Award-winning Playwright to Read New Play

Sunday, June 11, 3 p.m., The Grange

— from Tish Knapp —

The reading of a new play written by John Maxwell, brother of Tish Knapp and Jen Macy will be performed at the Grange on June 11 at 3:00 in the afternoon. The name of the play will grab you if nothing else in the article does.

“Buck-Nekkid for Jesus” is a two-act play based in the fictional town of Moon Mountain, Mississippi. Billy Boston who owns a struggling service station is haunted by his past and in a personal way is reminded of that past every day. It is a rollicking, randy, raw and profound romp to redemption with a surprise ending that will entertain and inspire. The cast consists of Billy Boston, a tired and frazzled 46 year old man trying to cope. Judd Boston, a 32 year old man/boy still living with his mother. Maggie Boston, the 45 year old mother to Judd and sister to Billy. Wilbur Black, a 65 year old story teller who loves to eat and ruminate. Sister Lurleen Ruda Lee Pearl, a “faith healer” who thinks Jesus is sexy and has a very bizarre mission to “save Billy’s soul!”

John Maxwell is an award-winning playwright and touring actor best known for “Oh, Mr. Faulkner, Do You Write?”, his one man show based on the life of William Faulkner which has become a Southern Classic. The screen version of the Faulkner show won Maxwell the Best Actor Award at the 2006 Atlanta Film Festival.

He has performed at venues that include The Bottom Line (New York), The Smithsonian, Picolo Spoleto Festival, The Alliance Theatre, The Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and many others. He was honored to present the show at the Cultural Olympiad in Atlanta for an audience including nine Nobel Laureates and former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalyn.

The public is invited to come and listen and give John feedback at a reception immediately following the reading.