What  a  Time  to  Be  Alive:  Burning  Coal's
Production of Un/NAMED at Raleigh's Historic
Oakwood Cemetery Is a Fine Fall Tradition

If you are looking for something fun and unusual to do this weekend in Raleigh, get your living, breathing self down to the Historic Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh for Un/NAMED, the latest historical play in Burning Coal Theatre Company's annual Oakwood Cemetery Series. The outdoor production is a series of one-act plays that feature local history and the dearly departed who made it.

If you are thinking that this might involve some dry, historical recitation of facts (and I'll admit, the thought crossed my mind), you are in for a very pleasant surprise! Several of the plays are laugh-out-loud funny, some are thought-provoking and powerful, and all of them are current (despite the fact that the main characters having lived and died quite some time back). There are a few fictional characters woven in to help tell the stories, and some theoretical (I assume) after-death interactions between the featured Oakwood Cemetery residents, aimed at answering the question: How would these people, who rest together, interact if they could?

Un/NAMED is a strong production, directed by Hayley Philippart. Beth Barringer Gargan's costumes are beautifully done and do a lot to transport the audience into the scenes. The set is very spare, which works well with the material. A clothesline of white sheets and fairy lights lends an ethereal feel that is perfect for the nighttime cemetery setting. All of the plays are written by talented local playwrights and performed local actors; and although I enjoyed every one of them, I wanted to call out some of the standout moments.

"Fever Pitch" by Ken Walsh

The story of OC Currin and his dubious medical cures is ridiculously funny, with its rapid-fire dialogue sounding just like our own current crop of social media/political buffoons. Faisal Imitiaz plays the snake oil salesman with such humor and believability that it makes you wish the people currently lying to us would do it half so well!

"An Atrocious Crime" by Lydia Sbityakov

Another very funny play showcases what Carrie Broughton had to endure to become the first female head of a state government department in North Carolina. Imagine a woman almost comically more qualified and educated than her male counterparts vying for a job that many said was out of her reach, because of her gender. Hard to imagine, right?

The comedic timing on this one is flawless!

"William and Annie Bost" by Ian L. Finley

This one is a very powerful play tells about William Thomas "Tom" Bost, an early opponent of capital punishment. Bost viewed 250 executions and wrote many impassioned pleas to end the practice. The standout performance from Carena Lemons made me want to see an entire play based on the life of executed killer Rosanna Phillips. Lemons captivated the audience; and I, for one, am going to drive my living, breathing self to wherever she performs next!

In many cultures, telling the stories of the dead is a sacred tradition. Un/NAMED is my first show in a cemetery; but I hope it won't be my last, because there is something strangely uplifting about watching your friends and neighbors create art and something very unifying in the knowledge that one day, we will all want someone to remember us.

You can only catch Un/NAMED this weekend, so don't delay. It starts at 6:30 p.m. sharp tonight, rain or shine. But don't worry; if it rains, the production will move into the mausoleum. There is also a matinee show at 2 p.m. Sunday. (Editor's Note: Burning Coal suggest that you BYOC [Bring Your Own Chair]).

Un/NAMED (In Person at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27th and 28th), directed by Hayley Philippart (Burning Coal Theatre Company in the Historic Oakwood Cemetery at 701 Oakwood Ave. in Raleigh). DIGITAL PROGRAM: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGzDi5mBgU/tuBmqG9csfPlbYfDcxzmWQ/view. PRESENTER: https://burningcoal.org/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/burning-coal-theatre-co/, https://www.facebook.com/burningcoaltheatrecompany, https://www.instagram.com/burningcoaltc/, https://www.tiktok.com/@burningcoaltc, https://x.com/burningcoaltc, and https://www.youtube.com/@BurningCoaltc. PODCASTS: https://burningcoal.podbean.com/. 2025 OAKWOOD AND HISTORY PLAYS: https://burningcoal.org/oakwood-and-history-plays/. VENUE: https://historicoakwoodcemetery.org/, https://www.facebook.com/historicoakwoodcemeteryraleigh, https://www.instagram.com/oakwoodcemetery/, https://www.tiktok.com/tag/historicoakwoodcemetery, https://x.com/HistoricOakwood, and https://www.youtube.com/@historicoakwoodcemetery-ra4105. DIRECTIONS: https://www.google.com/maps/. TIPS FOR VISITING: https://historicoakwoodcemetery.org/visitors-guide/. TICKETS: $20 ($10 students), plus taxes and fees. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: 919-834-4001 or info@burningcoal.org. PLEASE DONATE TO: Burning Coal Theatre Company and Historic Oakwood Cemetery.

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