When it comes to the history of Cary, Katherine Loflin knew no one could tell it better than the people themselves.
This is why the producing director for “The Story of Cary” is taking an unconventional approach to writing the play’s script by crowdsourcing it out to the audience itself.
“Many people who are in community theater and stage shows all the time, are looking at me like I’ve grown a second head when I said, ‘This is what we’re gonna do,’” Loflin said.
The Amazing Place Productions project, currently in early development, is set to take center stage at the Cary Arts Center in late September 2021. The intent is to give everyone the opportunity to take ownership in chronicling the town’s history as it reaches the 150th anniversary of incorporation.
“We are going to cover the landmark moments in our town by talking about the people that made them landmark moments in this town,” Loflin said. “And we don’t know all those stories. I am smart enough to know when I am outmatched by the capacity that we haven’t tapped in this town to tell the stories that have yet to be told. So for me, even though it is a logistical challenge to figure out how we make this happen, my first call was to the community to say, ‘Let me hear from you.’”
Loflin is looking for stories about the people of Cary that can help the town understand the moments that shaped where it is today. Stories, such as how Cary came to be named after an Ohio temperance leader who never visited or the building of the Cary High School water tower, are examples of what the play is looking to tell.
While touching on the elements that make Cary a special place to live, Loflin said the play won’t shy away from the more painful moments in its history.
“We are a Southern town, and that means by definition, we didn’t always get it right,” Loflin said. “And that will be shown, so this is not a Hallmark movie in that sense.”
Cary was incorporated in 1871, but she plans to begin the play by recognizing the history of Native Americans on the land and finish in the present.
The Page-Walker Arts and History Center is collaborating on the project to ensure accuracy, while the Cary Players will produce it as part of its regular theater season.
The Cary Playwrights’ Forum and the Town of Cary are also partnering in the project, but the community, who will provide and later act out the scenes, remains at the center.
Anyone interested in getting involved in writing a scene, submitting a story or helping out in any way can send a detailed email to amazingplacepros@icloud.com explaining how they would like to help.
