Cora Hatley (left) as Louis Pons and C.J. Walker as John Rostan share an intense scene in the Old Colony Players’ presentation of ‘From This Day Forward.’
Jeff Hatley (left) and C.J. Walker in a dramatic scene in ‘From This Day Forward.’ The Valdese production ends its 2025 season on Aug. 9.
LISA PRICE Photos / THE PAPER
Ella May (left) and Keyleigh Huffman perform as Court Dancers in the Old Colony Players’ production of ‘From This Day Forward.’
LISA PRICE / THE PAPER
Cora Hatley (left) as Louis Pons and C.J. Walker as John Rostan share an intense scene in the Old Colony Players’ presentation of ‘From This Day Forward.’
LISA PRICE / THE PAPER
Anna Franklin, in her role as a Savoyan soldier, stands guard over a group of Waldensian villagers in ‘From This Day Forward.’
Before Valdese was a town, it was a dream, forged in the minds of a resilient people who fled persecution in Italy’s Cottian Alps. The Waldensians who settled Valdese in 1893 had no way of knowing their story would still be shared each summer under the stars in the small Burke County town.
The outdoor drama “From This Day Forward” is the flagship show of Old Colony Players. The summer of 2025 marks the 57th season of the production, which tells the story of the Waldenses, a people from Northern Italy near the French border, and the founders of the Town of Valdese. And the final curtain will soon fall on this year’s theater run. The show will wrap its 2025 season on Aug. 8 and 9.
The drama is staged on Friday and Saturday evenings, mid-July to mid-August, in the Fred B. Cranford Amphitheater, which is nestled in the woods just a couple of blocks off of Main Street. The remarkably-versitle venue offers professional lighting and sound, a three-scene turntable for scene changes, and a spacious “back of house” area, where actors dress, rest between scenes, and store costumes and props.
This year’s director, Jordan Randall, a local theatre artist, has been involved with various productions not only with Old Colony Players, but also with other area community theatres. This season marks Randall’s seventh production of “From This Day Forward.”
Curtain time is 8 o’clock each evening. Patrons may bring lawn chairs if they desire. There are some instances of staged violence and loud gunfire, so producers recommend parents exercise discretion when bringing children under the age of 12 to the show.
The Fred B. Cranford Amphitheater is located at 401 Church St. NW, in Valdese. Tickets cost $18 for adults, $15 for seniors (older than 60 years) and $12 for students, including college students with school ID. Visit the Old Colony Players webpage at oldcolonyplayers.com for information and to purchase tickets.
Sandra Wilkerson Queen is the arts & entertainment editor. She may be reached at 828-445-8595, ext. 2002, orsandra@thepaper.media.
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