You will be rolling in the aisles as wealthy New Yorkers, Cullum and Lucille, struggle to contain the mayhem during a get acquainted visit by their soon-to-be Arkansas in-laws, Mr. John and Mae. Mae introduces her city cousins to the culinary delights of pigs feet while Mr. John uses Cullum for target practice in Alleghany Community Theatre's production of Oliver Hailey's "Continental Divide."

Directed by ACT President, Jim Williams, the twists and turns in this skirmish between rich and poor exposes the cracks that divide their relationships and, by play's end, both families are changed forever.

Evening performances are slated for Friday and Saturday, September 12 and 13, at 7:30 p.m. in Sparta School Auditorium. Matinees will be offered at 2 p.m. Saturday, September 13 and at 4 p.m. on Sunday, September 14.

Robbie Presnell plays confessed murderer and Arkansas garbage entrepreneur, Mr. John. Presnell is a US Postal carrier, a founding ACT Board Member and former ACT President. He directed "Shock of His Life" and "Faith County" and has performed in "All My Sons," "Where the Lillies Bloom," "Nuptials," and several "ACTing Up at the Barn" variety shows as well a numerous ACT Readers Theatre productions. His wife, Paula, is the driving force behind Mountain Dreams Realty.

Cheri Maynard plays Mr. John's wife, Mae, pigs feet connoisseur. Maynard, an 8th grade language arts and social studies teacher at the Sparta Elementary School, is a relative newcomer to ACT. She participated in the ACT Readers Theatre production of "One Night of Poetry." During her acting career Maynard has played a number of leading roles in plays such as "Cinderella," "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," "Othello," and "The Scarlet Letter." She lives in Sparta, NC and has two sons. Maynard had originally read for the part of Lucille, but, on a whim, tried the other part as well and won it. Coincidentally, her grandmother's name is Mae.

Susan O'Connor plays conflicted New Yorker, Lucille. O'Connor, a dentist in Galax, VA, has participated in several ACT productions. She has been involved in the last two "Acting Up in the Barn" variety shows and was also in the ACT Readers Theatre production of "The Sunshine Boys". She was in "The Crucible" and more recently in "Cats", both with the Galax Theatre Guild. Susan has also performed in numerous musicals, including HMS Pinafore, where she met her husband Chris. She and her husband both enjoy music and singing and regularly perform with The Highland Camerata. The O'Connors have five children and live in Independence, VA.

Thom Burleson plays Lucille's husband, Cullum. Burleson, minister at the Sparta Presbyterian Church, was in the musical "Scrooge" and played Wayne in the ACT production of "Amateurs." More recently, he was Felix in the ACT Readers Theatre production of "The Odd Couple" and Bill Ray in "On Golden Pond." He and his wife, Jo, have two children and live in Sparta, NC.

Director Jim Williams, the current President of ACT, has become a regular participant of ACT. His roles in ACT Readers Theatre productions include "Dairy Queen Days" and "Inherit the Wind." He debuted recently with Wilkes Playmakers, playing Cicero in their staged production of "Dairy Queen Days". Starting as a child actor, he later helped manage a theatre group at an Air Force Base in England. He has had roles in "Camelot," "Peter Pan," "A Streetcar Named Desire," "Harvey" and "The Glass Menagerie." He has directed Tad Mosel's one-act play "Impromptu" and the recent ACT Readers Theater production of Neil Simon's "The Sunshine Boys." He also enjoys backstage and technical work. Jim is retired from the US Air Force where he worked with Armed Forces Radio and Television and lives just outside of Sparta, NC.

Assistant Director is Kate Cosner. Cosner is a newcomer to ACT, but not to theatre. She became interested in theatre in high school and was a theatre major at Mars Hill College. She has worked backstage in numerous productions such as "Fiorello," "Agnes of God," "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Everyman," "Grease" and was onstage in "Spoon River." Kate is the Director of Elections for Allehgany County and lives just outside of Sparta with her husband and daughter.

The setting for "Continental Divide" is an upper Eastside apartment in New York City in the 1970's and has required some elaborate set design and furnishing. As Williams explained, "We desperately needed to find a find chaise lounge and Robbie Presnell joked that only person in the county to ever own one was Dan Murray's daddy. Kate Cosner picked up on that and called Dan the next morning." Cosner continued, "After going to Dan Murray's law office to inquire, his wife led me down to their storage area where the chaise was buried under numerous boxes. It belongs to his daughter. I believe it was inherited. It was perfect and we are very grateful."

Most of the set pieces came from Roadside Antiques. Williams did much digging in that store, which he said wouldn't have been possible without Jan Smith's permission. "We found all sorts of pieces including a cornshuck hat worn by Mae in the first act," he added. "Continental Divide" is an adult comedy and contains some strong language.

Sparta School Auditorium is located at 450 North Main Street. Tickets are $8 and are available at Buxton Abbey and at the door. For further information call Director Jim Williams at 336-372-8024 or Producer Dudley Carpenter at 372-7901. This production is sponsored by Alleghany Arts Council with partial funding by a North Carolina Arts Council Grassroots Grant.