Swamp Gravy | Colquitt, Georgia
166 W Main StJavascript must be enabled to view this map.
Swamp Gravy was first performed in the Miller County Elementary School auditorium. It was planned for one weekend, and then the first weekend went so well, a second performance was set for the next weekend. After that it was history. We began looking for a larger location where the play could be held, and a local man offered to loan us the old cotton gin to house our performance. After cleaning and some preparation work, we held the first performance here in 1994. Since then the cotton gin has been completely renovated and is now aptly known as Cotton Hall. The once dirt floor is now brick and cement, the loading dock and old Ford truck are now part of our staging. We now have a fully equipped facility that maintains its rustic flavor. We offer state-of-the-art lighting, wonderful set design, and multi-level staging. The design of the theatre is very unique and makes every seat in Cotton Hall a good one. Upon entrance into Cotton Hall we now have a Museum of Southern Cultures. This is designed to reminiscent of the town square. We also have a concession area that is designed to be suggestive of a cafe that was once on the town square.
In 1996 we were chosen as a Cultural Olympiad Event and performed at the Centennial Park during the Olympics in Atlanta, GA. That same year we were picked to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., but no performances can compare to the effect that Swamp Gravy has in its “home” at Cotton Hall.
The name, “Swamp Gravy” is indigenous of the area. It is a stew like dish that is made from pouring “fish drippings” that you have left in the grease after frying fish. Then you add tomatoes, potatoes, onions, and whatever else you have on hand and make a side dish or it could even be the whole meal if you don’t have enough fish for everyone. So basically, you take whatever you have and make something out of it, which is what we have done in Colquitt, with our rendition of “Swamp Gravy.”
