"I have known Harrison for several years, and am familiar with him and his success in writing his own plays. When the opportunity came up to work with him on developing a play of my own, I was eager to submit my name for participation in Next Rung Production’s Playwright Mentorship program. I knew Harrison’s experience would be valuable to helping a new playwright who had never written a full-length work before to come up with just the right concept, flesh out its details and deliver a play that I could be proud of, and hopefully people will enjoy. I have not been disappointed, and I'm grateful for his continued assistance and encouragement."
Barry Wallace (one of NRP's 2023 playwrights and creator of THE WOLF OF BADENOCH)
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FEEDBACK HIGHLIGHTS
The table reading for THE WOLF OF BADENOCH received the following comments in its talkback session:
“It’s a very challenging reflection on mortality and on morality.”
“A young man that is going through life making bad mistakes and later coming to wanting to redeem himself.”
“An exploration [...] Alexander’s understanding and relationship to death has changed.”
“How do you feel about the sacrifices you have to make for that type of power?”
“A teachable moment.”
Barry Wallace has worked in Knoxville community and professional theatre for over 30 years as a director, music director, actor and playwright and is a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a BA in Theatre. His most recent directing credit is Suite Surrender at Theatre Knoxville and past directing credits include Wait Until Dark, Night Must Fall, Happy Ending, Hay Fever and It’s a Wonderful Life. He was recently seen in the casts of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew and Measure for Measure with Tennessee Stage Company, Something Rotten with Tennessee Valley Players and Murder on the Orient Express with Theatre Knoxville, and has music directed The Fantasticks, The Music Man, Little Shop of Horrors, Chicago, Little Women, Peter Pan, Grease, Into the Woods and many more. His original one act play, Snallygaster, is part of Chicago’s New American Folk Theatre’s Jubilee dramatic anthology about life in Appalachia, and his short play, Black Balloons, won best screenplay at The 2022 10-Show Film Festival in Provo, Utah.
THE WOLF OF BADENOCH
by Barry Wallace
“The Wolf of Badenoch" explores the life and death of Alexander Stewart, a medieval warlord whose fundamental choices affected all of Scotland. Death has come to visit Alexander on the last day of his life and challenges him to a game of chess. But Death has some vital lessons for Alexander about those choices, as his immortal soul hangs in the balance.