‘Gentleman’ is a rollicking, memorable story of early Lawrence County

It is an amazing privilege to be an American and commemorate 250 years as a nation on July 4. Three Lawrence County locations offer opportunities to celebrate this Saturday: Loretto Sacred Heart Church, Summertown Bridle & Saddle Club, and Lawrenceburg’s Bobby Brewer Park.

It is also a privilege to live in Lawrence County, Tennessee, which was a wild frontier in the early years of our nation. Lawrenceburg Community Theatre, with help from the Tennessee Commission for the U.S. Semiquincentennial, offers an opportunity to celebrate our place in history with its 50th anniversary production of The Gentleman from the Cane, July 6-7 and 9-12 at Crockett Theatre. It is joyful, dramatic, and funny, full of early Tennessee lore, and songs that will stay with you long after the play is over.

David Crockett was the “Gentleman from the Cane,” a nickname he earned from a political rival who was mocking his humble background. The play is about Crockett’s life in Lawrence County, where he made his first entry into politics, and battled a fellow Commissioner over the placement of Lawrenceburg.
Crockett and his family arrived here before there was a Lawrence County, not long after the territory was purchased from Native Americans. They established a grist mill, distillery, and powder mill on the banks of Shoal Creek, and Crockett became a Justice of the Peace with the power to marry people, swear out warrants, and act as judge in civil and criminal cases. He was elected Colonel of the local militia and was one of five commissioners appointed to the governing body when Lawrence County was created by the Legislature in 1817.
Crockett wanted the county seat to be located at Gandy because it is the geographic center of the county and he owned land in the area. Maximillian H. Buchanan wanted Lawrenceburg placed on Jackson’s Military Road because it was a major travel corridor and he owned land in the area. Buchanan’s choice won 3-2, and Crockett resigned from the Commission.
“The Gentleman from the Cane” was written in honor of America’s Bicentennial by Dolly Leighton, a local native, retired drama teacher, and longtime member of Lawrenceburg Community Theatre (LCT). She wrote the play, its lyrics and music, and served as its director in 1976 and 1977.
All characters in the play were real people, and the traditions and language reflected in it come from that time period. Leighton says many colloquialisms used in the play are taken directly from Crockett’s Autobiography, including “as onery as the tail-end of a skunk.”
The 1976, 1977, and 1978 productions were staged in the grassy area along Shoal Creek between Shelter #2 and Campground 1 at David Crockett State Park. It moved to the park’s Amphitheatre in 1981 and 1986, then to Crockett Theatre in 2006 and 2011. An abbreviated version was presented to celebrate Lawrence County’s bicentennial in 2017, but this is the first full performance in 15 years.
Original cast member Ronnie Bonner is part of the 2026 production, and several other cast members have been in previous productions. Patrick Hughes is a LCT regular taking on the role of Crockett, who was first portrayed by Paul Plant. Others in the leading role have been Tim Pettus, Nathan Crawford, Ken Brewer, Kenneth Coultas, and Chad Franklin.
If you’ve attended other LCT productions, you are already expecting a great show. This nonprofit, volunteer group puts on amazing productions thanks to the great talents involved. In recent years LCT has added an annual children’s performance to its roster, and they are phenomenal, a credit to the kids and the adults who work with them.
Working in theatre productions helps develop confidence and self-esteem, communication skills, teamwork, responsibility, discipline, creativity, problem-solving skills, leadership, and time management. We are so fortunate to have Lawrenceburg Community Theatre here to enrich our community and give people of all ages a place to learn, grow, and enjoy the arts together.
Tickets to The Gentleman from the Cane are available at https://secure.ticketsage.net/websales.aspx?u=lawrenceburg