The curtain will go up on the 18th season of “Come Home, It’s Suppertime” tonight at the We Piddle Around Theater in Brundidge.

The original folk life play is “Alabama’s Official Folk life Play” and the recipient of the 2008 Governor’s Tourism Award.

The play is set during the Great Depression era and tells the stories of those who milled around the Brundidge area and other stories that have endured with time.

“The stories in the play are not peculiar to Brundidge,” said Lawrence Bowden, president of the sponsoring Brundidge Historical Society. “They are stories of the rural South during the Great Depression and the times surrounding it – stories about hog killings, cotton picking, moonshining, sitting up with the dead, dinner on the ground, tent revivals – all of the things of Hard Times.”

The cast, musicians and crew are all local talent and all are volunteers. “None of us get paid and we couldn’t if we wanted to,” Bowden said, laughing. “We’re not professionals. We’re just ordinary folks who enjoy what we do and being a part of something that brings a lot of pleasure to people and positive recognition to our community.”

The two-act play features pre-show music by the Benton Brothers and Company and a full country supper served family style. The play is performed in the We Piddle Around Theater, which was originally Brundidge City Hall. The building was constructed by WPA workers in 1940 and that is where the theater got its name.

“Workers with the Works Progress Administration were often accused of not doing much work, just piddling around,” Bowden said. “So, the WPA was dubbed ‘We Piddle Around’ and that seemed to be a fitting name for our theater. We just hope those who come leave thinking all of the piddling has been worthwhile.”

This season of “Come Home” is directed by Wes Tomlin of Ozark. Tomlin is a veteran actor and director.

“Everyone has worked really hard and it’s going to be a great show,” Tomlin said. “We’re all looking forward to the lights coming up.”

The fall season of “Come Home” is sold out.

The next production of the Brundidge Historical Society is the “Chili County Christmas” featuring nationally acclaimed storyteller Andy Offutt Irwin and “Aunt Marguerite’s Merry, Merry Christmas,” on Dec. 3 (sold out) and 4. For ticket information, call 735-3125.