SUMMARY OF SCENES AND SONG PLACEMENT...

FIRST ACT...

Scene 1: Remembering
Glory White slowly crosses the stage singing the first verse and chorus of the theme song, "Home Place of the Heart" (By Jim W. Burns, CD # 21). Mature Mary enters during the chorus with an old newspaper in her hand. Caught up in memories, she and William Thompson speak to the audience as soon as Glory leaves. They share thought provoking and humorous memories that reveal something of who they are and the contrast in their backgrounds.

Scene 2: The Beginning
Mary Eden’s friend, Cleta Sue tells Mary about a new Methodist circuit rider minister. Mary is not interested in a "wildly pious preacher but is interested in wild flowers." Mary leaves. Cleta Sue sees the young minister and trys to find out "what kind of woman in the Bible he is interested in." William is confused by Cleta Sue’s questions. As she leaves, Cleta Sue tells him what she told Mary, "God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform." William sits on the ground to read his Bible. Mary returns and stumbles over him. Although drawn to each other, each tries to repress any romantic interest. William reminds himself he should only be interested in "one of those religious types" and Mary cautions herself to not be interested in "a preacher, especially one from the country."

While William sings the first half of "Dreams" (Jim W. Burns, CD #2) Mary dances in the background. William freezes; Mary sings the second half. They sing a duet in the final chorus, though unaware of each other.

Scene 3: William and Mary’s Wedding
Mature William and Mary reflect on the circumstances of their youthful decision to marry. They start their wedding song, "In This Quiet Moment" (Jim W. & Doris Dennison Burns, CD #3). Half way through, Young William and Mary enter in wedding clothes and sing the second half. All sing on the final bridge and chorus, bringing the past and present together. All leave but Mature Mary, who explains her Father’s insight concerning making decisions from the "head or heart." She admits she got her "real education the day William took her to live at the Redwine Circuit." (Mature Mary does not appear again until the last scene. The next 12 scenes are from William and Mary’s life during their year together at the Redwine Circuit.)

Scene 4: William Brings Mary to Redwine
William brings Mary to their austere mountain home and over Mary’s protestations, goes to the church. Mary asks herself, "How Did I Come to be Here?" (By Jim W. Burns, CD #5). Midway in the song she stops, over-whelmed by what she has done. Glory White enters and tells her the Redwine folks are coming for a "donation party." Mary wants to know who they are. Glory describes them by singing, "Folks is Folks" (By Jim W. Burns, CD #6).

After the song, Glory explains to Mary why her Sam is "afraid to live and afraid to die." Glory leaves. Frightened by what Glory said, Mary begins to realize what she is facing as she sings the last half of "How Did I Come to be Here?" (By Jim W. Burns, CD #5).

Scene 5: Experience Meetin'
Glory and Sis. Meadows are on their way to the Experience Meetin. Sis. Meadows asks Glory if she told Mary Thompson about Paisley Connor and Davy Dyer. Glory defends these two outcasts, but Sis. Meadows reveals her lack of tolerance. The two ladies join the rest of the Redwine folk at the Experience Meetin. William gets an enthusiastic response from the congregation for his opening remarks about how folk should be verbal about their religious experiences, but it gets deathly quiet when he asks "Who will be the first to testify?" Sam is the first to testify. Jimmy Meadows testifies next. Davy Dyer, the blacksmith challenges Jimmy and his mother, Sis. Meadows, by reminding her and the congregation that her son "has reformed three times before only to fall so soon as the corn ripens." Jimmy says, "No, this time God’s reforming grace has been "proper to me." He sings his testimony. "Sound of Grace" (By Jim W. Burns, CD #7) Sam shocks his wife Glory and wildly entertains all with his second testimony. At the end of the meeting, Davy deliberately fuels Sis. Meadows antagonism for him.

Scene 6: William and the Blacksmith
William visits Davy Dyer in his blacksmith shop to invite him to the Singing School. He knows Davy loves music. Davy confronts William with questions that William doesn’t feel he has adequately answered. After William leaves, Davy sings about what he thinks religion should be like, "Heat Up the Furnace" (By Jim W. Burns, CD #9).

Scene 7: William Struggles
After his "failed" visit with Davy, William struggles with his Calling. "That Awful Day Will Soon Come"(Tune: BANGOR, CD #10) Mary hurries to comfort him; then challenges his belief that God is only a harsh God.

