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Rapid Fire Q&A with ‘What the World Needs Now: The Music of Burt Bacharach’ cast; on stage at WCPAC at Academy Park beginning November 1

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Last November, Williamson County Performing Arts Center debuted the World Premiere production of What the World Needs Now: The Music of Burt Bacharach, a musical tribute to the iconic songwriter. Written, directed and staged by WCPAC’s Director of Performing Arts, Victoria Reed, the show was so well-received they’re bringing it back for four performances Friday, November 1-Sunday, November 3. This year, returning cast members Craig Robinson, Justin Boyd and Miracle Ham will be joined by newcomer (to the show) Francesca Noe. All backed by an equally talented musical quartet featuring Andrew Carney on Trumpet and Flugelhorn, Eric Coveney on Bass, Neil Tufano on Drums and Trevor Willoughby on Piano. Willoughby will also lend his talents as vocalist as well as serving as the show’s bandleader. With vocal arrangements by Ricki Holmes, choreography by Alison Little, stage management by Susan Gaw and musical direction by Kelsi Fulton, this production promises to be What the World Needs Now, just as the show title suggests.

As the company readied for the show for its limited run, I had the chance to pose a few questions to two of the returning performer, Justin Boyd and Miracle Ham for the latest installment of my recurring interview feature, Rapid Fire Q&A. What follows are those conversations.

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Rapid Fire Q&A with members of the cast of WCPAC’s What the World Needs Now: The Music of Burt Bacharach

Rapid Fire Q&A with What the World Needs Now cast member Miracle Ham

JHPENTERTAINMENT:  You were part of last year’s debut of this show. Your co-stars Justin Boyd and Craig Robinson are also returning for this year’s production. As far as camaraderie and fitting together, did the company pick up right where you all left off last year?

MIRACLE HAM: I definitely believe so. It’s like we never closed the show and we’ve always gotten along so well. It’s literally like a family reunion. Constant laughs and such a good time.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: New to the cast this year is Franchesca Noe. How has it been sharing the stage and this show with her?

MIRACLE HAM: It’s been great. She’s picked up the show so fast in such a short amount of time. Such a sweet spirit and a huge talent. To be so small she has a big voice! I mean she lets the people have it. I’m happy she’s a part of the show. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Aside from What the World Needs Now, you previously appeared onstage at WCPAC in their 2022 production of Nunsense. What is it about this gem of a venue and theatre company that keeps you coming back?

MIRACLE HAM: Honestly, the director Victoria is what keeps me coming back. She is such a pleasure to work with and has a different but wonderful approach to her directing style, and I love it. She really knows how to help you bring your character to life in ways that you might not have thought of on your own, and she is a true visionary. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: In What the World Need Now, you get to perform, not just one of my favorite Bacharach-written songs, but one of my all-time favorite tunes, Say a Little Prayer, made famous by Dionne Warwick in 1967 and arguably equally as relevant to its popularity, as recorded by Aretha Franklin the following year. While I’m not old enough to have remembered those initial releases, I’ll date myself my admitting I first remember it when Dionne and Aretha performed it on a 1981 episode of Solid Gold. What’s your first memory of this classic song AND How much fun are you having performing it?

MIRACLE HAM: I remember hearing this song when I was really young. It was the Aretha Franklin version. I want to say the first time I heard it, my Mom was watching a movie and it was playing in the background. I can’t remember for sure but I literally heard this song all the time during my childhood. It was just one of those songs that was always playing somewhere – in the grocery store, at the mall, in commercials, everywhere. I definitely enjoy that section of the show. It’s so much fun performing it, and I mean who doesn’t love this song??? It’s such a classic and I’m so honored to get to perform it again. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Is there a particular song in What the World Needs Now, whether you’re featured in it or simply watching your fellow cast-mates, that you ‘really’ feel each time you hear it?

MIRACLE HAM: Dionne Warwick’s Don’t Make Me Over has to be my favorite. The message of the song so powerful and really speaks to me. Don’t try to change who I am. Just accept me and all my flaws. Also, the overall instrumentation of the song and the way it was written specifically for Dionne’s voice is absolutely perfect. I get to perform this song and really make a statement every time I sing it. 

My second favorite song would have to be Any Day Now. It takes me back to the music that my Mom used to play growing up and reminds me of the classic biopics that we would keep on repeat on our TVs at home. Craig does an excellent job with taking you back to that time and I love his voice on that song. 

Rapid Fire Q&A with What the World Needs Now cast member Justin Boyd

JHPENTERTAINMENT: When I chatted with Miracle, I noted that several of the cast and crew were part of last year’s World Premiere presentation of What the World Needs Now: The Music of Burt Bacharach. You, too are part of that returning company. How’s it feel to be back for this year’s production?

JUSTIN BOYD: It feels like a homecoming since there are so many familiar faces returning! We had an abbreviated rehearsal process since we mainly just had to shake off the rust. At our first tech rehearsal earlier this week, everything clicked back into place, and we knew we had another great show on our hands. Special shout out to the new members of our production that came right in and didn’t miss a beat!

JHPENTERTAINMENT: This musical review is written, directed and staged by Victoria Reed. What’s it like to work with someone so involved in a show like this?

JUSTIN BOYD: It’s quite convenient having the writer, producer, dramaturge, and director at every rehearsal in case we have any questions or need guidance. She’s done an incredible amount of research into Burt’s life and career that we never really have to second guess anything she tells us about what he’s done.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: When you were first preparing to perform in this show, were there any Bacharach-penned tunes that you were surprised to learn were his?

JUSTIN BOYD: There were a great many of them! A few of the more popular ones were Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, What’s New Pussycat, and Always Something There To Remind Me. One of the deeper cuts for me personally was the Perry Como version of Magic Moments. I only knew that song from a very brief moment in the show Forever Plaid, and it was a nice moment for me to realize Burt  and Hal David wrote it and that it was in this show!

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Kelsi Fulton serves as musical director for this production. If memory serves, you’ve worked alongside her in a number of shows in the past, right? What’s the most rewarding aspect of working with Kelsi as music director?

JUSTIN BOYD: Yes, I’ve worked with her on multiple shows including Dreamgirls, West Side Story, American Idiot and Little Mermaid just to name a few! I would say the familiarity since we’ve known each other for over a decade now! She’s also very precise with the sound she wants, and she is meticulous with the score to ensure she gets it perfect.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What do you hope audiences remember after having attended a performance of What the World Needs Now?

JUSTIN BOYD: Music comes in all forms, shapes, and sizes. The music of today is drastically different than the music Burt would compose. I want people to either remember the beauty and elegance of Pop music from Burt’s generation, and for people in my generation and younger, to learn the history of a musical icon that shaped and led the way for what we hear on the radio today. As for the titular tune, I’m sure we can all agree that the world could use some more love!

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Williamson Country Performing Arts Center’s What the World Needs Now: The Music of Burt Bacharach returns to WCPAC at Academy Park (112 Everbright Ave. Franklin, TN 37064) from Friday, November 1 through Sunday, November 3. Performances are as follows: 2p.m. matinee Friday, November 1, 7p.m. Evening Performances Friday and Saturday, November 1&2 and a final 2p.m. matinee on Sunday, November 3. Tickets are $30 ($27.50 for Seniors and Students). All Seats are Reserved Seating. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets. Next up onstage at WCPAC, The Music Man Kids, November 8-10. Presented by STAR (Student Theatrical Arts Resource), there will be a total of six performances, showcasing three young groups of kids from three area STAR programs. Franklin Rec Cast will perform Friday, November 8th at 6:30p.m. and Saturday, November 9th at 1:30p.m. Enrichment Center Cast will take to the stage Saturday, November 9th at 4:00p.m. and Saturday, November 9th at 6:30p.m. Then, the College Grove Cast will round out the performances Sunday, November 10th at 1:30p.m. and Sunday, November 10th at 4:00p.m. Tickets are $10. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets or more information. To learn more about WCPAC‘s STAR Program, CLICK HERE. To keep up with all things WCPAC, CLICK HERE to check them out online and follow them on Insta, Facebook and X.

As always, if you wanna follow JHPEntertainment to find out who I’m chatting with for my next Rapid Fire Q&A, or for my take on the latest local and national theatre, music and movie offerings, follow us on Facebook, Insta and Twitter.

Rapid Fire 20Q with director and cast members of ‘For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf’; Opening Circle Players’ 75th Season, at Looby Theater thru October 20

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Last Sunday afternoon, I had the opportunity to attend an Opening Weekend performance of Circle Players’ 75th Season Opener, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf. Since it’s 1976 off-Broadway debut, playwright Ntozake Shange’s creative, emotional piece has has given voice to generations of Black women, but more than that, it’s presented the oft-too-rare opportunity for a theatrical work to not only shed light of difficult subject matter, but to do so to ultimately uplifting and positive result. With those thoughts in mind, as the director, Cynthia Harris, and cast members Kamaryn Robinson, Jailin Roberts, Lauren Fitzgerald and the rest of the company readied for the show’s second and final weekend, I had the chance to pose a few questions for my latest Rapid Fire 20Q.

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Rapid Fire 20Q with cast members and diretor of Circle Players’ For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf

Rapid Fire with Kamaryn Robinson, For Colored Girls’ Lady in Brown

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What can you tell me about Lady in Brown, the character you play in For Colored Girls?

KAMARYN ROBINSON: Lady in Brown is the youngest of 7 and she calls upon her sisters after experiencing something traumatic with her partner. Throughout the play she takes in these rich amazing stories her sisters have to tell her about black women and love. Like many younger sisters, Lady in Brown has a very vivid imagination and vibrant spirit. She represents innocence and self-discovery.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: The first thing I noticed while attending an Opening Weekend performance was the balance of toughness and heart in the way you play Lady in Brown. Do you share those characteristics in your real life?

KAMARYN ROBINSON: I most definitely do. This play is about black women and all that they go through, the good and the bad so I naturally relate. It took a second for me to be able to dig deep and reach that point of vulnerability to show onstage but once our director, Cynthia coached me to that point, Lady in Brown and I became one. As for real life, I am a young woman who is too searching for her identity and discovering empowerment as I grow older.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What is your earliest memory of theatre? AND…did you know immediately that that was something you wanted to pursue?

KAMARYN ROBINSON: In elementary school, I was cast in my first production as Cinderella. From that moment performing became an immediate passion of mine. Since elementary school, I have not stepped off the stage since and I don’t plan to anytime soon. Theater is a form of healing and therapy that not only the audience receives but the performers receive it too. In every production I perform in I have the same number one fan in the audience, my Mom!

JHPENTERTAINMENT: From what I understand, while you appeared in a few productions at Tennessee State University, including Chicken & Biscuits, Steel Magnolias and Zooman & the Sign, this is your first show at Circle. What’s been the most rewarding aspect of being in a Circle show as the company celebrates their 75th anniversary?

KAMARYN ROBINSON: Being apart of the Circle Players family has been such a huge blessing and amazing experience. This is my community theatre debut and what a better way to start than with Circle Players. This company has the most incredible and talented people and I have been so lucky to be connected with beautiful black women who uplift me. I can’t wait to work with them again!

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What’s the most challenging aspect of playing Lady in Brown?

KAMARYN ROBINSON: The challenging aspect is navigating the complex emotions. Lady in Brown begins the play in a very hard place questioning how the world really sees black women. She then moves to a youthful optimistic moment that requires a lot energy while also portraying the pain of losing a sense of innocence. Finding that joy inside of the pain was very difficult for me especially while I worked alongside this ensemble of six other women. Portraying this story was a group effort and took a lot of connecting and trust in each other to be able to tell these relatable stories in a safe space.

Rapid Fire with Jailin Roberts, For Colored Girls’ Lady in Yellow

JHPENTERTAINMENT: As Lady in Yellow, you’re among the first to recite a monologue, and what a monologue it is. When I chatted with your director, I noted the juxtaposition of joy and pain peppered throughout the piece. Your first segment is a prime example of that. Do you have a pre-show routine to get it the right mindset for such an emotional show?

