The one-man play, A Life of Sorrow, the Life and Times of Carter Stanley, runs at N.C. Stage Co. from Wednesday, Aug. 12-Sunday, Aug. 16. It stars bluegrass enthusiast and historian Gary Reid. Tickets are $10, $16 and $20.
Press release from N.C. Stage:
Presented as a part of the Catalyst Series.
He played the music, he wrote the songs, and… he self-destructed.A Life of Sorrow, the Life and Times of Carter Stanley is a one-man play, with music, that allows today’s audiences to connect with a mountain music treasure.
Carter Stanley was an expressive singer, a prolific songwriter, and an engaging performer. The songs he wrote and the recordings he made helped form the foundation of a music that is now a world-wide phenomenon. With his brother, famed Appalachian performer Ralph Stanley, he fronted a bluegrass-styled band from 1946 until his untimely passing at the age of 41 in 1966.
Gone from the music scene for nearly 50 years now, his legacy is largely forgotten. Inspired by Hal Holbrook’s “Mark Twain Tonight,” the memory of Carter Stanley is vividly brought to life with engaging tales of life on the road, robust recollections of colorful entertainers from days gone by, his jealousies and insecurities, and his struggles with alcohol. There are also wistful flashbacks to childhood days on the family farm and how they fueled a bevy of songs that have since become classics. And much, much more!
A Life of Sorrow is the brainchild of Roanoke, Virginia, actor Gary Reid. A bluegrass enthusiast and historian for over 40 years, he is regarded as the foremost authority on the music of the Stanley Brothers. After many years of research, his book, The Music of the Stanley Brothers is now available! In 2009, he conceived the idea of putting together a one-man show about Carter Stanley. To that end, he took two semesters of acting at Virginia Western Community College and has since appeared in more than 60 productions and events at regional community theatres as an actor, producer, and stage manager and has appeared in several short films and commercials.
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