If it was anywhere else, not only would a play about a long-dead football coach be somewhat beneath one of the nation's most prestigious Shakespeare companies -- that play wouldn't exist. But it's Alabama, so of course there's a play about Bear Bryant. And of course it's the most popular play in the repertoire of the Alabama Shakespeare Company since it premiered in January. Once you've accepted the basic premise that this thing exists, really, the local reception is not surprising at all:

Officials with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival announced Monday that they will stage the play “Bear Country” from Aug. 6-20 at the Virginia Samford Theatre. The historic theater on Birmingham’s southside is just a few miles from Legion Field, where a statue of Bryant stands outside the main entrance.
[...]
The Montgomery productions, mostly sold out, were so popular they attracted tailgaters, former Crimson Tide team members and theatergoers dressed in their game-day crimson.

Written by ASF’s chief operating officer, Michael Vigilant, the play has been a financial bright spot for ASF, which has struggled to fill seats during lean economic times. Earlier this year, it canceled its planned production of the musical “Les Miserables” because of slow ticket sales.

To add a little nostalgia, the Birmingham performances are being sponsored by Coca-Cola and Golden Flake, which also sponsored Bryant’s popular Sunday afternoon television shows. The shows, which featured Bryant drinking Coke and eating Golden Flake potato chips while narrating replays of the previous day’s game, are recreated in the play.

They say Shakespeare alienates modern audiences*, but truly, here is a chief operating officer who is one with his people. It helps, too, that Coke, Golden Flake and the Bahr are such a trusted brand in those parts, thanks to such classics as "Bear Talks About Beating Auburn '73", "Bear Talks About Beating Auburn '79" and this long lost gem on behalf of that fizzy, corn-syrupy goodness itself (you'll want to hang on till about the 2:05 mark):

I'd like to see Edward Albee try to write a line like, "Push his face in the dirt and make him eat it. It's the same way on your route: Take stocking a cooler ..." I'd like to see him try.

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* OK, I say it. Sue me, Ms. Fletcher.