With the help of some incredible friends, we are excited to announce our plan to close the Matilda chapter of Kudzu’s legacy thoughtfully and appropriately.

After great consideration, debate, and countless hours of prayer, we have chosen to hold a Matilda Benefit Concert as a fundraiser for the new Wesley W. Williamson college scholarship at Kudzu Playhouse. Our goal is to raise sufficient funds to establish an endowment and be able to begin awarding the scholarship in 2022. This college scholarship, like other Kudzu scholarships, will enable students to attend any school and pursue any degree of their choice.

We hope you will join us on August 14 at either 2 PM or 7 PM as we bring the incredible music of Matilda to life and celebrate our dear friend. This event is Pay What You Can – General Admission, but we encourage you to secure your seats in advance and consider making at least a $20 donation.

Learn more about our incredible cast HERE.

Secure your reservation HERE.

Sponsor this special event HERE.

Donate to Kudzu’s Wesley W. Williamson Memorial Scholarship Fund HERE.

Order the commemorative show shirt HERE.

Wesley was scheduled to direct Matilda as our main stage production at the HPAC in summer 2020. The show was postponed to summer 2021 due to COVID-19. When Wesley passed away unexpectedly earlier this year, we had some emotional and difficult decisions to make.

Given that we lost access to the one venue in the area that could appropriately accommodate a production of this size and do it justice, we were faced with the possibility of postponing another year. Delaying to 2022 would have meant that much of the current cast would be too old (or too tall) for their roles. Finally, the thought of casting a new director was the most heart-wrenching of all since Wesley was so passionate about this cast and this show. This concert allows for the cast that Wesley hand-picked in January 2020 to perform the show, even if in a limited capacity.

There is some poetic irony in the fact that Wesley’s first and last shows with Kudzu were both Roald Dahl favorites. God has truly had His hand on our shoulders.

Summer camps are back at Kudzu Playhouse!

We are thrilled to announce Kudzu’s new partnerships with the Byhalia Arts Council and Getwell Church Hernando and share that we have TWO locations for our 2021 camps!

We reduced the size of each camp to make sure we can appropriately enforce COVID safety and wellness protocols. We have missed our campers SO much and cannot wait to see you this summer! Hop on over and register today!

Currently, we remain undecided about our main stage productions for 2021. We will share an exciting update about Matilda soon, but due to a lack of appropriate performance and rehearsal space, we are re-evaluating our Kidzu production of Moana JR. We appreciate everyone’s patience while we work through the best way to move forward.

We remain committed to our legacy in the theatre community. Kudzu has a long and rich history, and we are excited to partner with our beloved friends and neighbors to write the next chapter. Please stay safe and stay healthy, and thanks so much for your continued support of Kudzu Playhouse.

With Gratitude,
Joi Taylor, Executive Director

From our family to yours, we wish you all the blessings and warm tidings of the season. May your holiday be filled with wonderful new memories!

It’s a Wonderful Life tickets will be going on-sale very soon!

Tickets for Kudzu’s annual dinner theatre production of “It’s a Wonderful Life” will go on sale at 11am on Friday October 18, 2019.

Ticket prices are:

Tickets are ONLY available from www.kudzuplayers.com. All showtimes are 7:00 PM. The dinner menu is:

Be sure to plan accordingly and get your tickets as soon as possible, because they WILL go quickly! To stay up-to-date with all of our latest news, follow us on Facebook and join our email list

About the Show

In our American culture It’s a Wonderful Life has become almost as familiar as Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The story is a natural for a stage adaptation: the saga of George Bailey, the Everyman from the small town of Bedford Falls, whose dreams of escape and adventure have been quashed by family obligation and civic duty, whose guardian angel has to descent on Christmas Eve to save him from despair and to remind him—by showing him what the world would have been like had he never been born—that his has been, after all, a wonderful life. This faithful adaptation has all your favorite characters: George and Mary Hatch, Clarence, Uncle Billy, Violet, and, of course, the Scrooge-like villain, Mr. Potter. This fine dramatization not only celebrates the faith of the season, it also celebrates the American philosophy of life: hard work, fair play and the love and support of one’s family and community will be rewarded.

About Kudzu Playhouse

Kudzu Playhouse is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring performing arts to the community by showcasing talented actors and actresses of all ages in an open and encouraging environment, while also nurturing and developing young future performers, regardless of gender, race or socioeconomic background.