Tale of Famous Caver To Hit Greenbrier Valley Theatre Stage

In 1925, while chasing a dream of fame and fortune, Kentucky farmer and caver Floyd Collins became the subject of an intense media circus after becoming trapped 200 feet underground. 

Beginning June 14, audiences at Greenbrier Valley Theatre can watch as Collins, who dreamed of turning the very cave he was trapped in into a tourist attraction, fights for his sanity and ultimately his life as an enormous rescue effort is mounted above.

Floyd Collins is a haunting musical filled with Americana tunes and smart lyrics which help tell the heartbreaking story that quickly captivated a nation, becoming one of the most talked about events of the early 20th Century.  James Lynch, who portrayed Cliff Bradshaw in GVT’s recent hit production of Cabaret, will be featured in the title role as Floyd Collins.

GVT veteran Joe Lehman will portray Skeets Miller, the award-winning newspaper reporter who risked his life to interview and take supplies to the trapped caver.
The role of Homer Collins, the loyal brother determined to free Floyd from the cave, is played by Bob Bonhage.  Additional cast members include:

• Richard Cox as Lee Collins;
• Sandra Murphy as Miss Jane;
• Katie Nichols as Nellie Collins;
• Jim Norris as H.T. Carmichael;
• Eric Fritzius as Bee Doyle;
• John Holt as Ed Bishop;
• Shane Miller as Jewel Estes;
• Michael Kushner, Leo Christopher Sheridan and Dana Wilson as reporters.
• Other cast members include Pamela Barry, Ann Benedict, Waylon Lemasters and Chester Shepherd.

Floyd Collins opens at 7:30 p.m. on June 14.  The preview/pay-what-you-wish  performance will take place June 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Additional show dates are June 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29 and 30 at 7:30 p.m. A 2 p.m. matinee is scheduled for June 23.

GVT offers several specials and discounts including “Family Night” which allows families to receive reduced tickets on Thursdays. Also, merchants within 60 miles of Lewisburg receive two half-priced tickets during opening weekend. Group rates are also available.

Floyd Collins show sponsors include the National Speleological Society and Lost World Caverns.

The story of William Floyd Collins (July 20, 1887 – c. February 13, 1925).  He was a celebrated pioneer cave explorer in central Kentucky, an area that is the location of hundreds of miles of interconnected caves, including the Mammoth Cave National Park. On January 30, 1925, while trying to discover a new entrance to the system of underground caves that were a popular tourist attraction in Kentucky, Collins became trapped in a narrow crawlway 55 feet (17 m) below the surface.

The reports about efforts to save Collins became a nationwide newspaper sensation and among the first major news stories to become a major sensation on the new technology of home radio.  After four days during which Collins could be brought water and food, a collapse in the cave closed the entrance passageway to everything except voice contact. Collins died of exposure, thirst, and starvation after about fourteen days underground, three days before a dug rescue shaft could reach his position. Collins' body was recovered two months later.  Read more about Floyd Collins (Wikipedia)

The program is also presented with financial assistance from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts.

113 E. Washington Street

 Lewisburg, WV

 304-645-3838

 GVT Website

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