Theatre West Virginia performers, from left, Kate Patton, Allie Patton, Ryan Horn and Haley Hizer rehearse scenes for the company’s upcoming production of Honey in the Rock Tuesday afternoon in what used to be DEB’s location at the Crossroads Mall.
BECKLEY, W.Va. — A flag that proudly waved 50 years ago in Theatre West Virginia’s first performance of “Honey in the Rock” will fly again this year, beginning on opening night Friday.
The flag’s owners, U.S. District Judge Joseph Goodwin and his wife, Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary for the Department of Education and the Arts, will loan the flag to the theater for its 55th season.
The year was 1964, a year after West Virginia’s centennial celebration. Kay and Joseph, both theater students at West Virginia University, had met and fallen in love. They were planning their wedding for the end of the summer.
Both of the lovebirds wanted to try out for the Theatre West Virginia production, but with their wedding date rapidly approaching, Kay’s mother insisted she stay home and help plan the wedding reception.
Joseph, however, wowed the casting directors and was selected as the lead for the production.
“It was a wonderful experience, one he loved and never forgot,” Kay said.
She said she helped her mother with the wedding planning through the week, and headed straight to Beckley on the weekends. She saw her sweetheart perform multiple times that summer.
“Oh, I was so smitten with him…