Archive for category Photos
‘Investigation of Mourning’ produced at Taubman Museum
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in Photos, Productions on October 27, 2025
About a month ago I got a call from Mary Jean Levin, an actress in Roanoke who also has some ties to the Taubman Museum of Fine Art. The museum was planning a gala to open a new exhibit on American art and was looking for a short play as part of the festitivies. The catch: It needed to match the theme and needed to fit into a small space. I set to work and the result was “Investigation of Mourning,” about late 19th century mourning customs and a growing belief in the supernatural.
Katerina Yancey directed, with a cast of Barry Bedwell, Sherilyn Lawson, Brian Lee and Mary Jean Levin.
From left: Mary Jean Levin as the Widow Haversham, Sherilyn Lawson as the medium and Brian Lee as the con man Professor Picadilly.
Brian Bedwell emerges, proving that James Haversham isn’t dead at all.
Overnight Sensations festival produces ‘The Enduring Mystery of Alexander Fairweather’
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in Photos, Productions on October 27, 2025
For the 12th time, I took part in July in the Overnight Sensations 24-hour play festival at Hollins University in Roanoke. Here’s director Linsee Lewis drawing our cast. The result was “The Enduring Mystery of Alexander Fairweather,” a ghost story set in an attic.
‘The Fruitcake’ produced in Missouri
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Photos, Productions on December 25, 2024
Perry County Middle School in Perryville, Missouri produced THE FRUITCAKE in December. Director Robbie Riehn said he had so many students he had two different casts. Here’s a story about the production in the local newspaper.
More photos below:
‘On The Thirteenth Day of Christmas’ produced in Colorado
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Photos, Productions on December 25, 2024
Bayfield High School in Bayfield, Colorado produced ON THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS in December 2024.
More photos below:
‘On The Thirteenth Day of Christmas’ produced in Virginia
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Photos, Productions on December 25, 2024
Attic Productions in Fincastle, Virginia produced ON THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS in December 2025.
More photos below:
‘Why Do Frogs Look So Sad?’ produced in New York festival
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Photos, Productions on August 9, 2024
My 10-minute play WHY DO FROGS LOOK SO SAD? was produced in the festival at The Secret Theatre in New York in late July / early August 2024.
Me with the cast of WHY DO FROGS LOOK SO SAD?
And here’s the director and cast:
Overnight Sensations festival produces ‘Cock-A-Doodle-Did’
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Photos, Productions on July 14, 2024
For the 11th time, I was invited to be a writer in Overnight Sensations, an annual 24-hour play festival put on by Hollins University as part of its summer MFA program.
On Friday night, the six writers, six directors and many cast members gathered at Hollins. We had a ceremonial drawing of prompts, directors and casts from a hat, then we writers went off to write. I drew Natalie Tasillo as a director, sitcom as the genre, a county fair as the setting, “even a worm turns” as the theme and Team 4 for the cast. In the photo above, from left to right, that’s Lillian Savage, Natalie Tasillo, Miriam Frazier, Michael Johnson, me, and Janemarie Laucella kneeling. Out of the frame to the right is my old friend Stephen “Stevedogg” Glassbrenner. Photo courtesy of Dan Smith. I felt I lucked out because I normally write comedy, a rural setting is a natural for me and I knew all of the actors except Lillian. In fact, Miriam directed one of my shows in a previous Overnight Sensations, so I could hear all their voices in my head as I was writing “Cock-A-Doodle-Did.”
Here are some photos from the weekend:
Delaware becomes my 48th state; plays win awards
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Photos, Productions on September 17, 2023
Griffin Theatre in Bear, Delaware produced my 10-minute scripts THE BEAUTIFUL OGRE AND OTHER FAIRY TALES and THAT PLAY ABOUT THE GURGLING MUD PIT in August, thus checking off my 48th state. Still outstanding: Hawaii and New Hampshire.
Both productions also won some awards. The judges ranked THE BEAUTIFUL OGRE AND OTHER FAIRY TALES second, the audience voted it first.
‘The Sandstorm’ in Roanoke
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Photos, Productions on July 23, 2023
When my friend Randy Walker asked me if I’d like to contribute a performance to an evening of entertainment that he was putting on to raise money for his church’s pollinator garden, I knew immediately which one: THE SANDSTORM. It’s one of my most-produced 10-minute plays and one of the easiest to produce, even if the two characters are Martians. Amber Carderelli and Sidney Grutz agreed to come over to Roanoke to perform the show. Amber most recently directed REVENGE OF THE FAIRY QUEEN at Renaissance Theatre with Sidney as the fairy queen.
Overnight Sensations 2023: Saturday by day
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Photos, Productions on July 9, 2023
For the 10th time, I took part as a writer in Overnight Sensations, the 24-hour play festival sponsored by Hollins University and Mill Mountain Theatre. I’ve also taken part in five other timed writing events at other theatres, so this was my 15th overall. A previous post showed went what down on Friday night.
What you don’t see are pictures of me writing Friday night and into early Saturday morning. In terms of a firm idea, I had what might have been my latest start ever but my earliest finish (12:30 a.m.) Once I get an idea, I can write pretty fast. I’ll explain more about what I wrote in another post.
Here’s how things went down Saturday morning and early afternoon.
We writers gathered at 8 a.m. for a meeting with our director, followed by a production meeting led by technical director Shelby Love (in the chair on stage). This went over the order of the shows (which sometimes is dictated by production needs), how transitions will work, and any production details — light cues, sound cues, etc.
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