The Montgomery County Arts Council will be celebrating 20 years of Hill Fire this fall. Hill Fire, Mississippi’s Folk Life Play, made its debut on Oct. 4, 2003. It was staged in the old Montgomery County Show Barn on Alberta Drive until 2012 when it moved to the Performing Arts Center in downtown Winona.
This folk life play has told numerous stories over the years. Its goal is to keep the memories alive by not only telling the stories, but also by making new generations aware of the legends, customs, and hardships of those who came before us. The history of our state and its communities have been forever preserved in the characters who have been portrayed on the Hill Fire stage.
To celebrate this milestone, MCAC will be presenting its 20th play entitled “New Beginnings” on Oct. 7, 8, and 12, 2023. This play is set in 1904-1905 during a time of turmoil for our little town. Not only did seven businesses burn in April of 1904, a few weeks later, the courthouse burned as well. The plot centers around the D.V. Billingsley family, the Anderson Campbell family, and the Dr. B.F. Ward family, along with nurses Susan Barrow and Malinda Sawyer, as they start over by rebuilding the town and making it a safer place to live. The public reading of this script will be held on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, at 10 a.m. in Winona at the Performing Arts Center located at 208 Summit Street. The public is invited to come and hear the reading of the script.
Then on Oct. 14, a reunion show will be presented featuring past and present cast members who will once again take the stage in a musical tribute to the past 20 years. Anyone who has been involved in a Hill Fire show is invited to join in the festivities. If you have ever been a cast or crew member and want to be a part of the celebration, please call or text 662-310-0199.
MCAC would like to thank everyone who has helped to keep Hill Fire strong. Its organizers are looking forward to serving this community for years to come.