JAILIN ROBERTS: I actually have a pretty long pre-show routine to center myself before I step on stage! I start by listening to my gospel playlist to take a moment to praise and give thanks to God. It’s such a blessing to perform and I never want to take it for granted. I also believe that as a Black woman For Colored Girls is a spiritual experience and if I don’t feel grounded I might miss out on it. I have the tendency to get extremely nervous before I perform. Before places I stand in front of this mirror backstage with my headphones on and go through all my lines! To free up the “what if I forget/mess up” so I can play with my sisters on stage. Lastly, I stretch for my splits while praying and giving myself a lot of affirmations! 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Since first being published in 1976, For Colored Girls has been described as a work of choreopoetry. On the choreo side, this production features movement choreographed by Tosha Marie, who also happens to be Circle Players’ newly appointed Board President. You worked with Tosha in TMProductions’ Pippin back in 2022. How is Tosha as a choreographer?

JAILIN ROBERTS: Let me tell you! I absolutely adore Ms.Tosha and her work ethic. She is such a light and as a choreographer she knows how to encourage and push. As artist we can limit ourselves or believe the talents we display before honing in on our craft is the cap. Ms.Tosha always sees more than what we tell ourselves. As a teacher, trainer, and choreographer she has shown me that performers are also athletes and we should train our talents like one. Most importantly she’ll always want whoever she’s directing to believe in themselves and exercise grace in the learning process. Ms.Tosha is truly amazing and I am always excited when she’s choreographing.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Who is Lady in Yellow to you?

JAILIN ROBERTS: To me she is who I am as a storyteller. Lady in yellow is how we have fun catching up with our cousins and aunties. How our moms lived many lives and think it’s funny to let us in on it at random times. Lady in Yellow is me, my mom, and all the Black women/girls who indulge in telling stories. It’s what I do on and off the stage. I love to bring life to the experiences I relay. I believe it’s what makes graduation nite so much fun because it’s how I express myself naturally.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: If you were to do this show again, what other Lady could you see yourself portraying and what is it about that role that might interest you?

JAILIN ROBERTS: I would love to portray Lady in Brown if I am blessed enough to do this show again. Her opening monologue is so beautiful and moving. It’s the starting point of the show that gives a voice to all the Black women on stage and in the crowd. Brown has so much power in that moment I would love to have my own rendition someday. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Circle Players is Nashville’s oldest continuing theatre company. What’s it like knowing you’re part of not just their important 75th Season milestone, but also a much-needed new direction for Circle?

JAILIN ROBERTS: I’m very excited and proud that the Board chose this show as their season opener. It’s exciting because it’s a statement that we’re here and we have voices to uplift. It’s important that we recognize that there isn’t enough Black theater. Our stories are ones that need to be told consistently! Black women have such a unique experience. Circle Players opening up the conversation at our talkbacks and shedding light on the complexities of our many experiences was on purpose. Having the amazing director Cynthia Harris take on this project was on purpose. We need more people supporting black theatre and uplifting our voices and stories. I give my flowers to Circle Players Board, Tosha Marie, and Cynthia Harris for contributing this show to the community. 

Rapid Fire with Lauren Fitzgerald, For Colored Girls’ Lady in Blue

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What do I need to know about Lady in Blue?

LAUREN FITZGERALD: Lady in Blue is everyone’s favorite auntie! She is going to catalyze the hard conversations and also catalyze the healing. She is a straight shooter that loves and cares deeply about her sisters and the world around her. Lady in blue is a Capricorn with a Libra moon rising.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: You earned a degree in Theatre at UT Knoxville. Anytime I hear UT and Theatre, I’m gonna ask about my friend Carol Mayo-Jenkins…did you study under Carol? AND…What’s your favorite memory of your time at UT?

LAUREN FITZGERALD: I surely did study under Carol Mayo-Jenkins. She was an incredible influence on my career and journey as an artist and performer. I’m deeply grateful that she, and the rest of the theatre faculty believed in me and poured into my craft.  I had two experiences that stand out at UT. One moment on stage at UT was my performance in The Story of Opal. It was my first opportunity to perform in an ensemble cast. The story that was rooted in a young girl’s exploration of nature and society. It was written from a single voice with rather obscure language and was devised by 5 diverse performers and a non traditional musician. That collective exploration was deeply impactful and has informed how I approached other creation processes. The other was being able to embody Alma Hix in The Music Man, primarily because it was a huge cast and we got to play with talent not just from the student body but from the community and our professors (including Carol Mayo-Jenkins). I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention the profound impact that the Carpetbag Theatre, then led by Obie award winning playwright, Linda Parris Bailey, influenced me during my journey at UT. Having interned and performed there all through my time at UT, I found a theatre community that embraced me and nurtured my love for works like For Colored Girls who Committed Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf. I found home in Carpetbag and I am forever grateful.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: I love the feistiness in which you play Lady in Blue, as evidenced in one of your earliest lines: “you gave it up in a Buick?”. I literally LOL’d when I heard that while attending Opening Weekend. Gotta know…did you draw that feistiness and energy from your own personality or is there a Lady in Blue in your family or friends circle upon which you borrowed some of her traits?

LAUREN FITZGERALD: It’s all me, and I am all the women in my family. I am that auntie. Serendipitously, I did not get called back for Lady in Blue. But, after getting cast in the role I knew that I had a lot of my personality that I could contribute to the role. My friend circle is a strong mix of all of the colors. We show up different in different ways depending on the time and the circumstance. But, if you would ask my friends who my personality most aligns with, it would be Lady in bBlue.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Your cast bio concludes with, “she believes in the color yellow”…for the uninitiated, care to elaborate?

LAUREN FITZGERALD: Sure! To elaborate (and ramble a bit lol)I believe I am bit synesthetic. I can see sounds sort of like how Pharrell Williams has described in interviews. I believe that when I experience the color yellow rather it be visual or sonically, it has the power to rejuvenate or reset my nervous system. It makes me feel good. I am an optimistic person by nature. So I feel like the color yellow almost resets my optimism should it be wavering for whatever reason. Alice Walker found her love for the color purple by noticing shadows in nature and how purple is everywhere which is so beautiful. However my belief in yellow is kind of similar yet opposite. The color yellow, also everywhere, represents light to me. Light is what brings understanding and sight. My passion is bridging understanding and bringing light to build genuine connections. Yellow represents light and love in a world with so much darkness. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Why is For Colored Girls as relevant for today’s audiences….of ANY race as it was when it first premiered?

LAUREN FITZGERALD: This timeless piece tackles multiple intersections of belonging and care. It particularly addresses how marginalization can impact families. For me, this is just one perspective of how the social atrocities of this country have impacted our relationships, our ability to sustain healthy families, our self identities, and the health of our mind and bodies (both men and women; considering Beau Willie Brown). It helps us by listening to this story and considering how we might look to our own individual power or develop empowerment to find a sense of yellow, a sense of light and love to help rectify and combat these issues of humanity. 

Rapid Fire with For Colored Girls’ director Cynthia Harris

JHPENTERTAINMENT: You mention in your director’s note in the For Colored Girls’ program that you first read Ntozake Shange’s work when you were in the 5th grade. Do you remember your initial thoughts on the piece?

CYNTHIA HARRIS: Absolutely! I remember looking at the cover and reading the title while My Aunt Joyce explained how important the book/script was to her. She also told me I was old enough to read it. Being old enough made me feel special. I used the poem No Assistance by Lady in Red as my poem for a 5th grade Forensics competition at Meigs Magnet. My drama teacher approved of keeping the one cuss word and I was thrilled. I understood the pieces then, but not anywhere near the way I understand and have lived these words in my 46 years.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: In some way, was it that early connection to the work that ultimately lead you to direct this production?

CYNTHIA HARRIS: It made sense to me as a young person. It affirmed that the stories I overheard while my mother worked in her beauty salon or as she talked to her sisters on the phone, that they were as important or powerful as I felt they were. This is absolutely a full circle moment for me. As a playwright, my chosen format is the choreopoem. It gives me the most liberty to tell Southern Black women’s stories in an uninterrupted format. When Circle Players’ Board President Tosha Marie asked me to direct, it didn’t take me anytime to say yes. I have always wanted to direct this play. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: I’ve always been intrigued by the duality of the show’s title. The juxtaposition of the bleakness of the thought of suicide paired with the hopefulness of a rainbow. The show itself is a brilliant balance of emotions. Do you have segments that stand out to you?

CYNTHIA HARRIS: And in that bleak juxtaposition is also the remedy. The rainbow of women in our lives can and do save us by witnessing our stories and declarations of power. I love them all. I can’t choose one. One of my favorite lines from No More Love Poems is “being Black and being colored is a metaphysical dilemma I haven’t conquered yet.” Also from that section, “I’m finally being real, no longer symmetrical and impervious to pain.” For me the sadness, anxiety and depression are increased by the emotional labor expected of Black women and other women of color. If we can strip all the layers of performance we do to keep others happy or just to survive, we can find our joy and our rainbows. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Over the years, I’ve seen a few productions of For Colored Girls. Typically, it’s presented almost like a poetry reading, where the primary orator takes center stage, but I love that you’re presenting it more like a girls’ weekend wherein the women seem to be sharing their stories with one another. You speak a little about this decision in your director’s note, but for those who’ve not yet seen the show, can you tell me a little more about presenting the show in this manner?  

CYNTHIA HARRIS: For that reason you observed. It is usually presented in a more abstract and minimalist way. The play is 50 years old, and I wanted to do something different. I wanted color and costume changes. I wanted to layer this idea that the characters are all Sisters, who are reuniting because one has experienced something traumatic. The creative challenge was to add this layer of story and not change any of the words or their order in the choreopoem. I also wanted to show my relationship to this sacred text over time. I show it in my music exploration and use in transitions throughout the show. I also thought about all the places that I have come together with my women friends to retreat and reset. We sit together in living rooms on sofas, playing games and having long conversations. We sit in kitchens around tables with meals we’ve lovingly prepared for each other. We sit on the porch; we’re Southerners after all. I wanted to mirror back to the audience their everyday brilliance and resilience. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What do you hope audiences take with them after having seen For Colored Girls?

CYNTHIA HARRIS: That BIPOC women and female identifying people are seen and loved. We are complex humans and God/Higher Power is with us in all our experiences and choices, good or bad. I want them to find God in themselves and to LOVE HER FIERCELY!!!

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Circle Players’ For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf wraps its two-week run with performances at Z. Alexander Looby Theatre (2302 Rosa Parks Blvd, Nashville, TN 37228) Friday, October 18 at 7p.m., Saturday October 19 at 2p.m. and 7p.m. and Sunday, October 20 at 2p.m. CLICK HERE for tickets.

Following For Colored Girls, Circle Players will begin preparing for their Winter presentation, And The World Goes ‘Round, a musical review of the songs of Kander and Ebb. Auditions will be held Saturday, November 2 at CLICK HERE for more info, character details and to sign up to audition. Performances of And The World Goes ‘Round will be January 10-26, 2025. CLICK HERE for tickets. Be sure and follow Circle on Facebook, Insta and TikTok for the latest news from Nashville’s oldest continuing regional theatre company.

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Rapid Fire 10Q with Director and Cast of ‘Lithium & Xanax & All of My Friends’; World Premiere production onstage at Darkhorse Theatre October 4-12

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Lithium & Xanax and All of My Friends, a thought-provoking play centering ‘round a young gay man struggling to finish his long-promised novel while simultaneously dealing with self-doubt and cerebral upheaval is the latest work from Nashville-based playwright, Robert Coles. Quite the departure from his most recent production, the southern comedy Aunt Sally’s Wild Ride, which recently wrapped a sold out run in Nashville.

Having first been introduced by way of a Zoom reading during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lithium & Xanax and All of My Friends enjoyed a successful workshop in New York in August 2024. Now comes time for a fully fleshed-out production as Brand Spankin’ New Theatre presents the World Premiere production of Coles’ Lithium & Xanax & All of My Friends at the Darkhorse Theatre beginning Friday, October 4 and continuing through Saturday, October 12.

