Show Plot Bright Star

Authors: Steve Martin & Edie Brickell

Time Period: T he aftermath of WWII in 1945–1946 and flashbacks to 1923

Setting: Blue Ridge Mountains and Asheville, North Carolina

Summary: Bright Star is a bluegrass musical that spans two distinct time periods. In 1945 (present), Billy Cane, a young and ambitious soldier, returns home from World War II to Hayes Creek, North Carolina, eager to become a published writer. He travels to Asheville and submits his stories to Alice Murphy, the brilliant but formidable editor of the Asheville Southern Literary Journal. Alice takes a chance on him and becomes his mentor. In 1923 (flashbacks), the audience learns the tragic history behind Alice’s tough exterior.