"From Out The Fiery Furnace," a one-act play written and directed by nationally recognized playwright Christine Emmert and performed by 40-year veteran of the stage and screen Barbara Hannevig, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Schuylkill River Heritage Center, 2 N. Main St., Phoenixville. This program is free.

The play features the stories of life in the 19th century at Hopewell Village. Hannevig brings to life several characters of the period including run away slaves, “fallen” women, indentured servants, orphaned children, and others.

“We are pleased to be able to bring the stories of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site to the community in an exciting new way,” said Hopewell Superintendent Edie Shean-Hammond. “This is an original drama and Hannevig is riveting to young and old alike.”

The play premiered during Hopewell’s Harvest Time event on Sept. 19 to two full house audiences. Emmert and Hannevig volunteered to take the show on the road to new audiences. The NPS chose Phoenixville as an appropriate venue as pig iron from Hopewell Furnace was processed at foundries in Phoenixville for weapons during the Civil War.

Future performances are scheduled at the Phoenixville Library, in Radnor and in Pottstown.

The National Park play showcases how a woman’s life and love could be singularly tracked through her relationship with a Hopewell Stove.

“Hopewell Furnace was famous for not only supporting George Washington in the Revolutionary War, but also for its proliferation of perhaps the most important innovation of the 19th century, the 10-plate cooking stove,” said Shean-Hammond. “We should never take for granted how this important innovation and the industry that created it freed women, both black and white, to pursue their just place in American Society."

At Hopewell Furnace, the National Park Service preserves and interprets an early American industrial landscape from natural resource extraction to enlightened conservation. The site is surrounded by the 73,000-acre Hopewell Big Woods, the largest forest in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Wish Christmas was less about presents and more about family and friends, like in the olden days? Well you can get a taste of that old-fashioned Christmas cheer this Saturday when Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site hosts its Iron Plantation, which will celebrate 100 years of Christmas in America.

Dec. 5, the furnace will offer displays of Christmas through the ages that includes actors in period attire explaining the rituals and habits of Christmas from 1795-1875, the years the furnace was in operation.

There will also be carolers belting out holiday favorites at Bethesda Church, which is open especially for this day. There will even be carriage rides from Hendershot Hitch to the church.

The free event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“This is an opportunity to travel back in time and experience Christmas the American way,” Park Superintendent Edie Shean-Hammond said. “The Belsnickel will be on hand to reward and also scold deserving youngsters. There will be plenty of unique gifts in the Village Store, including pieces of historic charcoal for that perfect stocking gift."

Bethesda Church is located one mile east of the main iron furnace community, on Bethesda Road. Directions on how to reach the church will be available at the park’s visitor center or by contacting the park at 610-582-8773.

Carriages will depart from the visitor center in time for passengers to arrive at the church for caroling at 11:00 a.m., noon, and 1, 2, and 3 p.m. Donations to offset the costs of this transportation will be accepted.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site preserves and interprets an early American industrial landscape from natural resource extraction to enlightened conservation. The site is surrounded by the 73,000-acre Hopewell Big Woods, the largest forest in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

From Out The Fiery Furnace, a one-act play written and directed by nationally recognized playwright Christine Emmert and performed by a 40-year veteran of the stage and screen, Barbara Hannevig, features the stories of life in the 19th century at Hopewell Village.

Hannevig brings to life several characters of the period including runaway slaves, “fallen” women, indentured servants, orphaned children, and others, according to a press release from the Furnace.

Performances are slated for 4 p.m. at the Villa at Morlattan and 7 p.m. at the 1801 Chapel of St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church on Friday, Nov. 13. These adjacent facilities are located on Route 422 East in Douglassville. The program is free and open to the public.

“We are pleased to be able to bring the stories of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site to the community in an exciting new way,” said Superintendent Shean-Hammond. “This is an original drama and Hannevig is riveting to young and old alike.”

The play premiered during Hopewell’s Harvest Time event on Sept. 19 to two full house audiences. Emmert and Hannevig volunteered to take the show on the road to connect new audiences to their local national park .

The National Park Service chose St. Gabriel’s as an appropriate venue as it was the church of Mark Bird, who founded Hopewell Furnace in 1770. Future performances are scheduled in Phoenixville and Radnor in 2010.

The National Park play showcases how a woman’s life and love could be singularly tracked through her relationship with a Hopewell Stove.

“Hopewell Furnace was famous for not only supporting George Washington in the Revolutionary War, but also for its proliferation of perhaps the most important innovation of the 19th century: the 10-plate cooking stove.,” said Shean-Hammond. “We should never take for granted how this important innovation and the industry that created it freed women both black and white to pursue their just place in American Society."

Playwright/director Christine Emmert has a long resume of work. She has been published in three countries and performed throughout the English speaking world. In addition to directing and writing, Emmert has had an extensive stage career. She has appeared with Barbara Hannevig at Village Productions in "Lettice and Lovage," "Quilters" and "Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge."

She lives in Valley Forge with her husband, Richard, who often joins her in her theater adventures.

Barbara Hannevig studied at the Goodman Theatre School in Chicago and worked professionally for over 40 years. In addition to her stage work, she has performed in videos and voiceovers. She has graced the stage of Village Productions in such diverse pieces at "Jake's Women", "Almost Maine" and, of course, "Lettice and Lovage."