BURKE’S GARDEN PROVIDES A QUAINT AND QUIET GETAWAY

A trip to Burke’s Garden is a trip back in time. Located in remote Tazewell County in Southwest Virginia, this farming community includes 14 Amish families who still rely on horse and buggies and foot-powered scooters for transportation.

Before you enter the valley, you are encouraged to get gas at the intersection of Virginia routes 61 and 623, where old-fashioned pumps require motorists to pay inside. There are no gas stations, or even stoplights, in Burke’s Garden. Route 623 winds through deciduous forests on the north side of Garden Mountain and is the only paved road into the valley. (If you come in the gravel road from the south, it’s suggested you bring a chainsaw.)

The name Burke’s Garden conjures a fertile place full of flowers and vegetables, and while there are some big gardens and a greenhouse, this unique spot in Southwest Virginia is mostly a cattle-farming community.

Vast fields for grazing extend as far as the eye can see when viewed from the southwestern rim of this valley, often called “God’s Thumbprint.” The valley is circled by Garden Mountain and sits 3,100 feet above sea level, making it the highest valley in the state.

My husband and I hiked the 1.5-mile section on the Appalachian Trail to Chestnut Knob for a spectacular view of the valley. The AT continues along the spine of Garden Mountain on its southern rim. The mountains around it rise to 4,408 feet on the ridge of Beartown Wilderness.

The oval, bowl-like valley was once the bed of an ancient sea. About 8.5 miles long and four miles wide, the valley resembles a large volcanic crater, but it was actually formed when underground limestone caverns collapsed. Limestone is reflected in the milky color of the streams that flow through the landscape.

If you are looking for a quiet getaway in a peaceful setting, this is the spot. A few folks have Airbnb rentals, including Tamra Blackburn, who lives just outside the valley. In late September, we spent a lovely three-day weekend in her “Cabin at Little Creek” with a view of the backside of Garden Mountain. Barred owls and screech owls serenaded us at night before we drove into the valley to enjoy one of the darkest skies in the state. The Milky Way shone brightly across the 180-degree sky.

Amish families don’t use electricity and the 300 or so folks who live in the valley are scattered. There are no streetlights or stadiums to pollute the night sky with too much light, making it a perfect spot for amateur astronomers.

We visited Burke’s Garden for its annual Fall Festival, held the last Saturday in September, which attracts nearly 10,000 visitors to this corner of the state. More than 100 vendors sold crafts, art, and food, while local bands played country and bluegrass at the Burke’s Garden Community Center.

Colorful pocketbooks, dresses, brightly painted pumpkins, and waist-high carvings of bears were among the homemade items for sale. Barbecue sandwiches, grilled corn-on-the-cob, warm glazed donuts, and hand-churned ice cream satisfied hungry visitors. Pumpkins, winter squash, mums, and honey were on sale at nearby Rolling Gardens Farm.

Sara White, who has organized the festival for the last two years, said she would like to see it grow even bigger. A native of Burke’s Garden, White said the festival, which just celebrated its 32nd year, used to have more local participants. “When I was little, everybody’s house had something set up,” she said. White would like to increase local participation again. Most of the vendors are from outside of the valley—from nearby hamlets or even West Virginia and North Carolina. Proceeds from the festival help pay for the bands and upkeep of the community center.

We enjoyed the festival, but we also liked the quieter day before, when we ate a buffet dinner at the General Store, run by an Amish family from Ohio. Skylights provided the primary light indoors as the sun sank behind the mountains, and chicken cooked in a smoker outside near the porch, where we ate. The store is full of jams, jellies, candies, and other items produced by Amish in Ohio, while the local, warm homemade bread melts in your mouth.

Mattie’s Place is the only other store and restaurant in Burke’s Garden, located off Gose Mill Road. Her selection of breads is even larger and her breakfasts and lunches are popular among locals and visitors alike. Bicycles are also available for rent at her store.

The Burke’s Garden Artisan Guild is a new arts cooperative that features handmade art of some 40 local artists including giant hex signs, colorful quilts, paintings, wood carvings, and other pieces. Many of the barns around the valley display hex signs.

The clearest symbol of Amish culture, however, is the horse and buggy, which serves as the primary means of propulsion for these people, who speak Pennsylvania German, also known as Pennsylvania Dutch. Schoolchildren use scooters to travel to and from their small schoolhouse in their traditional clothing.

In the 1990s, a small number of Amish families moved to Burke’s Garden, but later they moved out after being unable to purchase enough land and attract enough other Amish families to form a viable community. In recent years, the Amish have returned to Burke’s Garden and have a thriving community.

Long before their arrival, however, the area was occupied by varying cultures of indigenous peoples. Burke’s Garden was first surveyed by Europeans in 1748. One of the surveying party, James Burke, is said to have thrown away or planted some potato peelings while cooking around a campfire. A year later, when the party returned, they found a bumper crop of potatoes. The area was dubbed Burke’s Garden as something of a joke, but the name stuck.

In the late 19th century, agents for the Vanderbilt family tried to buy land for a large estate in Burke’s Garden. Nobody wanted to sell, and the Vanderbilts instead constructed their Biltmore Estate near Asheville, North Carolina.

A National Historic District, Burke’s Garden boasts a Lutheran Church dating to 1871, along with its 180-year-old cemetery.