As the cast and crew ready the piece for their Music City opening night, I recently had the opportunity to pose a few questions to the show’s director, Bradley Moore and cast members Payton Justice and Taryn Pray for my latest Rapid Fire Q&A interview in an effort to get a little insight into the show. What follows are those conversations.

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Rapid Fire 10Q with Director and Cast of Lithium & Xanax & All of My Friends

Rapid Fire Q&A with Lithium & Xanax & All of My Friends lead actor, Payton Justice

JHPENTERTAINMENT: How would you describe Adam, the character you play in Lithium & Xanax & All of My Friends?

PAYTON JUSTICE: Adam’s a young writer who’s indecisive, headstrong, and a bit neurotic. Honestly, just a lovable mess just trying to figure things out. He’s been through a lot—losing his dad, the trauma of conversion therapy, dealing with manic depression, and having to manage a lot of guilt from his past mistakes. He spends a lot of time in his own head, which really trips him up.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: The subject matter of the work is some pretty heady stuff. How do you prepare for the intensity of the scenes? AND…what’s your favorite way to decompress after such intense work?

PAYTON JUSTICE: It gets intense for sure. I try to remind myself of my own personal experiences to find the emotions he’d be feeling. I try to remember a similar conversation or conflict, and remind myself of how that felt or something that was said. 

Bradley Moore’s been awesome in helping me fine-tune Adam’s intentions. Truly a fantastic director. The cast has been awesome too. They push me through tough moments, and sometimes their choices completely change how I see a scene, which is really cool.

To decompress, I try to leave the work in the rehearsal room or at the theater. My cats and video games definitely help me unwind too.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: While Adam is aware of his shortcomings, he doesn’t seem to know how to move past them. Heck, I can totally relate myself. Has exploring this aspect of the character motivated you to move full-steam ahead in any aspect of your own life?

PAYTON JUSTICE: Yeah, totally. Playing Adam has been a bit of a wake-up call. I moved to Nashville at the beginning of 2020, right before everything went crazy, and it’s taken time to find my rhythm. I’m really feeling ready to focus in on acting and let go of all the things that don’t matter in the bigger picture.

Rapid Fire Q&A with Lithium & Xanax & All of My Friends cast member Taryn Pray

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What can you tell me about Mom, the character you play in Lithium & Xanax & All of My Friends?

TARYN PRAY: What I love about this role is yes, the main character I play is “Mom,” but I also play a few flashback and ancillary characters as well – which is so much fun as an actor! There is a lot of comedy in the other characters that I play, and then I get to be this very complex character of “Mom,” as she is trying to navigate her broken relationship with her son in his darkest moment.  It is very compelling because you understand her perspective as well as Adam’s – not one person is to blame. Before I read this play, I thought the mother might be the villain in this story, but she is not. Is she flawed? Absolutely. Did she make some mistakes? Yes. But what is really beautiful to me is that they come to understand each other and can move forward.    

JHPENTERTAINMENT: I understand the character of Mom wasn’t even really a character in the earlier iteration of the play, only a ‘flashback’ as played by another cast member, but following the recent NYC workshop of the piece, the playwright revised the script and fleshed out Mom as a full character. That said, how excited are you to be bringing this character to life on stage for the first time anywhere?

TARYN PRAY: I absolutely love acting in new works! It’s really exciting to originate a role and bring your own take, without any reference to how other actors have performed it.  Also knowing that this play is very much rooted in the playwright’s own life story, I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility and honor in playing this role. I am thrilled that this character was expanded as a result of the workshop, and love seeing the nuance in her complicated relationship with Adam.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: From what your director told me, you two had sort of worked together previously…I say sort of because during the pandemic, you were part of a couple of Bradley Moore’s The Big Read Zoom events, in which he presented readings of some iconic film scripts as performed by area actors. I gotta tell you, those readings were such a blessing to the theatre community as they allowed us to connect—though virtually—during a time when theatre was so missed. Now you’re working with Bradley face-to-face and in person as your director, so I gotta ask..how has the experience been so far and what do you appreciate most about Bradley as a director?

TARYN PRAY: Oh my goodness, yes! I met Bradley for the first time virtually, and those readings truly were such a bright light in a dark time. Having the opportunity to perform when we were all stuck at home was definitely a blessing.  And now getting to work with him in this play has been an incredible experience. What I love about Bradley is he has such a clear vision as a Director; he has brought out so much from the cast as we are developing these characters, while still giving us space to make them our own, and he has created some truly beautiful imagery on stage. He really thinks through and has a purpose in all the little details he gives in his direction, and I’m just so excited for people to see it. Also, he’s just a blast to work with 😉

Rapid Fire with Lithium & Xanax & All of My Friends director, Bradley Moore

JHPENTERTAINMENT: How did you come to direct Lithium & Xanax & All of My Friends?

BRADLEY MOORE: I was actually lucky enough to perform in the first reading of this play on Zoom & FB Live way back in the Covid-y days of 2020. I was totally honored when the playwright, Robert M. Coles, reached out to me earlier this year and told me he had been working on the script and wanted me to direct the world premiere of the show. I even spent some time in NYC this summer observing the workshop of the play, where some things changed and so much subtext was explored. It has been a wonderful journey from my first connection to the piece to where we are today. The show is definitely ready for its Nashville maiden voyage, especially with this insanely talented cast.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What can you tell me about your cast?

BRADLEY MOORE: They are bananas. I have not directed a show in Nashville in five years; it was so cool to have auditions for this show and see that the talent in Nashville is still just as incredible as it has always been. This cast is filled with six dynamic artists who take risks, make strong choices, challenge themselves, challenge me, crave collaboration, exude passion, and blow me out of the water every single day with their insane talent. Not to mention, each and every one of them are kind and empathetic humans who just love what they do. I love the family we have built these past five weeks. And their connections and chemistry really come out on stage and through these complex characters they have created.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: You’ve not just assembled a talented cast, but you’ve surrounded yourself with a who’s who crew, among them, Cat Eberwine as your costumer. When does the play take place and how important is wardrobe in completing the look and feel of the show?

BRADLEY MOORE: This play takes place in 2022, so basically, the recent past. Costumes should always enhance the characters and assist in bringing them to life. We made more simplistic choices with the costumes, but the choices really do help to define these characters. As a director, I love some subtle Easter eggs hidden throughout the show. We definitely achieve that with this show through the set and costumes. It helps to keep production elements fresh and exciting, plus adds a layer of intrigue to the whole experience. This show is a journey, not just for the characters, but the audience too. Our costume and set choices are designed to really enhance that circumstance. I am so fortunate to have had Cat Eberwine as our Costume Czar and Jaymes Campbell as our Set Magician. These are two people who know me well, know my process and style, and really just knocked it out of the park. We could not have done this show without them. Also, big shoutout to Mary Hankins for always being an incredible stage manager, Robert Allen for his beautiful lighting, and Josiah Kareck for understudying every single role. Truly, surrounded by the best, on and off-stage. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What do you hope audiences come away thinking about long after seeing Lithium & Xanax and All of My Friends?

BRADLEY MOORE: As a director, I always say — if the audience walks away feeling something, then we have done our job. However, it is impossible for us to always know what the audience will feel. With a play like Lithium, I believe people’s life experiences will inform what they take away from this show. The play is funny, yet beautifully heavy and impactful. I don’t think it is possible to sit through this 75 minute show and not feel a single thing; in fact, I think it is more likely that someone watching will experience all the feels. It is a rollercoaster ride, so just buckle in and get ready to take a journey. I am excited to see the feedback we get from this tremendous piece that Robert gifted us.

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Brand Spankin’ New Theatre’s World Premiere production of Lithium & Xanax and All of My Friends kicks off Friday night, October 4 at the Darkhorse Theatre (4610 Charlotte Ave, Nashville, TN 37209). Tickets are $20 and can be purchased HERE. The show runs thru Saturday, October 12. Performance schedule is as follows: Opening Night, Friday, October 4 at 7:30p.m. (There’s a Show+Opening Night Party ticket option available for $40), Saturday, October 5 at 7:30p.m., Sunday, October 6 at 2:30p.m., Tuesday, October 8 at 7:30p.m., Thursday, October 10 at 7:30p.m. (Thursday’s performances offers a special 2-for-1 ticket price), and Friday & Saturday, October 11 & 12 at 7:30p.m. CLICK HERE for more info. Check out Brand Spankin’ New Theatre‘s Official Site HERE or follow them on Facebook.

As always, if you wanna follow JHPEntertainment to find out who I’m chatting with for my next Rapid Fire Q&A, or for my take on the latest local and national theatre, music and movie offerings, find us at JHPEntertainment on Facebook, JHPEntertainment on Instagram  and JHPEntertainment on Twitter. Got an event or show we should know about, drop us a line at the Contact tab. Till then, #GoSeeTheShow!

Rapid Fire 20Q with cast, producer and director of ‘An Ideal Husband’; on stage at Nicky’s Coal Fired August 17-21 to benefit CASA Nashville

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I’ve been a fan of 19th century novelist, playwright and bon vivant, Oscar Wilde since friends first started making jokes about a certain dilapidating portrait in my attic (if you know the reference, we can be friends), so when I heard that up-and-coming Nashville theaterati Erin Grace Bailey and Evan Fenne were teaming to present an immersive performance of Wilde’s political scandal satire, An Ideal Husband, I knew I’d need to chat with them and some of their cast for the latest installment of my recurring interview feature, Rapid Fire 20Q. When I learned this presentation was being presented FREE, but with a suggestion of donating to CASA Nashville—Court Appointed Special Advocates, who serve abused and neglected children in the foster care system—theatre for a cause…come on! I was all in. What follow are those conversations.

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RAPID FIRE 20Q WITH CAST AND DIRECTOR OF OSCAR WILDE’s AN IDEAL HUSBAND

RAPID FIRE WITH AN IDEAL HUSBAND’s SIR ROBERT CHILTERN, ANDREW GATELEY

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What can you tell me about Sir Robert Chiltern?

ANDREW GATELEY: Sir Robert is a politician who ends up making a poor decision in his career that almost costs him his marriage. A marriage that he does not want to loose because he truly does love his wife. He’s a good guy with a good heart, and his poor decision gives him this layer of humanity which is what draws me to the character.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Last year you appeared in Playhouse 615’s The Glass Menagerie as the gentleman caller of Erin Grace Bailey’s Laura Wingfield and now you’re playing brother and sister in An Ideal Husband. What’s your favorite aspect of Erin Grace as a scene partner?

ANDREW GATELEY: Her commitment to the character. She really puts her all into her performance and the character. Finding these little things to include to enhance the character and make them more believable.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: You’re also sharing the stage with Emily Colquette as your on-stage wife, Lady Gertrude Chiltern. Have you worked with Emily previously? AND How much are you enjoying being ‘married’ to her?

ANDREW GATELEY: I have worked with her before! She’s absolutely wonderful! Getting to be her on-stage husband has really been quite the treat, as she is one of the sweetest and kindest people I know.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: There’s a scandalous secret surrounding Sir Robert. In fact the show’s title comes from a key scene during which that secret is revealed. What’s the most challenging aspect of playing an emotionally fueled scene like this?

ANDREW GATELEY: Holding the intensity. It can be quite challenging to do an emotional scene and keep that same level of intensity throughout the whole scene. Plus, with it being such an important part of the story I feel it’s more important than ever to keep audiences locked in and be true to the character.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Regardless of whether you’re ‘the type’ or not, what other roe in An Ideal Husband might you one day like to play, and why?

ANDREW GATELEY: Lord Goring. I actually thought I was going to get Lord Goring when I auditioned. So, imagine my surprise when they offered me Sir Robert instead! Lord Goring just seems like such a fun character to play. He’s so carefree yet such a great friend.

RAPID FIRE WITH AN IDEAL HUSBAND’s LADY CAVERSHAM, ANN STREET-KAVANAGH

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Being a fan of the work, it took me just a minute when perusing the cast list to realize that liberties were taken in your character, Lady Caversham. For in the original presentation of An Ideal Husband, and dare I say, every production in the past 129 years, the role of Caversham has been played by a man, as it was originally The Earl of Caversham, not Lady Caversham. Did your producer or director address their reason behind the character gender flip with you?

