Hickory – This Friday, April 5, will be the World Premiere of the award-winning original play, EATING BLACKBERRIES by Florida playwright Pam Harbaugh. Following the premiere night, additional performances will run through April 20 in the Jeffers Theatre. 

The play is about a California family struggling to navigate the changing dynamics that come with divorce, against a backdrop of climate change, impending earthquakes and marauding bears.  Alternating between light comedy and emotional outbursts, EATING BLACKBERRIES is an engaging evening of live theatre.

This production is a part of the American Association of Community Theatre’s 10th annual nationwide NewPlayFest. HCT is the only Southeastern theatre to be chosen to take part in the festival.

EATING BLACKBERRIES will run for three weekends, from April 5-20. Performances are at 7:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30pm on Sundays. There is a bonus Thursday performance on April 18 at 7:30pm as well.

Tickets for EATING BLACKBERRIES are $16 for adults and $10 for students. Tickets may be purchased online at hickorytheatre.org or by phone at 828-328-2283.

EATING BLACKBERRIES is rated PG-13, with some adult language and themes.

EATING BLACKBERRIES is supported by the United Arts Council of Catawba County through the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, with funding from the State of North Carolina and from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Hickory Community Theatre’s 75th anniversary season is sponsored by A Cleaner World, Green Park Dentistry, Paramount Automotive and Sunbelt Xpress. The Hickory Community Theatre is a funded affiliate of the United Arts Council of Catawba County. EATING BLACKBERRIES is one of the winning original plays from the American Association of Community Theatre’s 2024 NewPlayFest.

PHOTO: (from left) Paul Sapp is Paul, Hudson Ackerman is Jackson, Holley Dagenhardt is Elizabeth and Lisa Aquino is Sofia in EATING BLACKBERRIES.  Photo by Arlo Alvarez.