information about the reunion to any friends or relatives that you know were involved,” Bruney added.
Following the closure of the outdoor drama, the ACWC took on hosting the Carolinas Writers Conference at South Piedmont Community College from 2009-2016; sponsoring Back Porch Stories in 2012; and holding one-day workshops each November from 2014.
Since its inception in 1989, the club has held annual contests in prose and poetry open to anyone living in, working in, or originally from Anson County. Every three years, an anthology of the winning entries, Anson Pathways, has been published. Anson Pathways X was released in April 2019 and is available at the Anson County Arts Council.
“Although I joined the Writers Club after the production of Ripple, I remember the drama well and that it highlighted not only the history of Sneydsborough, but the importance of the Pee Dee River in Anson County and in the history of North Carolina,” said Kaye Ratliff, current club President. “We look forward to the opportunity to highlight the drama again, and celebrate the writers and actors who created it.”