WILMINGTON, NC - The Pender Arts Council, the Arts Council of Wilmington & New Hanover County, and Thalian Association Community Theatre proudly present, for one weekend only, Home, the Tony Award-nominated play by Pender County’s own Samm-Art Williams. 

In celebration of Pender County's 150th Anniversary, the production will be performed on Thalian Hall’s Historic Main Stage, October 17 - 19, 2025. Tickets for Friday night’s performance are $50 and include an opening night reception and 7:30 p.m. show. Tickets for Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. and Sunday’s 2 p.m. performances are $35.

"Samm-Art Williams was a gifted storyteller whose work reflected both the challenges and values that shape American life,” said Randy Burton, Chairman of the Pender County Board of Commissioners. 

Celebrating Pender County's 150th anniversary with a performance of Home is a way to honor the Pender County native. Williams' play speaks to perseverance, personal responsibility, and the enduring connection to home.

It is only fitting to honor Samm-Art Williams' legacy during the 150th Anniversary of Pender County's founding. The idea to bring Home home to Pender County's celebration began more than two years ago in discussions with Thalian Association Community Theatre and the Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County.

Show synopsis: Optimistic and strong, young Cephus Miles is content to work the land on the small North Carolina farm he inherited from his family. All seems right—until his childhood sweetheart rejects him and goes off to college. Opposed to the war in Vietnam, Cephus refuses to serve and is imprisoned as a draft evader. By the time he is released, Cephus has lost his land to the tax collector, so he heads north to build a new life. With a good job and a slinky new girlfriend, he finds the big city exciting and rewarding – until he stumbles and finds a new way forward.

Samm-Art Williams (1946-2024) was an American playwright, screenwriter, stage and film/TV actor, and television producer. Much of his work concerned the African-American experience. He was nominated for a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for his play Home (1979), which moved from the Negro Ensemble Company to a Broadway production in 1980. His other plays include Eyes of the American and Woman from the Town. In the mid-1980s, he was nominated for two Emmy Awards for his work on television and was the executive producer for the popular shows Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Martin. In 2011, the Black Rep of St. Louis, Missouri, produced the premiere of his play The Montford Point Marine.