Scene 8: Mary and Paisley
Mary interrupts Paisley and Jimmy after Jimmy has tried to convince Paisley that her "past is over" and he wants to marry her. After Jimmy leaves, Mary asks Paisley to go on a picnic. Paisley doesn’t feel she is worthy to be with Mary who is the first woman in four years to visit her. Mary asks Paisley how she kept from being bitter, and Paisley sings, "Cathedral in the Wild" (By Jim W. Burns, CD #11).

Scene 9: Singing School
The Singing School gets underway with Prof. Burris entertaining the Redwine folks with his method of teaching shaped notes. He teaches them a FaSoLa song from the Sacred Heart Song Book, "Bound for the Promised Land" (Traditional, CD #12). The Prof. surprises the folks with a new kind of quartet singing that is becoming popular at camp meetings. He asks Jimmy, William and Davy to help him. "The Love Song of the Lord" (By Jim W. Burns, CD #13). Sis. Meadows challenges any changes. She and Davy have another run-in at the conclusion of Singing School.

INTERMISSION

SECOND ACT...

Scene 10: Sister Meadows Confronts William
Sis. Meadows finds William in the mountains reading his Bible. She complains about Paisley Connor, raps, "Tain’t Orthydox" (By Jim W. Burns, CD #15) while prancing around like an agitation banty rooster,

Scene 11: The Confession
Paisley visits Mary at the Parsonage. William is reading. Mary and Paisley are discussing Sis. Meadows when Jimmy brings in his Mother who is dirt-smudged and limping from a buggy accident. She announces if she is about to die, she’s got something to get off her chest. She entertains them with interesting and amusing confessions. She is forced to make a decision regarding Paisley.

Scene 12: Loves Comes to Redwine
Mary, hoping to set a romantic mood, brags to William about his sermon on Love only to learn he has invited Jimmy and Paisley for a prenuptial chat. She is irritated at so much intrusion in their lives. When Jimmy and Paisley ask William for "words for a happy life," William begins singing, "That’s What It Says" (By Jim W. Burns, CD #16). Jimmy and Paisley join in; Mary listens in the background and joins in as she remembers why she came to be where she is.

Scene 13: Facing Death
Sis. Meadows, Glory, Mary and Paisley are rolling bandages for a current epidemic. Jimmy and William bring Davy Dyer to the parsonage after finding him on the floor of his smithy shop. On his deathbed, Davy confesses what has truly been bothering him. After he dies, the men leave to make a casket. Glory and Sis. Meadows prepare the body. Glory and Sis. Meadows amuse the audience and shock Mary and Paisley with their memories of laying-out other dead bodies. The men return with Sam. Sam begins an old mountain song about death "Home in Heaven" (By William Hunter, 1846, CD #17); eventually all join in. Sis. Meadows interrupts after one verse to challenge Davy Dyer’s "easy" death-bed conversion. Mary speaks up in Davy’s behalf. All join in the final verses of the song and all but Sis. Meadows leave during the last verse. They hum off stage, while Sis. Meadows confronts Davy for the last time.

Scene 14: Singing School Review
The Singing School Master lightens up the atmosphere by interacting with the audience, in a fun exercise that reviews the shaped notes and teaches them a FaSoLa tune (Amazing Grace) that he says is a great new tune that he believes will be popular several generations down the road.

Scene 15: A Celebration
Jimmy & Paisley prepare for their wedding on opposite sides of the stage. As they complete their individual preparations, they sing, "One is Not Enough" (By Jim W. Burns, CD #19). Everyone joins them on stage to toast the new couple. Jimmy asks them to join him in a wedding dance. Sis. Meadows resist because, "dancing ere a sin and we all know what it leads to." Jimmy boldly confronts his mother with some convincing debate. Sis. Meadows surprises all with her response. Sam tells the Redwine folk that the preacher is being assigned to a new circuit, but Glory lightens the mood with an invitation to follow the good book's admonistion, "rejoice in all things!" The Redwine folk enjoy a celebration dance. "Cripple Creek" (Traditional, CD #20).

Scene 16: Remembering
Mature Mary returns to share with the audience what has happened through the years since her time at Redwine. She explains why she came back and why she decided to stay. While Mature Mary weaves her way around the little house one more time, Glory returns as in the beginning and begins the theme song, this time joined by Young Mary and finally the entire cast for the finale and curtain call. Davy and Sis. Meadows each sing a verse that reflects their personalities and summarizes the show. After the curtain call, they end in a rousing finale, "Home Place of My Heart" (By Jim W. Burns, CD #21).