ANN STREET-KAVANAGH: I had no idea going in. They mentioned that it had been written for a man, but I don’t recall a reason for flipping it. It has been fun, though, saying things that a woman, perhaps, would not have said in the late 1800’s. Since she’s speaking mainly with her son, it adds a playfulness and I feel like they adore each other and enjoy each other’s company. Some of the lines would probably be taken much more harshly if delivered by a father. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: You’re playing the mother of Lord Goring, as played by Abe Gibson. What can you tell me about Abe and sharing the stage with him?

ANN STREET-KAVANAGH: I’d only met Abe during this rehearsal process. He brings a wonderful energy and playfulness to his character!  He’s been quite fun to work with as a scene partner.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband is typically presented as a period piece. For this immersive presentation, is it still set in the 1890s, or have liberties been taken there as well?

ANN STREET-KAVANAGH: The show is still set in the 1890’s. It doesn’t matter which year it is set in, it has a sharp wit and contemporary subject matter.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: My personal favorite adaptation of An Ideal Husband is the 1947 film starring Michael Wilding, Paulette Goddard, Glynis Johns and C. Aubrey Smith as the Earl of Caversham. Of course there’s an equally star-studded more modern 1999 adaptation which starred Rupert Everett, Cate Blanchett, Minnie Driver and Julianne Moore. How familiar were you with the piece prior to auditioning?

ANN STREET-KAVANAGH: I wasn’t really familiar with it at all, other than a few trailers.  It has been great fun delving in with no preconceived ideas! 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: An Ideal Husband deals with scandal, politics, blackmail, public perception vs. private realities…all as timely now as when the play was written. What drew you to the project?

ANN STREET-KAVANAGH: Honestly, Erin-Grace approached me and asked if I’d play the role.  I did not know much about the play. I just adore her, and when she told me the details, it sounded very interesting. To not be in a traditional theatre space and have a chance to work with so many young actors, I couldn’t resist!  They are all quite impressive actors.  The relatability to current times was just the frosting on the cake! 

RAPID FIRE WITH ERIN GRACE BAILEY, PRODUCER AND CO-STAR OF AN IDEAL HUSBAND

JHPENTERTAINMENT: This production of An Ideal Husband is being described as an immersive experience. Can you elaborate?

ERIN GRACE BAILEY: Well, a good part of the show takes place at a party, so we wanted the audience to feel like they’re part of that. For anyone who sees the word “immersive” and feels a little triggered by it, I would definitely tell them not to worry. We’re not asking the audience to do anything out of the ordinary, but the actors may come sit at your table. They may loop you into a conversation or make sly comments. Sort of think of it like Disney World for big fans of British period pieces, almost like you got to step into an episode of Bridgerton for a day.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: You’re not only producing, but also co-starring in the role of Miss Mabel Chiltern. Not only that, the fabulous production of Sordid Lives you directed just closed. In that multi-tasking spirit, a two-part question for you…Are you running on adrenaline at this point? AND How are you balancing producing with acting in this production? 

ERIN GRACE BAILEY: Haha! I’m running off adrenaline and a whole lot of love and support from the Nashville theatre community, which I am so incredibly grateful for. Evan makes my job as a producer very easy. He knows what he wants, and he communicates that clearly. Really, the most challenging part was finding a place to perform (which we’re so appreciative of Nicky’s for giving us the opportunity). Once that happened, the rest of it was pretty straightforward. 

As far as the acting side of things goes, I adore Oscar Wilde, and I am so excited to bring my version of her to life. It’s actually been a nice balance. Mabel isn’t a huge role; she’s just such a memorable one. It’s sort of a full-circle moment because I auditioned with one of her monologues for the theatre program at Belmont. Seven years later, I’m playing the role in my own production and working for the Theatre and Dance department full time, and I sort of wish I could go back and pat myself on the head back then and let my eighteen year old self know that it’s all going to work out.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: An Ideal Husband debuted on the stage in 1895. Now here we nearly 130 years ago yet the themes and scenarios seem just as prevalent today. Of the themes, do you have one that you are most interested in highlighting within the context of the show?

ERIN GRACE BAILEY: Oh gosh, I’m going to try to keep this answer short, but I could completely nerd-out on it. I’ve been reading thesis papers and all sorts of other things on this play. In summation, Oscar Wilde really wrote this play to make a statement on the cultural shift that started around the turn-of-the-century. The Victorian generations had this sort of choke-hold on certain values, views, and this black and white sense of morality. But as 1900 drew closer, younger generations, particularly young women, started to question these values, it caused a lot of societal and political turmoil but resulted in women’s suffrage and the formation of more ethical labor laws. Wilde simplified this in An Ideal Husband to only concern the household of one particular politician who finds himself in a “gray area” or morality which was essentially unacceptable according to Victorian values. With our current political climate, its extremes, and my generation sort of coming into adulthood and questioning everything, I think this play is particularly timely. Oscar Wilde just puts it in a way that’s palatable, comedic, and relatable no matter who you are.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What is your favorite aspect of playing Mabel Chiltern?

ERIN GRACE BAILEY: She’s just everything I wish I could be all the time. She’s boisterous, silly, smart, romantic, and not to mention, incredibly witty. She doesn’t take anything too seriously, and she’s just her own beautiful person in spite of what anyone  thinks about her. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: I’m about to wrap this edition of Rapid Fire 20Q by chatting with your director, Evan Fenne. How long have you known each other and what is it about An Ideal Husband that presented the perfect opportunity for him to direct and you to produce?

ERIN GRACE BAILEY: In the grand scheme of things, we really haven’t known each other that long (a little over a year maybe?), which feels unreal to think about because we’ve been through so much together in that little bit of time. He assistant directed me in a show at Actors’ Bridge and then assistant directed for me back last fall. Then, this fall, we’ll actually be acting alongside each other as well, which will be a good time. Aside from being a great artist with tremendous instincts, Evan is just a kind person, which is always the first thing I tell anyone about him. We just work well together and decided we wanted to do a project for fun. We read, like, every staple British comedy play you can think of and finally settled on this one because of its message and timeliness. 

RAPID FIRE WITH AN IDEAL HUSBAND DIRECTOR, EVAN FENNE

JHPENTERTAINMENT: How did the idea of presenting Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband come about?

EVAN FENNE: Erin Grace Bailey and I were looking into British farces from that era to put up, and after reading An Ideal Husband, I was amazed by its relevance. A lot of plays are able to have sustaining themes that relate more to the individual human experience, but this one also has themes that apply to social and cultural aspects of our society, a society that at first glance seems completely different from that of Oscar Wilde’s time. All of that being combined with Wilde’s sarcastic and dry humor, which I love, made this play one I wanted to direct and see happen.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Oscar Wilde has always been a favorite of mine, both on the page and in his real life. What was your first introduction to Wilde?

EVAN FENNE: Like most, my first introduction to Oscar Wilde was reading The Importance of Being Ernest in eighth grade. It was one of the few things we read that I actually loved a ton. I then saw it produced at a high school close to mine, and I remember the audience experience of that performance being so much fun. It wasn’t until a couple years ago that I actually learned about him and what he was like as a person. It only made me admire and enjoy him more.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: As mentioned above, you’ve teamed with Erin Grace Bailey, who’s not only producing, but also co-starring. When I spoke with her, I asked her about your working relationship, so I’ll ask you similarly…I understand you and Erin haven’t known each other that long. How did you meet and how is she as a producer?

EVAN FENNE: Though we both went to Belmont University, we first met a year ago when I assistant directed a play that she was in, and soon after, I assistant directed a play under her direction. The show was a serious drama, and towards the end, we talked about how we would love to work together again on something lighter: a comedy. She’s been a great producer, even with her stacked summer of shows, and as a young director, it’s been wonderful to have her support and encouragement.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: I love that instead of selling tickets, this production of An Ideal Husband is being presented as a free theatrical experience with the suggestion of donations to CASA. Can you tell me a bit about CASA and the decision to use this production as a means of raising money for this worthwhile organization?

EVAN FENNE: I only recently learned about CASA, and their mission immediately caught my attention and support. They train volunteers to be court-appointed advocates for abused and neglected children in the Davidson County area. We knew we wanted to raise money for a charity in the process of putting up this show, and CASA is a cause that I especially want to support. There’s nothing more valuable to a child than a safe and loving home, and the more we can do to help make that happen, the better.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What do you hope audiences come away remembering after seeing An Ideal Husband?

EVAN FENNE: I really want audiences to see themselves in the characters of this show; I want them to see people from their own lives. I directed it in a way that acknowledges the audience, and I hope their immersion in that world ends up leaving them surprised at how easy it is to empathize with each character. I know I was when I first read it.

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An Ideal Husband directed by Evan Fenne and produced by Erin Grace Bailey will be presented on stage at The Maxwell Room of Nicky’s Coal Fired (5026 Centennial Blvd. Nashville, TN 37209) for five consecutive days from Saturday, August 17 until Wednesday, August 21. Aug. 17 & 18 performances will begin at 1:30p.m. with Aug. 19-21 performances beginning at 7p.m. CLICK HERE for FREE tickets. Can’t make the show but still want to donate to CASA? CLICK HERE!

Interested in coverage for your latest entertaining endeavor? Click the contact page and drop me a note. You can also follow JHP Entertainment on Instagram and Facebook. In the meantime, #GoSeeTheShow!

RAPID FIRE Q&A WITH DIRECTOR AND CAST OF THE OTHER ME THEATER COMPANY’S PRESENTATION OF CORMAC McCARTHY’s ‘THE SUNSET LIMITED’; AT PLAYHOUSE 615 AUGUST 15 THRU 18

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On Thursday, August 15, The Other Me Theater Company will present the Middle Tennessee premiere of Cormac McCarthy’s The Sunset Limited on stage at Playhouse 615. While McCarthy might be best known for having authored such novels as All The Pretty Horses, Child of God, No Country for Old Men and more, 2006’s The Sunset Limited is one of only two plays by the prolific author. In 2011, HBO presented a teleplay of the piece starring Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones. Jones also executive-produced and directed.

The dialogue-driven drama features two actors, simply referred to as “Black” and “White”, a reference to their respective races. Just prior to the action on-stage, the two men meet by chance during a dramatic incident on the platform of The Sunset Limited, a passenger train that travels from New Orleans to Los Angeles. As the play begins, the two men are at Black’s apartment where they discuss everything from life and death to faith and fate.

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to chat with The Sunset Limited’s director, Anastasia Zavaro as well as the show’s stars, Elliott Robinson and Bowd Beal for the latest installment in my recurring interview feature, Rapid Fire Q&A. What follows are those conversations.

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RAPID FIRE Q&A WITH CAST AND DIRECTOR OF THE OTHER ME THEATER COMPANY’s THE SUNSET LIMITED

RAPID FIRE WITH THE SUNSET LIMITED’s CAST MEMBER, ELLIOTT WINSTON ROBINSON

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What drew you to the role of Black in The Sunset Limited?

ELLIOTT WINSTON ROBINSON: The challenge of the two-man show, of course, and also playing a real evangelist! I consider myself a believer, but most of my spirituality is played inward. I try to love and respect people along my journey as Jesus Christ would, but I will admit that I am lacking when it comes to the mandate to be a “fisher for people.” I told my Pastor to be sure to attend this show, because he may never hear me talk like this in real life!

JHPENTERTAINMENT: While The Sunset Limited originally debuted onstage in Chicago, then New York, The Other Me’s production marks the Middle Tennessee debut of this Cormac McCarthy play. What’s it like knowing your interpretation of the character will the the primary introduction to the piece for many audience members?

ELLIOTT WINSTON ROBINSON: Regional debut – that’s pretty cool! And then, knowing that in the filmed version my character was played by Samuel L. Jackson? No pressure, right? I think it’s great that The Other Me chose this play; and I’m honored to be involved in their inaugural presentation. This script is an amazing conversation, one that will most definitely leave people talking. You might even have a little conversation with yourself about your own spiritual journey…

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What do you think is among the most important lessons to be learned from The Sunset Limited?