Burke’s Garden is a popular spot in October, when the mountains blaze with fall color. Winter can be harsh and almost impossible to get in and out during snowstorms. It’s often 10 degrees cooler in this high valley than in the lower ones nearby, which can make it a lovely place to visit in the spring or summer as well.

Bird watchers will find spring and fall migrants as well as year-round residents, including bald eagles.

Whether you come to birdwatch, hike, bike, stargaze, or visit the Fall Festival, Burke’s Garden is a quiet retreat to a slower pace of life, where it’s perfectly acceptable to do nothing at all.

OLD CITY CEMETERY MARKS 25 YEARS OF ITS BELOVED FESTIVAL

With over 700 roses for sale, the Old City Cemetery Antique Rose Festival (April 25 – May 31) is currently the largest public rose sale in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The founding of the festival can be traced back to 1985 and the late Lynchburg resident Carl Cato, who founded the Heritage Rose Group in 1975 and had become quite noteworthy in rose circles. Jane White, the driving force behind the revitalization of Old City Cemetery, met Cato and knew he was just the man who could help her breathe life back into Lynchburg’s “grave garden.”

They started with “The Old Brick Wall”—the 800-foot remains of the cemetery’s 1860s brick boundary wall—where Cato suggested they tell the story of the history of roses in chronological order. Cato got busy formulating his planting plan. His original antique rose collection was planted in 1986 along the old brick wall. The first 60 varieties planted represented rose history from before 1581 through the 19th century.

Meanwhile, Jane White had other dreams—and her wheels really started turning after a trip with a couple of friends to the William Paca House and Garden in Annapolis, Maryland. “They were having the loveliest perennial plant sale where they served rose petal punch and rose petal tea sandwiches. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!” White recalls. On the drive home, the trio was convinced they could do something similar with much success at Old City Cemetery. They shared the idea with Cato, who suggested they make it a “rose cutting” sale—and, so they did.

In the very early days, the roses were all ordered in and they weren’t more than two inches tall. “To look at them you’d wonder if they would survive,” she said. “We had to fluff them up to make them look like anything.”

There were other challenges as well—from the logistics of setting up the sale to organizing the large number of volunteers. “[One of the volunteers] was good at putting up clotheslines and thought that would be a good way to hang up the signs that describe the roses we were selling. With a little practice, we came up with what I think is a pretty good system,” White said.

The festival occurs during the height of bloom yet still in time for roses to be planted before the really hot summer temperatures set in. The roses are started locally at Irvington Spring Farm so they are acclimatized and are more established. The majority of roses for sale today have been started from cuttings from the roses on the grounds. “They look so much better now than they ever did,” White said.

During the month of the sale, people travel from far and wide to shop for roses. Often, rose collectors will have their list in hand as so many of these roses are rare and not available on the market. On opening day, you’ll find a line that extends several blocks as these collectors try to find what they are looking for.

Volunteer rose enthusiasts are on hand to help people make their selections. Carolyn Bell has been a faithful “rose educator” during 15 of the 25 festivals. “I thoroughly enjoy the pleasure of taking a customer from a vague, uncertain starting point, where all they can think of saying is they want ‘something that smells good’ or ‘something they can’t kill’ to finding a rose or roses they’re excited to take home,” Bell explained.

Bruce Christian, former executive director and rose devotee, agrees. “It’s fun to match a person to a species based on maybe three or four wants that person has,” he explained. “Besides, I cannot count the number of people who come looking for something in particular and leave thrilled to have something they might never have considered.”

There is no stereotypical rose admirer. Their reasons for coming to the festival are so different—from young couples looking for something pretty at their new home to those looking for a rose whose color and fragrance reminds them of their mother or grandmother. Bell recalls, “a burly Marine, wearing a baseball cap and a tank top, covered in tattoos, who obviously loved roses and knew a lot about growing them.” At another sale, she recalled speaking to a woman who was choosing a rose to plant at the gravestone of her brother, a service member who had recently died in action.

Now, 25 years later, Old City Cemetery is diversifying offerings available at the sale. Additional roses have been ordered from various sources around the United States. They are selected based on their American Rose Society designation for disease resistance, hardiness and beauty as well as the function they play in the landscape. There are roses that will grow well in pots as well as climbers that will cover a wall.

The sale helps to raise funds for the care of the roses grown on the property. “What Old City Cemetery does a great job of doing is telling the stories of these antique roses and providing a source for them,” said Christian. “I find the tours open people’s eyes to both history and the chance to see and smell up close, putting a face, scent, and touch to ‘the exotic’.”

The cemetery operates under the belief that the more people know about and appreciate these old garden roses the better their chance of long-term survival. “Giving the tours of the roses during the festival adds so much to the people’s experience. Carl Cato’s goal in life was to save these old roses,” White said. “By getting them into the hands of the people we are not only preserving the rose for us, but we’re saving them so they are not lost and forgotten way into the future.”

---

Why Roses?

Traditionally, roses and cemeteries go hand in hand. Cemeteries are a natural place to find many old rose varieties due to the tradition of families bringing a “slip” from a rose at their home and planting them in the family’s burial plot.

Roses have been used in art as symbols of the resurrection for centuries. During both the pre-Victorian and the Victorian eras, roses were carved as symbols on tombstones that told people passing by about who was “sleeping” there. For example, an unopened rosebud was used on an infant or a very young child’s stone to symbolize the start of life that was cut short. A fully open bloom with a severed stem signifies an adult whose death was sudden and unexpected.

