The Blue Ridge Dinner Theatre at Ferrum College will present Grandma Gatewood Took a Walk” Feb. 20-22 in The Rex Stephenson Theatre. Directed by Theatre Professor Emily Blankenship-Tucker, the play tells the true story of Emma Gatewood, the first woman to complete a solo through-hike of the Appalachian Trail. She began her long-distance hiking journey at age 67.
Visiting performer Becky Prophet, Professor of Theatre from Alfred University in New York, stars as Grandma Gatewood, while Theatre Professor Rebecca Crocker plays 13 additional roles.
This production highlights Gatewood’s difficult upbringing, her love of nature, and her striking determination to hike the 2,000+ mile trail with minimal preparation and equipment. After an initial failed attempt, she successfully completed the trail in 1955 and went on to hike it two more times, covering 10,000 miles before her death at age 85.
Reflecting on the roll in a recent article, Prophet admitted she was initially overwhelmed.
“(There was) too much in this character,” she shared, “(But ultimately) Emma caught me.”
Some of the cast and crew have taken their exploration beyond the rehearsal room and into the very same Appalachian mountain woods that Gatewood once walked.
“I really enjoyed the hike, but the best part for me was that it didn’t end there,” Caroline King (’22) said.
After hiking together, the group visited the Roanoke Public Library to search newspaper archives for the original Emma Gatewood article.
“In one, six-hour day, I learned more than I learned in some of my six-week college classes. I have to credit that to the group of people that I was surrounded by. I am so thankful to be able to work behind the scenes of such an impactful production,” King said.
Nick Gore, senior, echoed the sentiment and shared his experience on set.
“I have been helping with the little details and things on set during rehearsals,” Gore said. “It’s always a fun time working with these people in this theatre, and although it can be very stressful at times, it’s always worth it in the end.”
Grandma Gatewood Took a Walk”will be performed Feb. 20–22 in The Rex Stephenson Theatre. Tickets are on sale now and can be found here.
