More Blackberries, Please 
Brings Stories of Appalachian Women Center Stage

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The University of Virginia Department of Drama will present a staged reading of More Blackberries, Please by Rising Scholar Dr. Yunina Barbour-Payne on Friday, November 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the Helms Theatre. Admission is free and open to the public.

Adapted from Crystal Wilkinson’s celebrated short-story collection Blackberries, Blackberries, this new work honors the beauty, resilience, and storytelling traditions of Black Appalachian women and their communities.

“What drew me to adapt Crystal Wilkinson’s work was how real and relatable the characters felt,” says Barbour-Payne. “These stories reflect people and communities I recognize—people surviving, loving, and finding beauty in the everyday.”

For Barbour-Payne, the project carries deep personal and familial meaning. “One of the first sista doctas in my family, Dr. Ritta Abell, took on the first adaptation of this collection with a group of Appalachian writers as her collaborators,” she explains. “In many ways, this project honors her legacy and continues that lineage, bringing these stories back to the stage through new eyes.”

Set in Kentucky’s Appalachian region, More Blackberries, Please brings forward those often considered “outsiders” – women, young people, and communities surviving domestic struggles – while celebrating the strength, humor, and interconnectedness of everyday life. The play’s structure draws inspiration from quilting, a recurring motif in Appalachian and Black culture.

“Quilting has been a guiding principle for me,” Barbour-Payne shares. “Each scene is its own patch, but together they form a whole, a larger story stitched from many lives. Writing this adaptation has felt like quilt work: layered, textured, and deeply communal.”

Developed over several years and multiple workshops in Texas, this Virginia premiere marks the first time Barbour-Payne will share the work on land that feels, as she describes it, “closer to home.”

“No matter whether I’m in Texas, Virginia, or Kentucky, there’s a deep resonance in these stories. Revisiting these characters feels like coming home.”

Presented as a staged reading, the evening invites audiences into an intimate encounter with the words themselves, a chance to listen, imagine, and connect through story. “At its core, this work is about presence,” says Barbour-Payne. “It’s about sitting with a group of stories, letting them wash over you, and hearing voices we don’t always take the time to listen to.”

Performance Information

Title: More Blackberries, Please
Adapted from: Blackberries, Blackberries by Crystal Wilkinson
Playwright: Dr. Yunina Barbour-Payne
Format: Staged Reading
Date & Time: Friday, November 14, 2025,  7:00 p.m.
Location: Helms Theatre
UVA Drama Building |109 Culbreth Road | Charlottesville, VA
Tickets: Free and open to the public -- reserve your free tickets through the Arts Box Office!
**UVA Students: make sure to reserve your tickets through the Arts$ program, at least 24 hours in advance**

About the Playwright

Dr. Yunina Barbour-Payne is a scholar, artist, performer, and theater maker whose work explores Black identity, regional history, and intergenerational storytelling. Drawing from her Kentucky roots and a background in performance, she brings depth, authenticity, and community connection to her adaptations and original works.