When you come to see the blooming roses during the Rose Festival, you can find some of these stone carvings for yourself.

A Bedford County custom build full of color and contrast

Photos by Laura Beth Davidson

Before Jill Rufus can answer a knock on the front door, the family’s Golden Retriever, Hershey, has long beaten her to it. Almost on cue, the gentle giant lays down on the foyer rug, rolls over onto his back, and stops—hoping for a belly rub from this new stranger-turned-best friend.

It’s a very fitting welcome to the Rufus household. While the impressive craftsman-style home is impeccably styled down to the very last detail, there is a down-to-earth vibe here. From her husband Jim’s obvious aversion to wearing a tucked-in button down and khakis to Jill’s easy and approachable conversation, this is a place where it’s okay to kick off your shoes and be yourself.

Jill and Jim—owners of real estate and rental investment company The Rufus Group—stumbled across the “Tranquility” house plan by Garrell Associates while attending a party at a friend’s house in 2012. With four sons—now ages 16, 17, 18 and 20—they were outgrowing their current space, a traditional historic home.
“What sold us on [the new house] was the open spaces, and I liked the different levels of the ceilings,” Jill said, adding that only three homes of this style have been built in the Lynchburg area. “It’s not cookie cutter.”

Neither are Jill’s décor choices—she’s not afraid to mix colors, patterns and textures. “I’ve just always been attracted to color,”
Jill said. Turquoise is one of her most-used hues.

The living room is especially vibrant with its floor-to-ceiling wall featuring patterned hardwood tiles from Mirth Studio, based in Charleston. “I call this my Charleston room,” Jill said. The couch, zebra-inspired ottoman, and large floral oil painting over the fireplace are all Charleston finds.

While Jill has always been a do-it-yourself kind of person, (she also is part owner of Ideal Cabinets of Lynchburg and oversees kitchen designs and other renovation projects regularly), she recalls a gentle nudge to get some design help as they built. “We were about 25 percent in when the kitchen designer said, ‘do you not have an interior designer?’” Jill recalled. “It had never dawned on me at all.”

The friend with the same house plan they saw at that party, Kate Avello, agreed to take on the job. Because she had lived in the same house, and had a similar modern style to Jill’s, it was an easy fit. “We had a really good time together,” Jill said.

Instead of always focusing on perfection, Jill loves to talk about all of the things that went wrong throughout the building process—but ended up being “happy accidents.”

In the keeping room right off the kitchen, dark wood, mirrored inserts frame the fireplace and instantly catch the eye. They were designed by a jeweler-turned-home builder, who also does other custom projects. He laser cut the design, but the final pieces were too small. “Jimmy did the measurements one day, and I took a pic of those and sent them to the builder,” she explained. “Well, apparently Jimmy’s 7 looked like a 1.”

This led to a months-long back and forth between the designer, decorative painter, installation crew and mirror company to come up with a plan to salvage the original design: “But it was all worth it in the end,” she said.

There are other “happy accidents” in the kitchen—featuring antique white cabinets and a leathered granite in Antarctica white.

The Rufuses chose to not only increase the size of the island but also double stack the granite—which caused the slab to sag. Jill had meticulously measured the space and bought chairs. At first, she was frustrated they wouldn’t fit with the added support posts. “Our builder said, ‘Jill… put two of the chairs on each side. You’re going to have better conversation that way.’ Now, I love that.”

The kitchen is truly the heart of the Rufus home. “We usually eat right here [at the island],” she said. “The computers go up and everyone just hangs out.”

It’s also a place that Jimmy shows off one of his hidden talents. “His degree is in hotel/restaurant management. He does everything involving cooking,” she said. “I don’t cook at all!”

The Rufuses enjoy hosting dinner parties in their formal dining room a few times a year. But even when they aren’t expecting company, the table is always set. “Every time people come over they are like, ‘Are you about to have a party?’ For my eye, I like to see that it looks put together and not empty.”

A herringbone dresser in the dining room ties into the other black and white accents found in the home. It’s the only piece of furniture that came from their old house, a $300 auction win. “Other things I’ve shed,” she explained, “but that will always stay with me.”

In the master bedroom, the brighter colors found in the rest of the home are taken down a notch—including the classic drapes, a $50 find from Estates and Consignments. Chandelier-style lamps give the room another touch of elegance.

On the tray ceiling, a decorative painter, who also did work in other parts of the home, created a unique bronze design. Again, Jill wasn’t worried about perfection. “Kate called me and said, ‘Jill, it’s not even.’ I said, ‘No, I kind of like it like that.’ Because the painter freehanded it. And it’s another part of the story of this house.”

Jill and Jim reminisced about another “happy accident” many years ago. With two young sons already, they were finalizing plans to adopt a newborn baby boy, when Jill found out she was pregnant. “My life at that time was a blur,” she said. “Is he a happy accident? He is. I would have definitely been done after our third.”

Opening their home to a child in need came second nature to the Rufuses. Jill’s previous career was running an infant adoption agency. It was also in this season where she developed a passion for interior design. “I would go on these home visits all over the state and was just wowed by some of the interiors I saw,” she said.

