Rodney Clark as Paul "Bear" Bryant

Paul “Bear” Bryant – few names in sports history instill the same sense of awe and reverence and even fewer have been able to touch the lives of the individual and also set the standard for the nation.  Paul “Bear” Bryant’s legacy transcends the game of football and the state of Alabama.

What if you had the opportunity to get up close and personal with University of Alabama football coach Paul Bear Bryant? In the extraordinary play Bear Country–you can. Absorb the wisdom and wit of a man who rose from the child of dirt poor sharecroppers to become the standard by which college football coaches are judged. Bryant was famous for turning individuals into teams and teams into champions. When he retired, Bryant had won more college football games than any other coach in history. In Bear Country Bryant’s unique voice lives on to motivate others to become winners in their “fields” of life.

For decades, the name “Bear” and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa were synonymous with national football championships.  His legend was made one victory at a time through hard work, determination, intelligence, and leadership. He loved the game of football, the University, and the young men he inspired to win through disciplined preparation and fierce competitiveness. Fame followed Bear Bryant; it touched him, tormented him, and tempted him by turns. His is truly an all-American story in the all-American sport.

Michael Vigilant’s biographical drama tells Bryant’s story through his own perspective as a memory play. Bryant looks back at his younger self and shares scenes of his life and career as well as the crucial people who shaped him. It might, in other hands, have been a one-man show, but Vigilant loves football, and football is a team sport. Consequently, four actors play fifteen roles throughout the story of Bryant’s opportunities and crises. We walk through his life with him, gaining a personal account of a powerful man.

An excellent ensemble that is credible in every instance…Vigilant and company got it right… kudos to Clark (Coach Bryant) for some of the best theatrical moments witnessed on the ASF stage in a long time.

– Michael Howley, The Montgomery Advertiser