Join Us for the World Premiere of 'The Storied Song'
Our limited series narrative podcast, in the works since 2021, will be performed live at the Appalachian Center for the Arts on Friday, Sept. 26th at 7pm Eastern.
We've got something pretty special coming up that we'd love to share with you! After working on this project since 2021, we're finally ready to record, live, ‘The Storied Song’—our podcast that takes old Appalachian ballads and turns them into radio plays with live music.
Two nights, two ways to dive in:
Ballad Workshop with William Ritter
Date: Thursday, September 25th
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Appalachian Center for the Arts, 218 2nd Street, Pikeville, KY
Come hang out with renowned ballad singer William Ritter and learn about the stories that make up ballads. It's a chance to really dig into how these ballads have been passed down through families and changed over time – plus you'll get some great context for Friday night's show.
Live Podcast Recording
Date: Friday, September 26th
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Appalachian Center for the Arts, 218 2nd Street, Pikeville, KY
This is where the magic happens! You'll get to watch us record four episodes with radio plays based on "Tom Dula," "Lord Bateman," "The Farmer's Curst Wife," and "The Wreck of the Old 97." Think old-time radio meets mountain storytelling—it's going to be a lot of fun.
The team bringing these stories to life:
Director: Michael McNulty
Sound Design: Rosa Bott
Audio Engineer: Samuel O’Sullivan
Featured Ballad Singer and Narrator: William Ritter
Playwrights: Idea Esmaeili, Ann Gillespie, Diana Jean Skeen, and Jess Wells
Cast:
Jess Mullins Fullen as Tom (Tom Dula), Devil/Construction Worker (The Farmer's Curst Wife), Random Woman
Celeste Holmes as Laura (Tom Dula), Singer (The Wreck Of The Old 97), Demons/TV News Anchor Sheila (The Farmer's Curst Wife)
Tayler Bolling as Ann (Tom Dula), Turkish Lady (Lord Bateman), Farmer's Wife (The Farmer's Curst Wife)
Ashlyn Mullins as Pauline (Tom Dula), Narrator (Lord Bateman), Baby Girl (The Farmer's Curst Wife)
Holden Howard as Engineer (The Wreck Of The Old 97), Lord Bateman, Farmer/Demons/TV News Anchor Rob (The Farmer's Curst Wife), Random Man
Current students and graduates of UVA's College at Wise
What's ‘The Storied Song’ all about?
You might be wondering why a book publisher is getting into podcasts and ballads – it's a fair question! We've been working on this since 2021 because we realized that these old ballads are really just another form of Appalachian literature. They're stories that have been passed down through families for generations, told and retold, changing a little each time but keeping their heart.
At Appalachia Book Company, we're all about preserving and sharing the authentic voices of this region. These ballads are some of our oldest stories – they're like novels compressed into songs, full of drama, real characters, and the kind of human truths that make great literature. By turning them into radio plays, we're just giving them a new way to reach people while honoring where they came from.
These songs have survived because they tell stories that still matter – love, loss, betrayal, and all the complicated stuff that makes us human. We want families to rediscover their own ballad traditions and maybe remember the people who first taught them these songs. It's all part of making sure mountain stories keep getting told in authentic voices.
Thanks to Our Sponsors
This project wouldn't be possible without the support of some wonderful organizations who believe in preserving and sharing Appalachian stories. Huge thanks to the Berea College Appalachian Fund, Kentucky Humanities, and the Gilliam Family Foundation for making The Storied Song possible.
Special thanks to our presenting partner, the Appalachian Center for the Arts, for hosting both events and helping us bring this project to life in such a beautiful venue.
Admission & Reservations
FREE for both events! While admission is free, reservations are recommended.
Reserve your seats: https://us.patronbase.com/_AppalachianCenterForTheArts/Productions/199/Performances
Hope to see you there – it's going to be something really special, and we'd love to have you be part of it!
For more info, check out: www.appalachiabook.co/the-storied-song
Best,
Natalie Axton
Director of Programs
Appalachia Book Company
Can't make it? No worries – the episode will be available on all the usual podcast places after we record it.