The main level powder room is the room for the daughter Jill never had, she joked. It’s the smallest, but loudest, room in the house—inspired by the beachy prints of
Lilly Pulitzer. “The boys will bring the girls they are dating in here and show it off,” she laughed.

The Rufuses four sons all live at home and have plenty of space to themselves. Right off the foyer is a set of open stairs leading to the basement, where there are three of the boys’ bedrooms, a kitchen, billiards room and home movie theater.

It’s a major upgrade from their last home, where all of the boys shared one bathroom. While Jill certainly has moments where she misses their younger years, she’s also the type of mom who thrives in the present. “Years ago, my first house was very matchy matchy. It looked like kids lived there and I wanted it to look that way,” said Jill. “But I knew once my kids were older, I could really invest in stuff that would stay nice. Once that time came, I knew and did exactly what I had always wanted to do.”

“Best Of” Omission
We made a mistake and accidentally omitted the Best Tattoo Studio category from our Best Of Lynchburg Awards featured in the January/February issue. We have apologized to those affected and have taken steps to make sure this clerical error doesn’t happen in the future. Below are the following winners in that category:

Gold
Kiss of Ink Tattoo

Silver
Caspian Tattoo

Bronze
Jesse James Ink Tattoos

Honorable Mention
Lucky Penny Tattoos
S and J Visual Art Productions

---

Great Job!
“Tobi, thank you for doing such a great job writing the feature about Gospel Community Church! We love it, and think you did a fantastic job weaving together so many details and elements from the history to current day. Shelley, thanks for including us and please thank Chris, as always, for a fantastic layout and eye-catching design; the whole book is a great issue—kudos!” – Jennifer Redmond, Communications Director at Gospel Community Church (“New Life,” January/February 2020)

“I just read your article on hugelkultur from January 1st and was blown away that other people in Lynchburg care about permaculture design! Do any of you know of any local permaculture groups, clubs, or communities here? Great article, by the way!” – Nate Hornbeck, (“Hugelkultur,” January/February 2020)

---

Top Teacher Tour
Editor Shelley Basinger was determined to surprise each of our 15 Top Teachers at their schools this year. So in January, she scheduled 15 school visits in roughly three weeks. It was a lot of work—but it was more than worth it to make these teachers smile! Here is a look at a few of her visits:

“I was so surprised and excited to receive this award! What an honor!” – Kate Dillard, surprised at the Altavista Elementary faculty meeting

“Thank you for stopping by yesterday, Shelley. What an honor.” – Elizabeth Wendland, surprised during class at the Bedford Science and Technology Center

“Thank you for the presentation you made at our faculty meeting last week. I was caught completely off-guard!” – Mike Bremer, surprised during a faculty meeting at Sandusky Middle School

“That was sweet of you to take the time to come to our school to present the award. I am very appreciative of the honor…” – Lynn Tolley, surprised in front of an assembly at Amelon Elementary School

“Thank you so much for surprising me with the beautifully framed and matted award, it was such an honor to receive.” – Yvonne Hansotte, surprised during a horticulture class at Brookville High School

“I was totally surprised and consider it such an honor!” – Fred Schmidt, surprised while he taught math at Jefferson Forest High School

---

We Want To hear From You!
Send us an e-mail to shelley@lynchburgmag.com. Correspondents must identify themselves; names may be withheld on request. Lynchburg Living may edit or condense.

Local photographer Laura Beth Davidson’s youngest daughters (twins) received this cardboard box for their third birthday in October and quickly took it outside. Their two older sisters joined the fun—and soon, her 8-year-old got a little creative. “Of course, just playing in the house would have been too simple,” Laura Beth joked. She grabbed her camera to capture the “mobile” home as it moved around in circles on the driveway. “Life with four children is exhausting,” Laura Beth said, “but it is certainly never boring!”

Photo by Laura Beth Davidson

SIMPLY VANILLA GOURMET CHEESECAKES OUTGROWS HOME KITCHEN AND MOVES INTO BRICK-AND-MORTAR RESTAURANT

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LUCAS MOORE

It all started with two broken legs. Jessica Kercher and her two-year-old daughter suffered the same injury in the same week. She wanted to thank a family friend for helping to take care of her daughter. With her husband out of town and no way to get to the grocery store, Jessica used what she had in the house to make one of the trickiest desserts: a cheesecake.

That family friend told a few people about the delicious cheesecake Jessica made, and word spread. Soon Jessica’s culinary skills were in high demand. Five years later, she owns Simply Vanilla Gourmet Cheesecakes, which grew from her kitchen to a new 1600-square-foot restaurant.

Jessica has always had a passion for culinary arts. After receiving a degree in hospitality management, she worked for Sodexo at Liberty University. Jessica left that position to start a family—and ultimately found her dream job. “I always felt like there was something more,” she says. “I loved talking to people, I loved customer service, and I loved the art form of pastries themselves.”

One of the first things Jessica did was come up with a name for her new business. “From the very beginning, it had a name. It had a brand. The brand spoke for itself. Simply Vanilla came from the fact that it came from one recipe, one idea. A simple idea,” Jessica says.

She secured food safety certifications to make cheesecakes in her kitchen. Then the Kercher family moved from Lynchburg to Forest to a home with a bigger kitchen—and the business grew from there. “I would wake up at 2 or 3 in the morning and I would bake until my kids had to go to school,” Jessica says. “So I knew I had a certain timeline. Eventually that timeline went all night.”

