The first week of the spring season of “Come Home, It’s Suppertime” at the We Piddle Around Theater in Brundidge came to a close Saturday night with a theater filled with “company” at suppertime for the first time.

“I thought I had some idea of what to expect but this theater, this experience, was so much more than what I had thought,” said Bertie Butler from Vincent.

“I had no idea there was sawdust on the floor. The building is just amazing. It’s different from any theater that I have ever seen. And, the food. It was so good and the kind of supper that you would have had ‘at home at suppertime.’”

Butler said she went to the theater thinking that she would have a good time but, again, she got much more than she expected.

“There was so much talent, the older people and the young people, too,” she said. “But what was so special to me was that the play was funny – real funny — but there was also a sweet innocence about it. It brought back a lot of memories and the closing of the play with all of the gospel music. It touched my heart. It was a blessing.”

Butler was one of many who attended the play for the first time and she said that she’ll be back again.

“It was a blessing for a lot of us,” she said. “And I will be back.”

Earlene Holloway was one of several out-of-staters who found their way to south Pike County on a warm spring night.

“This is what I’ve been longing for – the comfort of the way life used to be – and it did used to be just like it was here tonight,” the Folsom, Louisiana resident said. “We used to be ‘real ‘pa’ticlar’ about things. We gave a lot of thought to things – to life. Here at the We Piddle Around Theater, I was back in my comfort zone and it was a good place to be.”

Holloway said she especially enjoyed the way the play “took you 180 degrees and back.”

“Funny, serious, funny serious,” she said. “You’re emotions went up and down. And, don’t we all love to sing those old church hymns. I couldn’t keep from singing along. It was a wonderful experience being at home at suppertime.”

Polly Spencer Kenny of Washington D.C. literally came home at suppertime. Kenny spent her teenage years in the “stop light town” and was a bit surprised to see that a community theater had risen out of the ashes.

The We Piddle Around Theater is the former Brundidge City Hall that was gutted by fire in 1991 and given new life as a community theater in the spring of 2002 when the curtains came up on “Come Home, It’s Suppertime.”

“I had heard about the We Piddle Around Theater but I didn’t know what to expect,” she said.

“I had envisioned a traditional single stage theater but this one is all over the place. The play is rich in the history of the Deep South and is a real credit to the talent and dedication of the people in small town America.”

The spring production of “Come Home, It’s Suppertime” will end on Saturday night.

All performances are sold out. However, the Brundidge Historical Society will present June Buggin’ at the We Piddle Around with mountain storyteller Gary Carden in two performances the second weekend in June. Ticket will go on sale May 4 at Rue’s Antiques in downtown Brundidge.

“Our June Buggin’ event will bring our 2010-2011calendar of events to a close but we’ve got a tremendous lineup of events for the 2011-12 year,” said Lawrence Bowden, BHS president.

“We’ve had a great year and look forward to another great year at the We Piddle Around Theater and hope everyone will make plans to join us.”