http://www.returntoroots.org/blog/2008-06/history-tradition-and-art-barter-theatre/ Jobs in Southwest Virginia Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:41:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 http://www.returntoroots.org/blog/2008-06/history-tradition-and-art-barter-theatre/#comment-62 Greta Fields Sat, 02 Aug 2008 12:38:20 +0000 http://www.returntoroots.org/blog/2008-06/history-tradition-and-art-barter-theatre/#comment-62 While reading Ms. Piro's comments and this blog, I often wish that the "Mountain Empire" really would materialize -- that SE Ky and SW Va would secede from the Union and form their own Appalachian state, since they have more in common with each other than with distant areas of their own states. This idea was actually put forth once at a meeting of some tourism officials. I live "over the hill" in Ky., but I have worked in SW Va. and I often go there. Fact is, I just went to Barter for the App. Play Festival. It took me 2 hrs. to get there, but it was worth it. Fact is, it keeps me alive. I am the only playwright I know and I have to travel to find other people interested in theatre. This brings me to comment on the downside of returning to your roots. It is great, providing you have roots left. However, my family and huge ancestral clan has all but disappeared from the mountains. I have a house now in the Big City, but I keep coming back here to the mountains to my land here, but I keep geting disappointed by the problems, especially the people on drugs. But I believe in being part of the solution, not the problem, so I decided to start a playwrights group over here. Been working on that a year. I have a long list of playwrights who would come to my place later to write and rehearse scenes, but now now. They are not interested in coming here permanently, like me, and getting the land and houses fixed up for them to use. Oh, I met some Australians, believe it or not, who would come help me fix the place up....but I can't invite them until I have a place for them to sleep and eat. I even have the money to fix up places, but can't get any help! There is such a shortage of working men here like you wouldn't believe. I called 29 men in a row and all said they were booked up all summer with carpentry jobs. The good ones stay busy and the ones left over are not somebody you'd want to hire. There's no culture unless people provide it, get together and work, and that is extremely difficult. I have cash and I thought cash talked, but it doesn't in the mountains -- nobody willing to work. While reading Ms. Piro’s comments and this blog, I often wish that the “Mountain Empire” really would materialize — that SE Ky and SW Va would secede from the Union and form their own Appalachian state, since they have more in common with each other than with distant areas of their own states. This idea was actually put forth once at a meeting of some tourism officials.
I live “over the hill” in Ky., but I have worked in SW Va. and I often go there. Fact is, I just went to Barter for the App. Play Festival. It took me 2 hrs. to get there, but it was worth it. Fact is, it keeps me alive. I am the only playwright I know and I have to travel to find other people interested in theatre.
This brings me to comment on the downside of returning to your roots. It is great, providing you have roots left. However, my family and huge ancestral clan has all but disappeared from the mountains. I have a house now in the Big City, but I keep coming back here to the mountains to my land here, but I keep geting disappointed by the problems, especially the people on drugs. But I believe in being part of the solution, not the problem, so I decided to start a playwrights group over here.
Been working on that a year. I have a long list of playwrights who would come to my place later to write and rehearse scenes, but now now. They are not interested in coming here permanently, like me, and getting the land and houses fixed up for them to use. Oh, I met some Australians, believe it or not, who would come help me fix the place up….but I can’t invite them until I have a place for them to sleep and eat. I even have the money to fix up places, but can’t get any help! There is such a shortage of working men here like you wouldn’t believe. I called 29 men in a row and all said they were booked up all summer with carpentry jobs. The good ones stay busy and the ones left over are not somebody you’d want to hire.
There’s no culture unless people provide it, get together and work, and that is extremely difficult. I have cash and I thought cash talked, but it doesn’t in the mountains — nobody willing to work.

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