photos courtesy T. Stafford, Nelson County Life

Earl Hamner comes home,

in an appearance to benefit the Hamner Theater.

This event is SOLD OUT.

Reception 6:00-7:00: Meet and greet Nelson's native son; buy a book and have him sign it.
Reading 7:30-8:30: Earl Hamner will read scenes from The Homecoming with the cast of the upcoming production. Followed by a Q&A with the author.

It's a win-win: spend an evening with Earl Hamner and help the Hamner. Do you value what we do? Show your support by buying a ticket for our fund-raising evening.

Meet Earl Hamner at the Hamner

Earl Hamner, whose TV adaptation of HEIDI once bumped off the air a pivotal late-season pro-football game between the Raiders and the Jets that was tied with 2 minutes to go, will be at the theater to show us how he did it.

At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 5th, Earl Hamner, along with the cast of the upcoming production, will read from his play, THE HOMECOMING.

Afterwards, this consummate gentleman, who had, for multiple years, 30 million viewers watching his creation, THE WALTONS, every Thursday night, will answer questions about TV, John-Boy, life, love, FALCON CREST (Earl created that, too), Hollywood, THE TWILIGHT ZONE, and anything else you might be wondering about. He will also be signing copies of his books, available to purchase at the theater.

Proceeds will go to support the Hamner Theater.

This event is made possible, in part, by the generosity of Connie Brennan and John Hesselbart, and by Wintergreen Winery (makers of Earl Hamner's favorite wine).

Read about Earl Hamner's upcoming visit on his blog, at Nelson County Life, in the Daily Progress, Nelson's Homecoming King, by David Maurer and in the Nelson County Times, Hamner to visit Nelson theater, by Erin McGrath.

Will you help us to spread the word? Please, give our flyer to a friend. Thanks!
Meet Earl Hamner at the Hamner (Right click, Save as or Download link)

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Earl Hamner, on coming home: Welcome to Schuyler. (June 2, 2009)
"...Slow down and take the time to decelerate, to leave the frantic pace of cities behind you and take the time to savor all the beauty and serenity that is ahead.

This road holds family memories. My father came along here on a snowy Christmas Eve in 1933..."
(continued, in Earl Hamner's blog, 'You, Me and the Lamp Post')

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Hamner Improv Troupe

Improv will resume Monday, Nov. 30th, after Thanksgiving.
Drop-in session begins at 6:00p.m.
Please call 434.361.1999 for details.

Never been on stage before? Been on stage more times than you'd care to mention but looking to recharge your acting batteries?

Improv at the Hamner is for you.

This mixed group of old hands and neophytes is meeting every Monday. Working with Loose Moose graduate and seasoned improvisor, Mary Coy, young (hit) and old (HIT) meet Monday evenings to learn and practice the basics - saying "yes, and"; making each other look good; and speaking spontaneously. Playing games and creating scenes incorporating the basics prepare the entire company for regular performances at the Hamner.

hit is open to ages 8 years and up, HIT is for adults.

This program is free of charge and is intended for everyone with an interest in Improv. Call 434-361-1999 for additional information, or just come see what it's all about!

Past Performances featuring the Hamner Improv Troupe:

Friday, October 16, 2009 HIT, on the set of Glengarry Glen Ross

Saturday, May 23, 2009 A Night Out #3 - Improv with hit & HIT, MC Ryan Wender

Saturday, April 25, 2009 A Night Out #2 - Hamner Improv Challenge (HIC)

Saturday, March 7, 2009 A Night Out - Improv with hit & HIT

January 17, 2009 HIT and hit, In the Cabaret


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The Virginia Playwrights Initiative (VPI) is a part of the Hamner Theater's continuing mission to foster new works for the stage, specifically those by Virginia playwrights.

VPI provides a venue for the playwright to workshop, rewrite and rehearse a new script with a company of experienced actors, a director and a dramaturg.

The playwright participates in a process of readings, rehearsal and discussions with cast, director and dramaturg, culminating in a public staged reading.

Following the reading, there will be a discussion open to all. This discussion is an important part of the process, providing an opportunity for the playwright to understand the impact the play has had on the audience.

We are looking for promising but unfinished scripts by playwrights who are eager to revise and finish their scripts with the helpful input of directors and actors.

Questions to info (at) thehamnertheater.com or
Virginia Playwrights Initiative, The Hamner Theater, P.O. Box 106, Nellysford, Virginia 22958.
Or, use our contact form.

VPI is made possible in part by grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the BAMA Fund.

Coming up in VPI:
The Memory of Whiteness by Brad Larson
Blackout by William A. Rough
The Gift of Love - musical adaptation of a teleplay by Earl Hamner, by Peter Coy and Tanya Kaye

Photos from Staged Readings:

All VPI Readings are Free!

All is Always Now, by Robert Wray

Slow Instructions, by Roy Robbins

Nobody's Wife, by Cindy Dlugolecki

The Grove at Illium, by Jane Ann Crum

Rose Harper, Kevin O'Donnell
in The Grove at Illium, by Jane Ann Crum

VPI Plays, 2008 - 2009

Revelations by Ryan Wender
The Tragedy of John Willkes Booth by Chris Gavaler
Therapy, The Musical by Phyllis Koch-Sheras
Red,White,Blue & Black, by Peter Gunter
The Viennese Patient, by Mark Edmundson
The Wild Duck by Henrik Ibsen, adaptation by Doug Grissom
Gabriel by Peter Coy
Blackout, by William A. Rough
All is Always Now, by Robert Wray
Slow Instructions, by Roy Robbins
Nobody's Wife, by Cindy Dlugolecki
The Grove at Illium, by Jane Ann Crum

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