She sold out of pop-ups at River Ridge and partnered with other restaurants like Bean Tree Café and Mission House Coffee. As her cheesecakes gained even more popularity, she decided to bring on a team and pursue a brick-and-mortar store. In August 2019, they signed a lease and built their restaurant in a brand-new shopping center just off Route 221 in Forest.

When you walk into Simply Vanilla Gourmet Cheesecakes, you will see a display of 12 to 15 different cheesecake flavors. A four-inch cheesecake is $10. They also make quiches, scones and other baked goods from scratch, plus a different soup each day. Jessica wants customers to think of this as a meeting place—where you can eat lunch and get something sweet for dessert.

You can also order ahead, a popular choice around the holidays. And in February, Simply Vanilla debuted a new two-bite cheesecake option called “petites.”

Jessica says their top seller is the White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake. She sees a lot of customers try that on their first visit, then come back for something more adventurous, such as the Grasshopper or Red Velvet.

Her team put in a lot of work making sure the restaurant would be a success. They even visited pastry shops in France, taking notes on how they displayed their products. “It is a show when you walk in. It is an experience beyond the taste of the products,” Jessica says. “It is a full package deal when you walk in here.”

Simply Vanilla is a true family affair. Jessica’s husband Ahron Kercher (a nuclear engineer) is the technical expert. Travis Burckhard is the executive chef and his wife Donna is the marketing director. They have big plans for 2020, including the launch of a website where you can place online orders. Jessica says the next step is to offer made-to-order sandwiches and salads.

The team of 12 employees is going to keep testing out new offerings for customers. “The good thing about the business is that we get to play a lot more. We get to try different flavors, we get to play with different savory products,” Jessica says.

Making a cheesecake takes time—and patience. “There’s a reason why people stray away from cheesecake. It is very temperamental,” Jessica says. “It does require a specific process to keep it consistent.”

The team at Simply Vanilla Gourmet Cheesecakes is happy to do that work for you.

---

Simply Vanilla Gourmet Cheesecakes
1381 Crossings Centre Drive, Suite C, Forest, VA 24551
@SimplyVanillaGourmet on Facebook
Mon.-Wed. 7 a.m.-3 p.m. • Thurs. & Fri. 7 a.m.-6 p.m. • Sat. 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

A LOOK AHEAD TO THE AREA’S THEATER OPPORTUNITIES

Information Compiled by Emily Mook

If you’re a fan of the theater, the greater Lynchburg region has a little something for everyone. From high school students to professional actors, we are lucky to live in a community that invests in and supports its performers of all levels. To make it even easier, we’ve compiled our annual Theater Preview Guide to highlight the year’s upcoming local shows.

---

Community/Professional

Academy Center of the Arts
600 Main Street, Lynchburg
academycenter.org

Community Through Theatre Presents: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
“Christopher, 15 years old, stands beside Mrs. Shears’ dead dog. It has been speared with a garden fork, it is seven minutes after midnight and Christopher is under suspicion.”
March 7, March 12-14 at 7:30 p.m.,
March 8 and 15 at 2 p.m. at the Joy & Lynch Christian Warehouse Theatre

Opera on the James Presents: The Barber of Seville
“The story is simple: a handsome young nobleman is in love with an independent-minded young woman, who is kept under constant surveillance by her elderly (and ill-tempered) guardian. Enter the Barber, who, through various ruses—one of which includes a mountain of shaving cream—saves the day.”
March 27 at 7 p.m., March 29 at 2 p.m. at the Historic Academy Theatre

Academy Presents:
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood LIVE!
“Daniel Tiger and his family—along with O the Owl, Miss Elaina, Katerina Kittycat, Prince Wednesday, and more familiar friends—will take audiences on an interactive adventure to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, sharing stories of friendship, helping others and celebrating new experiences.”
April 5 at 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. at the Historic Academy Theatre

Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest Presents: A Conversation with Mr. Jefferson Featuring Frederick Douglass
“Thomas Jefferson is joined by famed abolitionist, autobiographer, and orator Frederick Douglass for a fascinating look at their lives and legacies.”
April 25 at 7 p.m. at the Historic Academy Theatre

Academy Presents: Reduced Shakespeare Company: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]
“All 37 Plays in 97 Minutes! The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] is an irreverent, fast-paced romp through the Bard’s plays.”
May 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Historic Academy Theatre

Endstation Theatre Company
2500 Rivermont Avenue, Lynchburg
endstationtheatre.org
* All evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. All matinee performances begin at 2 p.m.