ELLIOTT WINSTON ROBINSON: It is dangerous for people to put too much of their trust – their FAITH – in things. Surely, as my counterpart clearly states, there is value in things, but he has lost sight of the most valuable things. Black would probably say that the most valuable things are our relationship with the Creator, and also the relationships we have as “fellow travelers,” and the responsibility we have to look out for our fellow man and woman. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers.

RAPID FIRE WITH THE SUNSET LIMITED’s CAST MEMBER, BOWD BEAL

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What is it about White, the role you play in The Sunset Limited, that speaks to you as an actor?

BOWD BEAL: The interesting thing about White to me was that the role didn’t speak to me in the general sense that I knew who this guy was. I knew he existed somewhere inside of me as does every role, you just have to do the work to find it. I knew it would be a difficult journey and that the only person I trusted enough to not let me get away with phoning in a performance was our amazing Director Anastasia Zavaro. We have collaborated on several projects over out 20 year friendship and she always makes me better. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: In preparation to chat with you, you co-star and your director, I revisited the 2011 HBO presentation. I was immediately struck by the intimacy of it being a two-person show. To that end, it’s a dialogue-driven piece. What’s the most challenging aspect of performing in a show that’s focuses so much on the spoken word?

BOWD BEAL: Being interesting. If we are interesting the audience will be interested. If we live truthfully in these circumstances, it should give the audience a chance to feel a little bit like voyeurs. They should feel like the proverbial fly on the wall so to speak.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: When I chatted with Elliott, I noted that this production marks the Middle Tennessee premiere production of this piece. It’s also the latest production from The Other Me Theater Company. I recall The Other Me having presented Light Sensitive and Doubles a few years back. Does The Sunset Limited mark a resurgence in the company? AND…What’s can you tell me about the company and what’s next?

BOWD BEAL: Yes, we are trying to resurrect The Other Me, a thought provoking theater experience. While Jaymes Campbell and Anastasia Zavaro are not on the current board, they are both vastly important to its past and future success. We hope to announce out next show in the next week or so and it will be going up early  to mid November.

RAPID FIRE WITH THE SUNSET LIMITED’s DIRECTOR, ANASTASIA ZAVARO

JHPENTERTAINMENT: I just spoke with your two stars. I know you’ve worked with Bowd both as his director in 2010’s Doubles and his co-star in 2009’s Light Sensitive, but have your worked with Elliott previously? AND…Why are Elliott and Bowd perfectly cast as the two characters in The Sunset Limited?

ANASTASIA ZAVARO: Bowd and I have worked together on many projects in Los Angeles where we met attending The Howard Fine Acting Studio over 20 years ago. When I picked up and moved to Nashville to be closer to my family, Bowd was interested in seeing one of my shows I was acting in at The Darkhorse Theater. Since he worked for the airlines he could fly out complimentary. He fell in love with Nashville and moved here not long after. Our history of acting, producing, directing, starting a theatre company together etc. is very deep rooted. We speak the same language when it comes to acting. Therefore when Bowd is involved in a project I have no hesitation to jump on board. I know the quality and joy and artistic view will be an amazing adventure. We work together as a team to collaborate and make each other better at the assigned task. He is an excellent actor and dear friend. I trust him to bring the character of White to become a real human with depth and truth.

Elliot and I have worked together years ago on a staged reading. I recognized immediately that he has a charisma and genuine ability to make something on a page form a soul and become a life. I have always wanted the opportunity to work with Elliot again. Luckily he has made Black multifaceted as soon as day one of rehearsals. His receptive nature allows him to breathe and grow as rehearsals move forward. He has an intuitive nature and has adapted to my style of directing like we have worked together for years.

Bowd and Elliot are perfectly cast in The Sunset Limited because of their adaptive nature. This is a journey between director and actors that is a true collaborative. During rehearsals we have all questioned, discovered, experimented and grown together. It makes my job as a director much easier when the actors are willing to push their own limitations and do the homework. I will never be a puppet master. We are a team that is here to tell a story and make it leap off the written page. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: When I chatted with Bowd, I noted that this is very much a dialogue-driven piece. Two actors, one set, and it’s mostly conversational with little physical action. As a director, what challenges did that present and how have you approached those challenges?

ANASTASIA ZAVARO: It is a real challenge when we don’t have a lot of  physical action to drive the scene. In order to overcome this obstacle we have to do so much character work in order to flesh out real human behavior. If you are interested in what you are talking about then you are interesting to watch. I question Bowd and Elliot constantly in the rehearsal process.  Everything they say must be so specific for the scenes to be real. My favorite part of directing is character development. I encourage the actors to do all the in depth homework and then try different tactics in rehearsals, just like in real life. Once we are in the final dress rehearsal I must encourage them to trust that the homework is done and go out and have a real brand new experience every moment. If they are working properly and living truthfully, they will be organic and the audience will be involved no matter what they are doing physically, be it large or small. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: This production is being presented at Playhouse 615, one of the Nashville area’s more intimate venues. How do you think the intimacy of the space enhances the drama and energy of the piece?

ANASTASIA ZAVARO: This is a profound piece that does not need any distractions of set changes or large spaces. Cormac McCarthy, the playwright, has written The Sunset Limited to be in such a small confined space. I think this serves the material to be about the dialogue. Playhouse 615 provides such an intimacy that goes hand in hand with the conversations, the questions asked, the debates, the caged feelings. The audience will feel like they are right inside Black”s apartment and want to jump into the debate themselves. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What do you hope audiences take with them after experiencing this production of The Sunset Limited?

ANASTASIA ZAVARO: I want the audience to leave wondering what parts of Black and White they identify with and at what moment they shifted back and forth. I want the audience to leave the theatre and exit with conversations about life and death, hope and despair, differences of opinions and how to coexist. I want everyone to have an experience that they just witnessed a real tug of war and how it evoked their emotional psyche.  

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The Other Me Theater Company’s production of The Sunset Limited at Playhouse 615 (11920 Lebanon Rd, Mt. Juliet, TN 37122) begins it’s limited four-day run Thursday, August 15, continuing thru Sunday, August 18, with 7p.m. performances Thursday thru Saturday and matinee performances Saturday and Sunday at 2p.m. CLICK HERE for tickets. All tickets are $15. (When purchasing tickets you will also have the opportunity to make an optional tax deductible donation to the company to help fund future projects). As The Other Me Theater Company reemerges, be sure to check them out online and follow them on Facebook for information about upcoming auditions and performances.

Interested in coverage for your latest entertaining endeavor? Click the contact page and drop me a note. You can also follow JHP Entertainment on Instagram and Facebook. In the meantime, #GoSeeTheShow!

Rapid Fire 20Q with cast and director of ‘Sordid Lives’ opening Friday, July 26 at Playhouse 615

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Sordid Lives is arguably not only one of the most beloved modern era stage plays, but also an important piece of LGBTQ+ history. Not only was it written and originally directed by the the queer community’s most prolific playwright, Del Shores, but the original production, as well as the subsequent 2001 film adaptation, a prequel tv series and another cinematic sequel all featured the late great Leslie Jordan in the pivotal role of Brother Boy. With that in mind, when I heard Playhouse 615 was mounting their own production of the original stage play, I knew I wanted to catch up with a few of this production’s stars, including: Steve Raimo (Brother Boy), Mick Grayson (Ty), Robert Coles (Wardell), Diane Bearden (Aunt Sissy) and director, Erin Grace Bailey for my latest Rapid Fire 20Q interview.

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RAPID FIRE 20Q WITH STARS AND DIRECTOR OF PLAYHOUSE 615’s SORDID LIVES

RAPID FIRE WITH MICK GRAYSON, TY WILLIAMSON IN SORDID LIVES

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What is it about Ty that make you want to take on this role?

MICK GRAYSON: I’ll be totally honest – I went into the audition pretty blind. I had merely read the description of the play at the time, and chose the role whose description best fit me. I try to let myself be surprised when I do a cold read for an audition, as we did with Sordid Lives, because I want to use my instincts to drive what character choices I would make. Now that we have spent several weeks developing these characters, I feel like Ty is an interesting juxtaposition as he is simultaneously the audience’s “everyman” who helps ground the show, while also demonstrating that even those in the higher social castes (celebrities in this instance) are not immune to social stigmas. Ty’s story is a deeply personal one that echoes throughout the rest of the characters’ stories, and that echoing alongside the amazing work of the rest of the cast helps to make everyone in the show more realistic and not caricatures.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: I understand you studied Acting at UT Knoxville. Anyone who reads my column with any regularity knows that I always ask the following on UT alum…Did you have any opportunity to study under my friend Carol Mayo Jenkins? AND…What is something you learned during your time at UT that you value as a life lesson you’ll not soon forget?

MICK GRAYSON: I sadly did not get much of a chance to work with Carol in a classroom setting, but I did work with her backstage on multiple shows. Due to the very high standards and requirements for actors at the Clarence Brown Theatre, I worked on over a dozen shows as part of different backstage crews, so I never got to see the process of Carol going through and building her characters with the directors, but I do remember the level of commitment she brought to every show when I saw her work.

As for life lessons, I think one of the biggest ones was about finding and building your own community. In my bio, I mentioned my gratitude for the support of both my related and chosen family. You wind up connecting so deeply with people you work on productions with, and quickly learn how you can and need to rely on them. It’s funny because I frequently worked the annual Christmas Carol shows at the Clarence Brown, and between days with multiple shows, children’s performances, the long run of the show, and the fact that it coincides with final exams, it was an incredibly stressful and tiring experience, but also some of the most memorable times at UT came from doing those shows.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: In your show bio you’re very honest about the fact that you’re disabled. That hit a chord with me, as I myself am physically disabled. How important is it for you to be a performer, showcase your talents and focusing on your ability, as opposed to your disability?

MICK GRAYSON: I think we can thank my mom for that one. She was a lion when it came to my illness-she never shied away from the severity of it, but she never made it where the illness was my only defining quality. When she was looking to enroll me in pre-school, she made where I would be introduced to the teachers and they could get to know me and how I operate BEFORE disclosing my illness to them; not as a means of staving off rejection from the school, but to indicate that I am more than my health condition.

I’ve applied that now as an adult, to where I recognize my limits, but never want that to be limit the quality of my life. I am fortunate in that for the most part, my disability is invisible. Most people who see me wouldn’t know I have any issues, and that makes it easier to avoid any discrimination or external limitation. But I think it’s important to be represented in this space so those who identify as disabled or who do have significant health problems can reduce their self-imposed limitations and live more on their own terms.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: I understand is your first time working with Playhouse 615. How has the experience been so far?

MICK GRAYSON: I’ve loved it. I’ve been out of this world for several years after COVID, and the team has made me feel right at home right out the gate. No production is without its snags, and Erin Grace has been a great champion of the play itself and supportive of the cast as we all work through our individual issues. I’m also impressed by the work that the cast has put forth in trying to connect with this story and their characters to make it hysterical while keeping its poignancy. For a return to the performing world, I don’t think I could have asked for a better set up.

RAPID FIRE WITH STEVE RAIMO, BROTHER BOY IN SORDID LIVES

JHPENTERTAINMENT: You’re playing Brother Boy, a role made famous by the late, great Leslie Jordan. I know you’re as big a fan of this work as well as the two feature films and the tv series based on the play. So how are you finding a balance between honoring the iconic character created so perfectly by Leslie while making it your own?

STEVE RAIMO: What an honor it is to portray the character of Brother Boy, and I can only hope that I do the character justice for Del Shores, and that Leslie will smile on me from above. Those are some pretty big heels to fill.  Because this character is so genuine, it’s so much fun to try and bring them to life for an audience.  I remember the first time watching the movie, I fell in love with Brother Boy, and I have put my heart into this role to have our audience fall in love with him too.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Not long after the cast of Playhouse 615’s Sordid Lives was announced, you and I chatted and you asked me if I had any advice in your portrayal. After I paraphrased RuPaul’s “Don’t F it Up”, I suggested that you not play Brother Boy’s drag scenes with the same self-assuredness that you bring to the stage in your drag persona, Veronika Electronika. Have you taken that advice, and how do you see Veronika and Brother Boy’s Tammy Wynette drag as different characters?

