Ferrum, VA, October 1, 2025 — The Ferrum College Jack Tale Players will kick off their 50th anniversary celebration with an Inquiring Minds presentation on Wednesday, October 8, at 11:30 a.m. in Stanley Library. Assistant Professor Emily Blankenship-Tucker, program coordinator for Music and Theatre, will be joined by other current members of the troupe and alumni from throughout its history to share stories of life on the road performing traditional music and stories of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The Inquiring Minds series offers engaging, informal presentations and activities on a wide variety of fascinating topics designed for the entire community. Hosted by Stanley Library at Ferrum College, the series takes place most Wednesdays during the academic year in the LEaP Studio on the library’s main floor, during the campus community hour from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Admission is free.
Since Professor Emeritus Rex Stephenson and his students performed their first Jack Tale show at Callaway Elementary School on December 11, 1975, his dramatized Appalachian folktales have been continuously on tour, delighting and entertaining more than a million audience members in 34 states and England. Performances in schools, parks, hospitals, libraries and community centers have delighted young and old with their fast-paced action, energetic actors, innovative staging, and foot-stomping music.
During Homecoming weekend October 10-12, the 50th anniversary celebration of the Jack Tale Players will continue with mainstage Jack Tale shows on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Sale Theatre. The Blue Ridge Dinner Theatre will also present Faith of Our Fathers on Sunday morning, a concert performance to commemorate the centenary of Schoolfield Hall. Click here for performance details and tickets.
About the photograph: Jack Tale Players ages 8 to 80 performing with traditional instruments in The Rex Stephenson Theatre in February 2024. Left to right are Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts Rebecca Crocker ’02, founder and director R. Rex Stephenson, Professor Emerita Jody Brown, students Gage Shelton ’25 (back) and Django Burgess (front), Silas Blankenship-Tucker, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of Music and Theatre Emily Blankenship-Tucker, veteran Jack Tale Player Rachel Blankenship-Tucker, Jalen Buie ’24, TJ Baker ’24, student Ahna Tyree (front right).