On Golden Pond
“The plot focuses on aging couple Ethel and Norman Thayer, who spend each summer at their home on a lake called Golden Pond. … The play explores the often turbulent relationship [the daughter] shared with her father growing up and the difficulties faced by a couple in the twilight years of a long marriage.”
June 19-21, 23-28 at Thoresen Theatre, Randolph CollegeCollege

Bye Bye Birdie
“Bye Bye Birdie is an American musical about fictional pop sensation Conrad Birdie and his final performance before being drafted to the army.
He promises a song and a kiss to a typical American teenager on the Ed Sullivan Show.”
July 14-19, 21-26 at the Warehouse Theatre, Academy Center of the Arts

The Twelve Dates of Christmas
“Christmas celebrations are just around the corner and Shirley the Partridge has got some problems to solve. The French Hens are arguing, the six geese have flown to Florida for the winter and worst of all… someone has stolen the Five Golden Rings!”
December 17-20, location TBD

Little Town Players
931 Ashland Avenue, Bedford
www.littletownplayers.com

I Hate Hamlet
“TV star Andrew Rally is about to start rehearsals to play Hamlet—and he is terrified. In the midst of his confusion, he is visited by the ghost of legendary actor John Barrymore.” Directed by David Walton.
March 13-15, 20-22

Once Upon a Mattress
“This musical comedy opened off-Broadway in 1959 before moving to Broadway. It was written as an adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, ‘The Princess and the Pea.’” Directed by Denis F. Deane.
June 5-7, 12-14
*Friday and Saturday night shows begin at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday shows at 2 p.m.

Renaissance Theatre
1022 Commerce Street, Lynchburg
renaissancetheatrelynchburg.org
* Thursday, Friday, and Saturday shows begin at 8 p.m., doors open at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees begin at 3 p.m., doors open at 2:30 p.m.

M*A*S*H: The Play
“The staff of a Korean War field hospital use humor and hijinks to keep their sanity in the face of the horror of war. Some of your favorite characters from the TV show are here: Radar O’Reilly, Painless the dentist and, of course, Hawkeye. Join us for the hilarity as they run amok in the 4077 MASH!”
March 1, 5-7

Other Desert Cities
“Brooke Wyeth returns home to celebrate Christmas. She announces that she is about to publish a memoir dredging up a pivotal and tragic event in the family’s history—a wound they don’t want reopened.”
April 24-25 and May 1-3, 7-9

Nana’s Naughty Knickers
“What Bridget saw as a unique opportunity to stay with her favorite Nana in New York for the summer quickly turns into an experience she’ll never forget! Her sweet Grandma is running an illegal boutique from her apartment, selling hand-made naughty knickers to every senior citizen in the five-borough area!”
July 10-11, 17-19, 23-25

Sister Act
“When disco diva Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody in a convent! Using her unique disco moves and singing talent to inspire the choir, Deloris breathes new life into the church and community but, in doing so, blows her cover.”
October 2-3, 9-11, 15-17

A Good Old Fashioned Redneck Country Christmas
“Bill, Dave, and Jimmy have had it with their women! Even though it’s Christmas Eve, the boys decide to hightail it into the mountains for a little hunting and a lot of beer. It’s gonna take a Christmas miracle to get these redneck families back together.”
December 4-5, 11-13, 17-19

Wolfbane Productions
618 Country Club Road, Appomattox
wolfbane.org
* Thursday, Friday, & Saturday Performances: All shows start at 8 p.m., doors open at 7 p.m.
* Sunday Performances: All shows except Young Frankenstein start at 3 p.m., doors open at 2 p.m. Young Frankenstein Sunday performances start at 8 p.m., doors open at 7 p.m.

Steel Magnolias
“Picture it: anybody who’s anybody comes to get their hair done here. Winner of Wolfbane’s 2020 Audience Choice poll, get up close and personal with the ladies like never before: no stage, no curtain, just hair… and a little bit of gossip.”
May 7-10, 14-17, 21-24, 28-31 at The Wolf Den indoor venue

Young Frankenstein
“Based on the hilarious Mel Brooks classic, with all your favorite characters: the famous doctor Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced ‘Fronk-en-steen’), the hunchbacked sidekick Igor (pronounced ‘Eye-gore’), the leggy lab assistant Inga (pronounced normally), and more!”
October 8-11, 15-18, 22-25,
October 29-November 1 at the Wolf PAC outdoor venue

Stranger Sings
“Written exclusively for Wolfbane by Cinco Paul, this highly energetic, feel-good parody returns just in time for the holidays! Based on the first season of the hit Netflix show ‘Stranger Things,’ join Chopper and Twelve (see what we did there) as they journey through another dimension with Eggos, Demogorgons, and Madonna.”
December 3-6, 10-13, 17-20 at the Wolf Den indoor venue

---

College

Liberty Tower Theater/Alluvion Stage Company
1971 University Boulevard, Lynchburg
liberty.edu/academics/art/theatre & alluvionstage.com

Sonic-Con Audio Theatre Convention
“Sonic-Con is an audio theatre convention featuring interactive workshops, industry professionals, and live radio dramas. The convention will be the 20th-22nd, but we’ll have select performances available on the evenings of the 23rd and 24th. Tickets to the public performances sold separately from the convention passes.”
March 23-24 at 7:30 p.m. at Liberty University

The Drowsy Chaperone (Academic Performance)
“Hailed by New York Magazine as ‘The Perfect Broadway Musical,’ The Drowsy Chaperone is a masterful meta-musical, poking fun at all the tropes that characterize the musical theatre genre.”
April 17-18, 21, 23-25 at 7:30 p.m.,
April 18 and 25 at 2 p.m.,
April 26 at 3 p.m. at the Tower Theater

University of Lynchburg Theatre
1501 Lakeside Drive, Lynchburg
lynchburg.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/theatre/

Curtain Call Musical Theatre Cabaret
“Come share a night of heartfelt joy, laughter and of course, singing. With music from Bright Star, Once, Big River and more!”
March 27-28 at 7:30 p.m. at Dillard Theatre

