<p>The Production of SPIRIT and SMOKE would not be possible with out the efforts of Community Spirit Inc. A not-for-profit organization formed to produce this play annually. Their support is kept this project alive.</p>
<h3>David Alford</h3>
<p><img src="images/stories/davidalford.jpg" border="0" alt="David Alford" title="David Alford" style="float: left; margin: 10px; border: 2px solid black;" /><br /><strong>David Alford, Playwright </strong>- is a native and resident of Adams, Tennessee. He graduated from Martin Methodist College (A.A.) and Austin Peay State University (B.S) before attending the Juilliard School for Drama at Lincoln Center in New York City, where he was awarded the Saint-Denis Prize upon graduation in 1991. In 1994 he was awarded a Fox Fellowship for the foundation of Mockingbird Theatre in Nashville, a professional non-profit company that he served as Artistic Director until 2004. From 2004-2007 he was Executive Artistic Director of Tennessee Repertory Theatre in Nashville, the state's largest professional theatre company. He currently serves as Director of Drama Programs at Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, TN. His plays include SPIRIT: THE AUTHENTIC STORY OF THE BELL WITCH OF TENNESSEE, GHOSTLIGHT (produced by Mockingbird Theatre, 2003), a stage adaptation of Alan Lightman's EINSTEIN'S DREAMS (produced by Peoples Branch Theatre, 2001), the short play THE BOX and CLARA'S HANDS (work-in-progress for Tennessee Rep). Produced screenplays include ON MUSIC ROW (for CMT, winner, Nashville Independent Film Festival), PRISONER (2004, finalist in HBO's Project Greenlight competition, which he also co-directed), ADRENALINE (2005) and HAVOC (Amylase Independent, 2007), both films in which he also starred.<br /><br />He has directed numerous theatre projects, including the abovementioned SPIRIT and EINSTEIN'S DREAMS. Recent directing credits for Tennessee Rep include THE DRAWER BOY, INHERIT THE WIND, THE SANTALAND DIARIES, and DEARLY DEPARTED, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, and THE WINTER'S TALE, for the Nashville Shakespeare Festival. He recently completed directing GUYS AND DOLLS in Rome, Georgia, and in June 2008 will direct and star in THE TEMPEST at the Arkansas Shakespeare Festival.<br /><br />Perhaps best known as an actor, David has appeared in over fifty professional theatre productions.  Screen credits include the abovementioned ON MUSIC ROW, HAVOC, ADRENALINE (a film done in one 88-minute continuous shot), THE SECOND CHANCE (Sony Pictures), THE LAST CASTLE (Dreamworks), and A DEATH IN THE FAMILY (PBS/Masterpiece Theatre). He also appeared recently in a Tennessee Lottery Commercial as a winner giving away an RV. Unfortunately, he was just acting.<br /><br /></p>