STEVE RAIMO: Veronika via Steve is so different from Tammy via Brother Boy.  They approach their stage personas in different ways. To Brother Boy, Tammy gives him life, he idolized her, while Steve gives Veronika life; she’s nothing without him. I’ve had to step out of my comfort zone and put the drag diva to the side and let Brother Boys love for Tammy shine through.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: On the flip side, are there indeed similarities between Tammy and Veronika?

STEVE RAIMO: If there are similarities,  it’s that they are there to entertain. Brother Boy’s Tammy to the patients at the state hospital, and Steve’s Veronika to audiences at venues across Nashville and beyond; but at the end of the day, us Queens are here to bring Joy!

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Why was it important that you not only audition for this role, but that you get it?

STEVE RAIMO: Well, as a potential Class D felon, in the eyes of the State of TN I feel that it is important to have drag representation in theater. Roles like Hedwig, Alban, Mrs.Turnblad and of course Brother Boy are just the roles that showcase the versatility of what drag is (and what it isn’t).

RAPID FIRE WITH DIANE BEARDEN, SISSY HICKEY IN SORDID LIVES

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What can you tell me about Sissy Hickey, the character you play in Sordid Lives?

DIANE BEARDEN: A mediator, listener, friend, sister, aunt, smoker and, bless her heart, white trash.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Sissy is one of my favorite characters in the Sordid Lives universe, partly because she’s got some real zingers and great comebacks. Do you have a personal favorite Sissy-ism? 

DIANE BEARDEN: “Jesus Called, Peggy Answered….Awwwwww”. Coming in a close second, “Bless’er heart. Had more troubles than Christ on the cross.”  

JHPENTERTAINMENT: You were last seen on stage at Playhouse 615 in their recent production of Nunsense, you directed their production of The Sugar Bean Sisters and you’re a member of their Board of Directors. What is it about Playhouse 615 that keeps you coming back?

DIANE BEARDEN: I have a real soft spot for this theatre. I’ve been with them since the beginning. Exciting stuff happening at Playhouse 615. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Is there a character trait of Sissy’s that you’d like to adapt to your own life?

DIANE BEARDEN: Quite frankly, I already possess most of Sissy’s traits. The only difference really is I don’t smoke. Typecasting at it’s finest.  🙂

RAPID FIRE WITH ROBERT COLES, WARDELL ‘BUBBA’ OWENS IN SORDID LIVES

JHPENTERTAINMENT: While coordinating these chats with you and your cast and director, you revealed to me that you’ve never actually seen Sordid Lives, not onstage, not the films, not the tv series. Do I need to revoke your gay card? Seriously though, you also went on to tell me that you wouldn’t be viewing any of the source material so as not to sway your portrayal of Wardell. That said. Who is Wardell to you?

ROBERT COLES: Haha! You’re not the first person to try to revoke my gay card because of this! Alas, I have not seen Sordid Lives. In fact, I didn’t do any research prior to auditions, and never read the full script until our read through! Once cast, I didn’t want to watch the material to make sure I was creating a character that is authentically mine. Wardell is such an interesting character. We see him go through a full spectrum of emotions in about 30 minutes, and ultimately attempt to redeem himself. He’s deeply flawed, deeply remorseful, and takes the opportunity given to him to make things right. I’ve enjoyed not only getting into the emotions of the character, but also the physicality of him. Wearing the tight Wranglers and boots, walking more “straight,” and stripping down to my underwear have all pushed me mentally and physically to be a better actor. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What’s been the most challenging aspect of playing Wardell?

ROBERT COLES: We’re dealing with some heavy subject matter in this show, and we try to do it with humor and grace. For me, some of the lines I say are very hard to deliver as an out and proud gay man. But, they’re also very healing for me. As someone who has faced discrimination for being gay, I’ve been able to heal myself by saying these lines via Wardell that I wish were said to me. I’m hoping to bring some humor and laughs to the stage, while also showing that we are all flawed, but all capable of change. As someone who has made tons of mistakes, Wardell and I are on the same path. I work every day to continue to correct mine and make amends. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Now that you’ve read the script and are fully immersed in the Sordid Lives world, if the opportunity ever arose and you could play another character, who would it be and why?

ROBERT COLES: Oh, goodness!! This is an excellent question. If I could play any character, it would probably be Sissy. But, I think that’s only because of the brilliance I see in Diane’s performance every night. Her comedic timing is just too brilliant. And I love how she’s playing this almost totally strait-laced character who has to hold everyone and everything together at all times. 

If I needed to play one of the male characters though, I would want to play Ty. I love the monologues he delivers. He says so much of what so many gay men are feeling and thinking as they navigate their coming-out journey. And Mick’s performance is so outstanding. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: I’m gonna go a little off-script here and ask you about a couple original plays of yours that you’ve got coming up. What can you tell me about Aunt Sally’s Wild Ride and Lithium & Xanax & All of My Friends?

ROBERT COLES: While I love being on stage, I think my true passion is in writing and storytelling. I’m very excited and honored to have two of my shows running back to back and receiving their world premieres here in Nashville in September and October! 

Lithium & Xanax & All of My Friends is a semi-autobiographical drama about a gay man, Adam, who has difficulty coming to terms with past traumas. His friends gather together one night to stage an intervention and force him to deal with his past so he can move forward, or face the consequences if he doesn’t. This show is unique in that it has three different endings, and Adam gets to decide in the moment which ending he wants to tell that night, forcing the audience and his fellow actors to truly be in the moment to tell the story. I’m very excited that this show will also be premiering Off-Broadway in New York City with Theatre 4the People in 2025! The show runs October 4-12 at the Darkhorse Theatre, and tickets can be purchased at bsntheatre.org

Aunt Sally’s Wild Ride is my love letter to Nashville and good old fashioned southern comedies. I’m very excited that Playhouse 615 was interested in partnering for this production to give it a quality world premiere before the show becomes available for licensing worldwide next year. The basic storyline is that Aunt Sally (who will be played by the brilliantly talented Linda Spier) has had enough of her boring routine and starts to go a bit off the rails. Her family gathers together out of concern for her eccentric behaviors (and to ensure she doesn’t spend their inheritance) and chaos ensues. It’s full of fun Nashville references and hilarious characters, and at the end of the day, it’s about family. And, each character is based on a member of my own family! This show runs September 13-29 at Playhouse 615 and tickets will be on-sale soon!

RAPID FIRE WITH SORDID LIVES DIRECTOR, ERIN GRACE BAILEY

JHPENTERTAINMENT: While I gave Robert a bit of a hard time for having never seen the source material, I’m curious what advice as a director you gave your cast on finding their own versions of these iconic and beloved characters?

ERIN GRACE BAILEY: Well, it’s sort of a fine line, right? Iconic characters are iconic for a reason, and while we might want to give a nod to the film, we don’t want to steal those artists’ artistic integrity. Besides, film acting and stage acting are very different. Some things don’t translate as well on stage. 

This might be controversial of me, but I always tell my actors, if there’s a movie of a play that I’m directing and they’ve never seen it, don’t watch it. Let the text speak for itself. At the end of the day, we’re there to tell a relatable story, not create a caricature of someone else.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Who else have you got working with you to bring your vision to life behind the scenes as far as set design, props, wardrobe, hair and makeup?

ERIN GRACE BAILEY: I’ve been really lucky to have such a devoted cast. It’s been a “all hands on deck” production. Most of my designers you’ll also see on stage. Mick Grayson who plays Ty has sort of been my right hand, especially the last week or so. He stayed with me at the theatre until 2 am one night doing our light design while I did sound. Rich Moses who plays GW and my stage manager Kaleigh Reichert did our set, and everybody has pitched in with props and costumes. It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve really become a family.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Playhouse 615 is one of the more intimate theatrical venues in the Nashville area, but they’ve proven, especially in recent productions, that they can definitely make the most of the space. How have you dealt with the challenges of the smaller stage for Sordid Lives?

ERIN GRACE BAILEY: I’ve been lucky to have been able to perform on the 615 stage a few times, so knowing what it feels like to be up there was helpful in knowing how to block the scenes. One of the biggest challenges was how to set up all of the different scenes without a ton of furniture. There’s not a lot of room backstage, and this is a cast of 11 people, so storing stuff in the back was not an option. 

I fell in love with found object design when studying directing abroad in Prague, so that’s the concept we went with. Found object is when you don’t buy anything new. Everything is recycled and ideally “found” instead of purchased. It’s perfect for a Southern play. We sort of set the whole thing in the bar but move the furniture pieces around to create the belief of other spaces. The whole design concept has a very Cracker Barrel feel to it (or I guess former Cracker Barrel since they’ve sadly been going modern) with props hanging on the wall, and the audience gets to go on stage and look at it all during intermission and pre-show. I’m hoping our audiences will really enjoy not just our actors, but the design too.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: After seeing Playhouse 615’s Sordid Lives, what do you hope audiences take with them?

ERIN GRACE BAILEY: There are absolutely some heavy topics discussed in this play. Many of our audience members probably will have been through some of these things themselves, but I want the audience to take away that, in spite of it all, life is beautiful, and it’s full of joyful little moments even in its tragedy and complication. I want the audience to remember that love is love is love, and I want them to feel the love that this room of people [the cast] who didn’t know each other four weeks ago now have for each other. Most of all though, I want them to leave with a smile on their face.

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Playhouse 615’s Sordid Lives opens Friday, July 26 and runs weekends through August 11. Performances are 7:30p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with a 2:30p.m. matinee Sundays. Playhouse 615 is located at 11920 Lebanon Road, Mt. Juliet, TN 27112. Tickets for Sordid Lives are $20 or $17 for military and seniors and can be purchased online (CLICK HERE), by phone (615.319.7031), by emailing the Box Office (playhouse615@yahoo.com) or in person beginning and hour before each performance.

Up next at Playhouse 615 is the Middle Tennessee premiere of Cormac McCarthy’s The Sunset Limited directed by Anastasia Zavaro and starring Elliott Robinson and Bowd Beal, presented by The Other Me Theatre Company, onstage August 15-18. CLICK HERE for tickets. For more on the show and to keep up with Playhouse 615, check out their website or follow them on Facebook.

As always, if you wanna follow JHPEntertainment to find out who I’m chatting with for my next Rapid Fire Q&A, or for my take on the latest local and national theatre, music and movie offerings, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Rapid Fire Q&A with Stars of ‘The Beauty Queen of Leenane’; onstage at Playhouse 615 beginning June 21

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Having premiered in Ireland in 1996, playwright Martin McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane quickly made its way to The West End, then in 1998, to Broadway where it received six Tony nominations, taking home four. On Friday, June 21, The Beauty Queen of Leenane comes to Playhouse 615 with performances through Sunday, July 7.

Directed by Playhouse 615’s Artistic Director, Joel Meriwether, The Beauty Queen of Leenane stars Cat Eberwine, KC Bragg, Andrew Gately and Lindsey Patrick-Wright. Earlier this week as the cast and crew were preparing for their Friday, June 21 opening night, I had the opportunity to pose a few questions to Eberwine and Wright for the latest edition of my recurring Rapid Fire Q&A interview feature. What follows are those conversations.

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RAPID FIRE Q&A WITH CAST MEMBERS OF PLAYHOUSE 615’s THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE

RAPID FIRE WITH THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE’s MAG, CAT EBERWINE

JHPENTERTAINMENT: For those unfamiliar, what’s the basic plot of The Beauty Queen of Leenane?

CAT EBERWINE: At it’s core, I believe it’s about desperation, fear, and longing and the absolute driving need to feel loved and the fucked up ways people choose to show that love. It touches on mental illness, dysfunctional family dynamics, aging, abuse, and the “unnecessary neediness of a parent upon a child and the harm we inflict upon one another when our dreams don’t come to fruition”. We follow members of two Irish family’s who have lived in the same small town of Leenane all their lives, with very brief moments of escape, but they always return. When we meet them, all but one is desperate to get away.  It could appear on its surface to be a “day in the life” play, until it turns into an episode of Creepshow or Twilight Zone.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: How familiar were you with the work prior to auditioning?