Student Theatre Production (production TBD)
“Entirely produced and executed by students working collaboratively to find their own vision and voice. Mature themes and language.”
April 22-24 at 7 p.m. at Studio Theatre Stage

Randolph College Theatre
2500 Rivermont Avenue, Lynchburg
randolphcollege.edu/theatre

The Mousetrap
“A timeless tale of ‘whodunit,’ Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap strands seven strangers at Monkswell Manor during a blizzard. But a police sergeant unexpectedly arrives, worried that a murderer-at-large is among the guests of the Manor.” Directed by Stephanie Holladay Earl.
April 9-12, times TBD

Sweet Briar Theater
135 Chapel Road, Sweet Briar
sbc.edu/arts/theatre-productions/

Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker
“Sweet Briar Theatre presents the acclaimed play by Annie Baker about how a community acting workshop gradually reveals the hopes, fears, and unresolved conflicts among a random group of people in a small New England town. This play is directed by Sarah Jane Grubb as part of her senior project in Theatre.”
May 8-9 at 7:30 p.m. at Babcock Studio Theater

---

Youth

Cavalier Theatre
(Jefferson Forest High School)
1 Cavalier Circle, Forest
sites.google.com/bedford.k12.va.us/cavaliertheatrehome/home

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
“The classic story tells of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress! If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed into his former self. But time is running out.”
April 30, May 1-3, May 7-8 at 7 p.m.,
May 9-10 at 3 p.m.

City on a Hill Youth Theater
219 Breezewood Drive, Lynchburg
facebook.com/CityOnAHillYouthTheater

Pride and Prejudice
“Finding a husband is hardly Elizabeth Bennet’s most urgent priority. But with four sisters, an overzealous match-making mother, and a string of unsuitable suitors, it’s difficult to escape the subject.”
April 23-May 2, times TBD

Brookville Theatre (Brookville High School)
100 Laxton Road, Lynchburg
facebook.com/BrookvilleHighSchoolTheatre/

42nd Street
“Aspiring chorus girl Peggy Sawyer comes to the big city from Allentown, PA, and soon lands her first big job in the ensemble of a glitzy new Broadway show.”
April 2-3 at 7 p.m., April 4 at 2 p.m.
and 7 p.m., April 5 at 2 p.m.

Fame JR.
“Set during the last years of New York City’s celebrated High School for the Performing Arts in the early 1980s, Fame JR. is the bittersweet, but ultimately inspiring, story of a diverse group of students who commit to four years of grueling artistic and academic work.”
May 21-22 at 7 p.m., May 23 at 2 p.m.

Glass Theatre
(E.C. Glass High School)
211 Memorial Avenue, Lynchburg
ecglasstheatre.org

In the Heights
“Lin Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood—a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music.”
April 29-30, May 1-3 at 7 p.m.

Pioneer Theatre (Heritage High School)
3101 Wards Ferry Road, Lynchburg
lcsedu.net/schools/hhs/about/activities/pioneer-theatre

Roald Dahl’s Matilda, The Musical
“Matilda is a little girl with astonishing wit, intelligence, and psychokinetic powers. She’s unloved by her cruel parents but impresses her schoolteacher, the highly loveable Miss Honey.”
April 3-4 and April 9-11 at 7 p.m.,
April 5 at 3 p.m.

Liberty Christian Academy Theatre
3701 Candlers Mountain Road, Lynchburg
facebook.com/TheatreLca/

The Sound of Music
“Set in Austria on the eve of the Anschluss in 1938, the musical tells the story of Maria, who takes a job as governess to a large family while she decides whether to become a nun.”
May 14-15 at 7 p.m., May 16 at 2 p.m.
and 7 p.m., May 17 at 3 p.m. at Liberty University’s Tower Theatre

SIMPLE AND ENDLESSLY VERSATILE, THIS RECIPE COULD BE THE MAIN ATTRACTION OF A STRESS-FREE WEEKNIGHT DINNER PARTY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RJ GOODWIN

The best parties are the fun ones—the ones you leave with a smile on your face. But if you are the host, there can sometimes be too much to do to enjoy your own event. Take heed—these three tips for stress-free party planning will help you relax and enjoy the night:

1. Weeknight over weekend. Everyone’s weekends are so busy that scheduling becomes a nightmare. Why not pick a weeknight when more of your guests are available? Since nobody expects you to take the day off to cook and clean, expectations are automatically lower, and by having people over on a weeknight, they tend to say goodnight faster.

2. Keep the guest list small. The best parties are often the smaller ones, giving you a chance to have more interesting conversations and get to know your friends on a closer level. Inviting 4-6 guests is a good number for that, without too much work involved.

3. Cook only one thing. It’s tempting to try too hard and attempt more dishes than you should. Keep the menu simple, but make things festive by serving in nice dishes. Plan to make only one thing yourself and assemble the rest. For instance, the recipe below for a savory Dutch Baby makes for a fun, dramatic (but quick) main course. Serve with a Spinach-Strawberry salad and some good ice cream with store-bought pound cake for dessert and you have a party!

Dutch Baby
Makes 4-6 servings per “baby”
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min

INGREDIENTS
3 extra large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
2+1 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur brand)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

RECIPE PREPARATION
Place a 12” cast iron skillet in the oven and heat to 450 degrees. Let skillet heat up for 20 minutes while you prepare the batter.

