The mine where Floyd, Paul and Jack work is old, nearly picked clean and about to be closed, when part of it collapses, trapping them. The women left above race to the foreman, only to receive the company line: Go home and pray. We'll handle it. Though the men are seen as “no-counts” in a class-conscious South, to Addie, May and Ruth they are beloved fathers, husbands and brothers. Those above and below are left to whistle in the dark, desperate for a miracle – but the mine holds a terrible secret that will change their lives forever.
Digging Up the Boys premiered at Paris High School in Paris, TX in March, 2004. The play's college premiere was at Middle Georgia College in Chochran, GA in November, 2004.