Last show was October 12, 2025 at the Clermont Historical Society
The play “Cheever,” by North Georgia author, playwright and historian Emory Jones, tells the story of Cheever Meaders, a potter in North Georgia, and his wife Arie Waldrop, during a one day visit by historian and pottery scholar Dr. John Burrison. Dr. Burrison is a Georgia State University professor specializing in folk culture and is author of the books Brothers in Clay: The Story of Georgia Folk Pottery and From Mud to Jug: The Folk Potters and Pottery of Northeast Georgia. While his books tell the history of pottery in this red clay region of North Georgia and how the Meaders family, including Cheever Meaders, helped this art form evolve from pottery utilitarian jugs and pitchers to decorative and artistic pieces that are displayed in the Smithsonian Institute, Dr. Burrison did not have the chance to meet Cheever Meaders. This play recreates a day of their visit, weaving stories told to and memories from Cheever’s great-nephew, the write of the play, Emory Jones.
The play take place in a single room, the pottery studio and shed where Dr. Burrison arrives to meet with Cheever and Arie. The timing of the play, 1967, is shared with the audience via a very clever theater and stage detail when Cheever asks Arie to turn on the radio, and the audience gets to hear a few minutes of national and local news that sets the scene and time as the late 1960s. The meeting between Dr. Burrison with Cheever and Arie is part historical documentary, part reflection on how America is transforming, and part improv comedic with all the many very fine, and dry humor quips from Cheever and Arie. The play is a conversation between Cheever, Arie, and Dr. Burrison and part interview by Dr. Burrison for his planned book. We learn that the rich red clay of North Georgia inspired local potters to craft jugs, butter churns, pitchers, and all other kinds of utilitarian and household containers and items that helped local farms and businesses stay and grow in the area. We learn that gradually glass, and tin began to displace pottery jugs, jars, and pitchers, and some potters of the Meaders family were then inspired to create more decorative and artistic pottery like face jugs, and animal sculptures (many are on display locally at the Sautee Nacoochee Cultural Center here in North Georgia).
The play also tells the story of the Cheevers family coping with the grief, like many American families, of family members who served in World War II, and there are also anecdotes about surprising famous visitors and politicians to the farm who bought pottery when they were in the area. A lot of the play though is filled with humorous one-liners, quips, and jokes, told by Cheever and Arie for the amusement of their guest Dr. Burrison, and the audience. Cheever and Arie deliver a mixture of country and Southern wit and charm along with funny references to and knowledge of current events and notable figures of the 1960s, foreshadowed early on when we learned the couple listened regularly to the news on the radio.
I went to “Cheever” to learn more about local folk art pottery and its prominent potters (and for the chance to see a theater production as I lived for many years in New York where seeing new Broadway shows was a regular and wonderful option), and I stayed for the humor and the laughs and the insights and lessons about life. North Georgia Culture hopes there is a revival or continuation for “Cheever” and highly recommend seeing it should it return to stage, and you are in luck as this story, and other humorous and insightful anecdotes is from Emory Jones’ book “Memories Etched in Pott’ry,” which we have read and also highly recommend for a collection of amusing short stories packed with historical anecdotes and references, and positive messages of wisdom and lesson from life.
