Outdoor Drama coming to Hardman Farm
An outdoor drama is coming to Northeast Georgia. The Hardman Farm State Historic Site will play host to Valley Voices, an outdoor drama written by Emory Jones. Valley Voices will be June 2-4 with shows nightly, and an afternoon show on Sunday, June 5th.
Jones tells WNEG that it is an exciting time. “I’m excited about this play. We have been trying to get an outdoor drama in North Georgia for some time now and I had this play written for a couple of years and Covid put us off. It ended up being a blessing in disguise by waiting we wound up look for directors and I asked Kathy Blandin at Piedmont University and we were able to partner with Piedmont and the North Georgia Theater that they do every Summer. The play is about the history of Nacoochee Valley, Hardman Farm and the families that lived there. It has black powder rifles, old car horn from 1932, real live horses, 16 actors, original music, and my book Valley Voices is coming out the same time as the play, and it has a little more detail. I’m excited. This is my 4th play, but my first outdoor drama.”
Jones said the location for the drama is ideal. “The Hardman Farm is located just outside of Helen where Highway 17 hits 75 and right across the road from the old Indian mound, said to be the second most recognizable icon in Georgia. The Hardman family gave the farm back to the state about 10-15 years ago and it is open to the public now. You can tour the old mansion, the grounds are around 170 acres. Just west of the house is a little valley by a creek. In that valley, we had Dr. Michael Hardy, head of an outdoor theater group in the U.S. ,and he said it was one of the best sites that he had seen for an outdoor drama.”
Jones told WNEG that seating was limited so it would be best to get your tickets now. “We will have outdoor seating, but it is limited to 100 seats and we will have around 150, so we invite you to bring your own chairs, blankets, and bring a picnic. We will have food and drink there. Get there about 5 P.M., the grounds will be open, the actors will be in character with music playing. About an hour before the play starts we will have Doc Johnson’s Traveling Miracle Medicine Show from the 1800’s, and if you haven’t seen Henry Johnson play as Doc Johnson with his old wagon you have missed something. The play will start at about 7:15 P.M.”
Jones says the play will last just over an hour. Again, the gates will open at 5 P.M on June 2nd-4th and at 11:30 A.M. on Sunday, June 5th. Tickets are $20 (plus tax and fees) and can be found at valleyvoices.eventbrite.com. For more information, contact the Hardman Farm Visitors Center at 706-878-1077.