In a regular blender, blend eggs until frothy, about 30 seconds. Add milk and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and blend for another 10 seconds. Add flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper and blend just to combine.

Remove the skillet from oven and carefully pour remaining 1 tablespoon of butter into it and swirl quickly to coat. Before the butter burns, pour the blender-batter into the skillet. Bake until settled in the middle and puffy and brown around the edges. Don’t worry if one side is taller than the other; that’s part of the fun (and it will sink down, somewhat).

TOPPING IDEAS
A Dutch Baby lends itself equally well to both savory and sweet toppings without changes to the recipe. It’s a blank canvas for being creative! Here are some of my favorites:

• Mascarpone, berries and powdered sugar (great, make-ahead dessert!)

• Mozzarella, pepperoni and basil (add topping and then bake under broiler for a few minutes to melt cheese)

• Thinly sliced gravlax, sour cream and dill (trust me, it’s delicious!)

• Sautéed kale, crispy bacon, and shaved Parmesan (I like green curly kale because it’s very mild)

Oil Paint Artist Embraces Her “Inner Child”

PHOTOS BY LUCAS MOORE

Lynchburg Living Editor Shelley Basinger: Amy, we’ve been hearing a lot about you as an artist. Some even calling you a “visionary”! How would you describe your artwork?
Amy Burczyk: It’s a juxtaposition between child-like presentation and serious subject matter. There is a use of color and characters that’s easy to relate to. I’ve also been called an illustrator—and I’m fine with that. I just paint my interpretation of stories or the stories that pop into my head. I just let my imagination run without all the constraints of being an adult all the time.

SB: Can you give us one example?
AB: “Time to Make the Donuts” is the story of working women in a man’s world. She does it all—raises the kids and brings home the bacon, both represented by the pig. The squid represents her ability to multitask in a dog-eat-dog world. She does not climb the ladder, but steps down—does she recognize the need for balance? Those around her express disdain, incredulity and a patronizing superiority, while her demeanor is unmoved by them.

SB: Where did you get the idea to approach artwork in this way?
AB: It was less of an idea than it was a reaction to a phase of my life and what I was going through about 8 years ago. My kids were grown, my marriage was over and I found myself in Virginia. It was a complete 180 from what I had known. It was scary; I felt very alone. But, at the same time, it was very freeing. There was no one else that I had to please and I had a lot of time for reflection. My meltdown came while unpacking. I found my antique copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and it was ruined! I had always liked art as a child so I painted my first work in Virginia, “Cheshire Cat.” It opened up a whole new world for me and was so much cheaper than therapy.

SB: At what point did you realize you were doing more than just healing… but were able to sell your work?
AB: I stopped in to a little cafe in South Boston—Southern Plenty, owned and operated by Mary Bagwell who is an amazing artist and chef—and she was selling some local artists’ work out of the cafe.
I showed her a picture of a couple of my pieces and asked her if she would consider selling mine. She said NO. Instead, she sent me to the Prizery where Chris Jones offered me my first show here in Virginia! Thank you Mary and Chris!

SB: It’s so awesome to look back on the people who helped us get to where we are. How are you involved in the Lynchburg art community now?
AB: I become a member of the Lynchburg Art Club two years ago. There are so many talented members; I was really rather intimidated to join the club with all that talent! But they were so receptive to my work, even though it was very different from theirs. I won an award at a juried show and their response was, “Let’s give you a show.” I’ve had a few exhibits at private businesses and the Lynchburg Humane Society, but it wasn’t until I joined the Lynchburg Art Club that I received any real notice here in Lynchburg. I was also given the opportunity to do a pop-up show at Riverviews Art Space—Kim, Meg and Stephen have really made Riverviews a special place!

SB: Are you working on anything special right now?
AB: I’ll be exhibiting at Magnolia Foods and Flint Realty in March through the Academy Center of the Arts. I’m working on my own Tarot deck—just the Major Arcana (22 pieces). I also have a wedding portrait commission I’m working on. The groom is a polar bear and the guests are birds—ageless. I love these kinds of commissions! And of course, other stories that pop into my head.

SB: And we have to mention—you are doing all of this on the weekends!
AB: Sunday Fundays are spent painting. During the week, I’m a designer at LG Flint Construction, which creates a nice balance for me. The sense of composition, rhythm, color and discipline translate across design and painting. I love my design work. My creative side helps me address design issues with my tendency to use my “what if” in a functional way. The people at LG Flint are fantastic to work with and our clients are amazing! I’m not going to lie though—if I won a big lottery, I might paint all the time!

SB: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received that’s helped you as an artist?
AB: Ken Ludlow, my high school art instructor, was the best! And the most relentless. Observe, line weight, see, thumbnails, look, rules, sketch, look again, more lines… and on and on to the point where I feel like my hands can SEE what pictures are in my head.

SB: What’s your best advice to aspiring artists?
AB: 1) “Arting” should be a word, and you should do it as often as you can. 2) Do the art YOU like. It is much easier and more rewarding. 3) Exhibit—call it group therapy. It helps you stretch and grow as an artist.

---

Get in Touch
Email: amy@lgflint.com
Facebook: Amy Burczyk Art & Illustration
Instagram: amymarieburczyk