MOUNT AIRY — When the Surry Arts Council presents playwright Burton Cohen’s “The Wedding of the Siamese Twins” this weekend, the production will have a strong Pilot Mountain influence.

The play will feature East Surry graduate Scott Needham in a lead role as Chang Bunker. Pilot Mountain resident Vince Hancock will direct the effort while Shoals Elementary Assistant Principal Betsy Manieri will provide stage direction. Courtney Willard, an arts teacher at both Pilot Mountain and Westfield elementary schools, is serving as creative consultant for the production. Hancock’s son, Daniel, and Willard’s daughters, Caroline and Jayne, also have roles in the play.

Other lead roles include Greg Matthews as Eng Bunker, Jamie Dowell as Sally Yates and Amber King as Adelaide Yates.

The annual production celebrates the lives of famous twins and former Mount Airy residents Eng and Chang Bunker. Born in Siam in 1811, the twins later settled in Mount Airy and married sisters, Sarah and Adelaide Yates of Wilkes County. They fathered 11 and 10 children, respectively, and passed away in Mount Airy in 1874.

The play is presented in conjunction with the 21st annual Bunker Family Reunion. Descendants from across the United States travel to attend this family reunion each year and some are expected to attend the production.

“The Wedding of the Siamese Twins” follows the lives of Eng and Chang Bunker, their romance with Sarah and Adelaide and the interesting relationship between the twins. Having earned a large fortune through their world tours, Eng and Chang decided to settle in North Carolina where they courted and married Sarah and Adelaide. Over time, the twins tired of touring and their constant togetherness and began to grow apart. But in the end, the strength of their connection, both literally and figuratively, is evident and eventually provides comfort to their grieving widows.

“This is not biographical,” Hancock explained, “but it does stay fairly true to their lives. The focus is on relationships, the complications and the joys.

“This is a show about every relationship you’ve ever had and how those relationships change over time,” he added. “Even in the closest of relationships, there is a separation, but finding that point where one ends and another begins is the show’s focus, particularly as these relationships expand exponentially.”

A 10-year veteran actor with the Surry Arts Council, the play is Hancock’s first effort at full-length direction.

“It’s been both fun and challenging,” he noted. “I’ve received great support and our actors do a tremendous job of adding depth to the characters.

“We’re lucky to have Scott Needham.” Hancock said. “He had just finished working in New York and was looking at other offers. He’s been valuable both as a cast member and for his technical expertise. He designed our lighting and has been involved in a ‘hands-on’ way throughout.”

The play will be performed this Friday at 3 p.m. and on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Old-Time Music Heritage Hall (lower level of the Andy Griffith Museum) at 218 Rockford St. in Mount Airy. Tickets are $10 or free with the Surry Arts Council season pass.

According to Hancock, the performance will be the first theatrical presentation in lower level space. “I’m excited,” he noted. “It’s a more intimate space that fits the production.”

Hancock noted that a Friday afternoon performance was also unusual, but said that if successful, more might follow. “And pre-sales for that show have already been pretty strong.”

Before the performance on Friday, there will be a free lecture by journalist A.C. Snow, a writer for the Raleigh News and Observer. Snow recently wrote an article on Eng and Chang as role models for a perfect marriage. His talk will begin at 1 p.m. in the Siamese Twins Exhibit in the lower level of the Andy Griffith Playhouse. For more information, visit the SAC Web site, www.surryarts.org, or call 786-7998.