4th Story Theater West End United Methodist Church 2200 West End Avenue Nashville, TN 37203

Contact: Elizabeth Pagano McGuire [email protected] 615-856-9361

“Cotton Patch ” Performances Set for November

NASHVILLE, TENN, September 2016 – The 4th Story Theater at West End United Methodist Church will present “Cotton Patch Gospel,” by Tom Key and Russell Treyz, with music and lyrics by just before his death in 1981. Directed by Kirk McNeill, artistic director of the 4th Story Theater, and performed by top local talent, the show is based on the book, “The Cotton Patch Version of Matthew and John,” by Clarence Jordan.

Winner of the Outstanding Achievement in Theater Award and the Los Angeles Drama Critics’ Circle Award, “Cotton Patch Gospel” is a jubilant retelling of the life of as if in modern day, rural Georgia. Kirk McNeill has set it in the 1960s.

Performances will be November 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12 (7:00 p.m.), and November 6 and 13 (3:00 p.m.). Tickets are Adults - $15, Children (12 and under) - $5 and available online at http://www.westendumc.org/cottonpatch.

CAST – Emily Baird-Crisohon, Melissa Emerson, Ann Gwinn, Brittany Nelson, Bob Sewell, and Michael Williams.

FEATURING – The Grateful Bluegrass Band, with Gary Beasley, Ray Hawthorne, Daniel McGinley, Jim McGinley, band leader, Harry Robinson, music director/conductor, Richard Starkey, and Svend Dahl Thomsen.

###

About the 4th Story Theater Newly revived, the 4th Story Theater at West End United Methodist Church features a state-of-the-art facility for theater production. Housed on the 4th floor of the church building, extensive remodeling and work has occurred over the last few years to make the venue one to be sought after. For more on the 4th Story Theater please visit westendumc.org/4th-story-theater.

What others are saying about “Cotton Patch Gospel:” “A down-home retelling of the New Testament” – The New York Times

“A dream come true. A breath of fresh air. Something good is happening. A reverential retelling of the book of Matthew. It takes the Bible’s passionate intensity and directness for contemporary meaning into the popular vein