CAT EBERWINE: Not at ahl, as dey say. I was just finishing up with Nunsense and didn’t have any other projects lined up, but I had missed the initial set of auditions due to opening weekend. Joel graciously loaned me the script the night before callbacks and I finished reading it about an hour before they started. I just knew enough from the text to get an idea of who Mag and Maureen were…and I can’t resist the chance to do an Irish accent!

JHPENTERTAINMENT: You play Mag, Maureen’s manipulative aging mother. Recently, you offered a sneak peak via social media of your physical transformation in the role. What can you tell me about how you and director, Joel Meriwether decided on Mag’s look AND how does the drastic change in your physical appearance enhance your ability to engulf yourself in the role?

CAT EBERWINE: The age of Mag, being almost twenty years older than I am, and Playhouse 615 being such an intimate theatre, in addition to the fact that Joel wanted the set to be placed really far downstage, made me a little hesitant to accept the role. I didn’t want to be a caricature of a old woman, so we had a long talk about it and when I felt confident he would give me the freedom to “do it right”, I accepted the role, even though I was not thinking I had been seriously considered for Mag until he called and offered it to me. The first thing I found was Mag’s voice, which is lower and slightly more gravely than my typical speaking voice, with a rural, Galway County Irish accent, with a few words she likes to pronounce incorrectly just to drive Maureen nuts. The rest Joel graciously let me design, which started, believe it or not, with my favorite pair of work boots, which, at this point, are practically falling off my feet and still spattered with the mud from when I shoveled out my driveway. For some reason, those boots helped me become Mag before anything else. And, as I love wigs, I found a grey one in a style I am very fond of, and once I put it on, it was a huge help. I found a picture of a woman online when I Googled “70 year old Irish woman on a farm” and this became the inspiration for Mag’s braids. I then started adding a few different costume pieces, but, even before doing ANY old age makeup, I got a white contact which I put in one eye. I had ordered it thinking it would be cloudy and not completely white, but it just creeped everyone out so much, we knew it was perfect. But the cherry on the cake of Mag, finally came when someone brought in a beautifully weathered driftwood cane…then she really came to life…banging it on the ground to emphasize her point, leaning on it to indicate how bored she is with the conversation, or using it to reach the cookie tin on the top of the cupboard that Maureen has put out of her reach just to be mean. The actual “old age” makeup will be minimal and I’m still trying to land on a design I like, but it really is the voice, the boots, and the cane if I had to narrow it down. However, when it comes down to it, and to answer the last part of your question, I don’t need a thing to engulf myself in Mag…she’s pretty much just me in a cranky foul mood.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: In addition to your primary co-star, Lindsey Patrick-Wright, who I’ll be chatting with next, you share scenes with Andrew Gately as Ray. What do you admire most about Andrew’s portrayal as Ray?

CAT EBERWINE: Oh, Andrew is wonderful and I am so excited to be on stage with him after seeing and costuming him in Lakewood‘s Christmas Carol as Fred. He has such a great voice and presence on stage and he is so “easy” to be on stage with…as are all the actors in this play…it’s been a joy rehearsing. He’s got great timing and understanding of the character, we never even talked about anything, just started reading the scene and it took off. His character is considered the “comic relief”, and a lesser actor could very easily have taken it in a direction that didn’t serve the overall mood of the play, but his scenes allow the audience to breathe a bit and chuckle, but still keeps you in the world of the production. And he’s got one of the best final exits ever, makes me “LOL out loud” every night.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Mag seems villainous in her controlling nature. As cynical as I am, I still believe there’s good in everyone. What’s Mag’s best character trait?

CAT EBERWINE: I’m glad you said she “seems” villainous, because the way McDonagh writes this play, it can be difficult to determine at times. Maureen’s stay in the mental hospital is an undetermined time prior to the play, but it’s clearly stated that she remains an out-patient as long as she’s in Mag’s care, but we don’t exactly know why, but we know that it’s not just “nerves”. Does she puts up with Maureen’s abuse out of a desperate fear of being alone, as it is established that she CAN care for herself if she has to?  I’m convinced that, in her way, she loves her daughter, and there is something more behind her being manipulative in order to keep Maureen close, I think she’s scared FOR her…not scared OF her.  Good or bad, her “strongest” character trait I would say is “determination”. She is so determined to keep Maureen at home, whether it’s because she REALLY is just so desperately lonely or “afeared’ of having to care for herself, or is it because of what she knows about Maureen’s “condition” and knows that it’s really Maureen who can’t survive alone in the big, bad world.

RAPID FIRE WITH THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE’s MAUREEN, LINDSEY PATRICK-WRIGHT

JHPENTERTAINMENT: To begin, I must admit, I only have a vague familiarity with The Beauty Queen of Leenane, remembering it won four of the six Tony awards for which it was nominated, including Marie Mullen taking home the Best Leading Actress statuette for her portrayal as Maureen. Now you’re taking on that same role. Who is Maureen to you?

LINDSEY PATRICK-WRIGHT: This process has been so interesting, because I have found myself being very overprotective of Maureen. She is so complicated and so raw at times, but I admit I fell in love with her when I saw this play performed 20ish years ago in Memphis. Maureen is the embodiment of the power of hope – at the end of the day, it can either ensure survival or destruction and that dichotomy seems to drive Maureen. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Playhouse 615’s own Joel Meriwether is directing. What is it about Joel’s style as a director that lends perfectly to helming this particular piece?

LINDSEY PATRICK-WRIGHT: Joel has made this an incredibly collaborative process. Starting with building a cast of actors ready to show up and explore. We spent a lot of time on table work to gain an understanding of these four characters and what makes them tick and connect. For this show, Joel is working with an Assistant Director Preston Alexander Raymer who also embraced the collaborative spirit. The show can be extremely heavy at times, so they would encourage us to play (they would say “let’s get weird!”) to find the beautifully-written (and needed) levity in the script. That sense of play and adventure has allowed us to find the musicality of the changing tones within the scenes.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: The subject matter seems to have hints of classics like The Glass Menagerie or even Flannery O’Conner’s A Good Man is Hard to Find. Do you think that’s a fair assessment AND…what sets it apart and makes it its own? 

LINDSEY PATRICK-WRIGHT: Absolutely! I have also compared it to Sam Shepard plays since we have a less-than-functional family, long held secrets, and a claustrophobic setting, similar to his American plays. But this play feels even more isolated, likely due to the Irish setting – another thing Joel allowed us to explore in-depth- including having a taste-testing one evening with all the very Irish food and drink talked about in the show. The setting, set, and stage business are as much characters in the show as Mag and Maureen.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Among your co-stars is KC Bragg as Maureen’s potential new suitor, Pato. Are you enjoying KC as a scene partner?

LINDSEY PATRICK-WRIGHT: KC’s Pato is the heart of this show. He requires a sincere and delicate portrayal to make him believable and KC absolutely nails that. This is the first time I have worked with KC and what a professional he is! KC is a generous scene partner and flexible with changes that some of our “getting weird” moments uncovered. It’s been an honor to work with him and I hope it’s not the last time!

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What do you hope audiences come away remembering most about having seen The Beauty Queen of Leenane?

LINDSEY PATRICK-WRIGHT: I mentioned seeing this show in Memphis years ago and what I remember most is how it made me FEEL. I want people to leave feeling anything but neutral about what they just watched. At the end of the show, I want them to need to shake their head to bring themselves back to here and now because they were immersed for a couple of hours into a small cottage in the Irish countryside. 

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The Beauty Queen of Leenane opens Friday, June 21 and continues weekends through Sunday, July 7 at Playhouse 615 (11920 Lebanon Rd, Mt. Juliet, TN). Evening performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2:30p.m. General Admission tickets are $20, with special discounted $17 tickets available for Seniors and Military. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets. You can also reserve your spot by calling the box office at 615.319.7031, or you can purchase tickets (if available) at the door, day of show, an hour before curtain.

Following The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Playhouse 615 will present Del Shores’ Sordid Lives, a hysterical “black comedy about white trash’ as directed by Erin Grace-Bailey from Friday, July 26 thru Sunday, August 11.  For more on the show and to keep up with Playhouse 615, check out their website or follow them on Facebook.

As always, if you wanna follow JHPEntertainment to find out who I’m chatting with for my next Rapid Fire Q&A, or for my take on the latest local and national theatre, music and movie offerings, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Rapid Fire 20Q with director and cast members of Firepit Theatre Company’s ‘POTUS’; at Charlotte’s Off-Broadway Black Box Theatre at the VAPA Center

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On June 19 and 20, newly-formed Firepit Theatre Company, in partnership with Charlotte’s Off-Broadway will present FTC‘s premiere production as they bring an ‘in concert’ performance of playwright Selina Fellinger‘s Drama League and Tony nominated POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive to the stage at Charlotte’s Off-Broadway Black Box Theatre at The VAPA Center (700 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC).

Earlier this week, as cast and crew readied for opening night of Firepit Theatre Company’s inaugural presentation, I had a chance to pose a few questions to director, Bradley Moore and cast members Caroline Forrester, AJ White and Vanessa Robinson for the latest installment of my recurring interview feature, Rapid Fire 20 Q. What follows are those conversations.

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RAPID FIRE 20Q WITH DIRECTOR AND CAST OF FIREPIT THEATRE COMPANY’s POTUS

RAPID FIRE WITH POTUS DIRECTOR, BRADLEY MOORE

JHPENTERTAINMENT: From what I know, directing POTUS is something you’ve had in the works for a while, right?

BRADLEY MOORE: Yes! I think I read the script for the first time almost 2 years ago. I knew instantly that I wanted to get my directing hands on it. Powerful, strong, foul-mouthed women behaving badly — yes please! This production with this exact cast of seven was originally supposed to open in January, but due to some unpleasantness at the previous hosting theatre, that production never happened. It was always my goal to get the original gang back together and get the show on stage. And here we are!

JHPENTERTAINMENT: POTUS marks the debut production from your newly-formed Firepit Theatre Company. How did FTC come about and how excited are you to debut with this piece?

BRADLEY MOORE: Back in 2020, in the throes of COVID, I would get together with some dear friends of mine once a week. To be safe and COVID conscious, we would always get together outside around a fire-pit. We would laugh, tell stories, have some cocktails, and just really enjoy being present with each other. Most of us were connected to other theatres at the time, but had a thought that maybe we should all come together and do our own thing. Thus, the idea for Firepit Theatre Company was born. COVID subsided and we all went back to doing other things, but the name and origin lived with me.

When it came time to start something new in Charlotte, I reached out to my FTC peeps — we still have a group chat that we chat in every single day — to see if they would be okay with me using the name and honoring our creative baby. And thankfully, they were all on board.

So here’s to Angela Gimlin, Elizabeth Turner, Cat Eberwine, Toby Turner, Jaymes Campbell, & Sara Byrd for being the architects of FTC. They will forever be a part of all we accomplish.

I feel like the previous situation that this cast had to live through was just so abrupt and unfair — cancelling a show one week before opening. It only made sense to me that this had to be FTC’s first production. Taking something negative and turning it into a positive. And the tagline for FTC is — Let’s sit around and tell some stories, y’all. And oh man, do we have some stories to tell.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: You’ve described this production as being “in concert” rather than a traditional stage presentation. Can you elaborate on what that means and your decision to present the show in this manner?

BRADLEY MOORE: Yes! A play “in concert” — so weird. It is! We are presenting the show somewhere between a reading and a fully staged production. It will be immersive, somewhat in-your-face, but always hilarious! So much life has happened in the past 5 months since we were originally meant to open the show, this was our best option to get the play up and out! The seven actors in the show are in high-demand in the Charlotte theatre community and have all been in shows since that fateful day in January. Because of that, our rehearsals were limited, but these artists are pros! Most moments in the show will be off/book, everything is blocked and full of energy, and the hijinks are in full bloom. It was most important to me that these actors’ voices were heard within these characters. And we have achieved that. Beyond. It will be a wonderfully unique experience for all in attendance.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Part of Firepit Theatre Company’s mission is to present thought-provoking work while representing diversity. How does POTUS fit the bill?

BRADLEY MOORE: POTUS gives the audience so much and pretty much everything it gives is thought-provoking and full of curiosity. In this Presidential election year, it gives us even more to consider. The script is smart and crisp. Most of all, it shows us how a group of women from different backgrounds can come together, solve problems, and get into a lot of trouble along the way. And this cast is as beautifully diverse as they are talented.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What’s next for FTC?

BRADLEY MOORE: You know what — I don’t know! It’s exciting to have this vessel to basically do anything. There have been a lot of folks who have offered their performance space to us, which is just incredible. We will definitely get into something soon. Maybe something original? Maybe a fantastic musical?!? We will see…

RAPID FIRE WITH POTUS‘ JEAN, CAROLINE FORRESTER

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Who is Jean to you?

CAROLINE FORRESTER: Wow. That is a tough question to answer. First, Jean is a powerful woman who is dedicated to her career. I think all of these characters work in one of the most stressful environments there is, but you can see Jean’s dedication to her job. She’s also a queer woman and a single mother of an adopted child. I feel lucky to play such a multifaceted and dimensional character. She is so many things, but at her core, I think she’s just a human who’s working to make a positive change and do her best. Which is all any of us can do, right?

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Of the cast and crew, who would you chose as you very own Press Secretary and why?

CAROLINE FORRESTER: Am I allowed to say our stage manager, Daniel Keith? He is one of the most organized people I know and we’ve worked together a lot this year. I think we both do well with communication and I would trust him to get me through stressful situations while remaining calm.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What is it about this piece and this role in particular that speaks to you as a performer?

CAROLINE FORRESTER: I think the answer to this question has constantly evolved over the past 7 months since we started this journey. On the surface level, I have a lot of similarities with Jean. Her organization, skills, her drive, and probably her anger and bluntness. I definitely think this character fits me and I’m grateful that Bradley has trusted me to play her. From the moment the show was announced, I’ve wanted to be a part of it and thought it was a powerful piece of art. Especially being created by women. Over the course of this year, it has come to mean so much more. I don’t want to get too off-topic, but we were originally supposed to produce the show at another theater in January. After some difficult decisions, our cast decided to step back. It was an incredibly difficult decision, but we didn’t feel right continuing without our director after he was unfairly removed. This was an emotional choice, but it also felt like the right one and we made it together. There’s a quote from the show that I think really captures this sentiment. “I just wanted ONE NIGHT where we could feel like the President of the United States cared about OUR RIGHTS.” While I’m not talking about the President, this statement is something I find to be true about those in power. We were put in a situation where our feelings and the ramifications of this decision weren’t considered. Our voices weren’t being heard. Those in power need to consider who they are representing. Parts of this show feel like art imitating life. At its core, I believe it’s about coming together to fight for what is right and to speak up even when it’s terrifying. I think thought this process our little family has done just that. I hope the audience is able to take away something meaningful.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: I recently saw a production of this show in Nashville where they presenting it as a full stage play When I spoke with your director, I asked him about his choice to present FTC’s production as an ‘In Concert” event. Has this allowed you and your cast mates to focus more of the dialogue of the play?

CAROLINE FORRESTER: it has definitely allowed us to focus on the dialogue. As much as we are used to blocking and movement, the limited space and rehearsal time have allowed us to focus on the connection between our characters. There’s less business and more intimacy so it we’re really in the moment. I feel like I’ve been able to take a closer look at my dialogue to uncover new layers.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: POTUS marks a continuing working relationship between you and Bradley, having previously worked together in what…half a dozen shows already? What’s your favorite aspect of working with Bradley as a director?

CAROLINE FORRESTER: How can I pick just one?!? I have always enjoyed working with Bradley, from my very first audition. Even if he didn’t cast me that time… or the next, haha. He is hands-down one of the best directors I’ve had the pleasure of working with. He is such a professional with loads of experience, but is able to connect one on one with his actors. You can tell how much he cares about every work he puts on stage and the people who are a part of it. He is certainly one of the most dedicated and creative theater practitioners I know and everyone should be lucky to work with him in some capacity.

RAPID FIRE WITH POSTUS‘ MARGARET, AJ WHITE
JHPENTERTAINMENT: What can you tell me about Margaret, your character in POTUS?
AJ WHITE: Margaret is the hotheaded, fierce, and hardcore First Lady of the United States. Margaret is an absolute powerhouse! Some may wonder why SHE isn’t president…
JHPENTERTAINMENT: What does being cast in this show mean to you professionally and personally?
AJ WHITE: professionally, playing this part has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences I have ever had as an actor! The same is also true for me personally. I am an actor who is very fluid in my gender expression, but I don’t get many chances to play roles like this so when I do it’s extremely special to me.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: You previously worked with Bradley when he directed you as Angel in RENT. What was your favorite aspect of that role and that show?
AJ WHITE: RENT was an absolute dream come true. I dreamt of playing angel for an entire decade before I finally got the opportunity and it was everything I could’ve imagined and more. My favorite aspect of the role was getting to share the stage with so many talented actors and getting to sing one of the greatest love songs of all time with one of my closest friends, Lamar Davis!
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Is there an aspect of Margaret’s personality that you feel mirrors something in your own character…or perhaps something in Margaret’s attitude that you might hope to emulate going forward in your own life?
AJ WHITE: I completely and wholly admire Margaret’s ingenuity and perseverance. She knows what she wants and is going to get it by any means necessary. She also really knows how to command a room and I find that SO cool.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Why should folks come support FTC with this inaugural production of POTUS?
AJ WHITE: FTC is founded by one of the greatest artists I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Bradley Moore is such a visionary and puts so much care and effort into everything he does that no matter what show he produces/directs, you know for certain you’re getting quality work. He provided such a beautiful experience when I did RENT with him that I didn’t mind the hour long drives to and from rehearsals every day! I cannot stress enough how much I respect and adore him and POTUS is only the beginning.

RAPID FIE WITH POTUS‘ BERNADETTE, VANESSA ROBINSON

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Can you please describe Bernadette in five words?

VANESSA ROBINSON: Volatile, sexual, hilarious, sketchy and (still somehow) charming.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: When I chatted with you co-star Caroline earlier, I mentioned that I recently saw a production of POTUS in Nashville. In that particular production, Bernadette was quickly my favorite character. What is it about Bernadette that you’re enjoying most?

VANESSA ROBINSON: I’ve never gotten the chance to play a character as unhinged as Bernadette. She’s the ticking time bomb in the room–is she going to punch you in the face or try to make out with you? What is she going to say and how much trouble is it going to cause? I think of acting as turning the knobs up or down on the aspects of your own personality, and that’s what also makes someone great for a particular role. There’s a hint of Bernadette in me–I’ve been known to blurt out the thing everyone is thinking–but this is like that quality amplified by 100. She doesn’t follow ANYONE’S rules. It’s freeing and exhilarating being basically a wild animal onstage, there’s almost an improv feel to it. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: POTUS marks your second show being directed by Bradley Moore, having played Joanne in RENT. Stay with me now…have you been able to find any similarities between Bernadette and Joanne…and do you think they’d get along?

VANESSA ROBINSON: I don’t think there are any significant similarities between them–Joanne is such a disciplined, cautious and organized person and Bernie is the total opposite. But as for them getting along: Joanne and Bernadette might actually date. If anything, Maureen is the one who has similarities with Bernadette, they’re both flaky, unpredictable and overtly sexual–and Joanne “hates mess but loves” Maureen. So maybe it’d be an “opposites attract” kinda thing with her and Bernie, too. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: If you could play any other role in POTUS, who would it be and why?

VANESSA ROBINSON: Margaret. There’s just something about playing an incredibly confident, slightly frightening woman. Her crazy is there, it’s just contained. Right below the surface.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: I frequently like to end my Rapid Fire Q&As by asking a variation of the following…What do you hope audiences remember long after seeing FTC’s POTUS?

VANESSA ROBINSON: That we A) stood firm as a united front for what we believed in, even at the expense of the first production of this show and B) still loved the show and each other so much that we knew we had to make it happen in some capacity. Oh, and that women are CONSTANTLY saving the day, the world, and everyone’s asses–24/7. 

Firepit Theatre Company‘s POTUS opens its two-day limited engagement Wednesday and Thursday, June 19 & 20 with a 7:30p.m. curtain both nights. Tickets are $15, with all seating general admission. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets. For more about Firepit Theatre Company, find them on Facebook.

As always, if you wanna follow JHPEntertainment to find out who I’m chatting with for my next Rapid Fire Q&A, or for my take on the latest local and national theatre, music and movie offerings, find us at JHPEntertainment on Facebook, JHPEntertainment on Instagram  and JHPEntertainment on Twitter.

Got an event or show we should know about, drop us a line at the Contact tab. Till then, #GoSeeTheShow!

Rapid Fire Q&A with Disney’s Frozen National Tour’s Olaf and Kristoff, Broadway stars Jeremy Davis and Nicholas Edwards; at TPAC May 7 thru May 18

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Since the 2013 release of Disney’s Frozen, Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and the rest of the residents of Arendelle have become an undeniable part of a world-wide pop culture phenomenon. The box-office-breaking original prompted a film sequel (with two more film entries coming). There’s been a televised holiday special, a line of character costumes, hundreds of toys, books and board games, video games, even a Frozen-themed Disney on Ice…heck, you name it and it probably exists in the Frozen universe. Fans just won’t Let it Go! Of all the Frozen tie-ins, Frozen: The Broadway Musical has proven just as beloved as the original film. Frozen debuted on Broadway in March 2018 and enjoyed a popular run until March 2020 due to the pandemic. Midway through the Broadway run, a North American National Tour and several international tours began. Following a brief hiatus in 2020, the US National Tour began again in September 2021. Earlier this year, the US tour celebrated its 1000th performance.

On May 7, For the First Time in Forever, Music City will get the chance to experience Frozen: The Broadway Musical when the National Tour descends on TPAC’s Jackson Hall for performances through May 18. For the latest installment of my recurring Rapid Fire interview feature, in advance of Frozen: The Broadway Musical’s Nashville tour stop, I recently had the chance to chat with two of the show’s stars, Jeremy Davis and Nicholas Edwards, who play Olaf and Kristoff, respectively, What follows are those conversations.

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RAPID FIRE Q&A WITH DISNEY’s FROZEN NATIONAL TOUR’s JEREMY DAVIS and NICHOLAS EDWARDS

RAPID FIRE WITH FROZEN’s OLAF, JEREMY DAVIS

JHPENTERTAINMENT: A quick peek at your show bio reveals you’ve been part of Frozen since the show was workshopped prior to its Broadway debut. Then you were initially part of the Broadway ensemble and understudy for Olaf. When did you first take the stage as Olaf and what do you remember most about that night?

JEREMY DAVIS: I first went on about two months after we opened. It was planned, so there was a lot of rehearsal and build-up to it. For weeks, the whole company worked to help me get ready. When the day finally came, I was on stage doing my first scene, and I looked offstage to find the whole company packed in the wings watching me. It was so galvanizing to feel such immense support, and it made my debut a very special experience.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: For those who’ve not seen the Broadway adaptation, rather than have you in a giant Olaf costume, Olaf is presented as a puppet with you dressed in winter wear controlling his movement and providing his voice. I understand you’d never worked with puppetry prior to taking on this role. What was your rehearsal period like prior to taking on the role?

JERMEY DAVIS: Since I started as an understudy, I had the advantage of watching and learning from Greg Hildreth, the original Olaf in the Broadway production. Greg is a true artist and comedian, and I was very lucky to be able to have him as a role model. And he was so good with the puppet! The first time I worked with Olaf in rehearsal, I couldn’t believe how hard it was. Greg made it look so easy, but I felt like I was trying to push a pile of rocks around. But like everything else, the more I did it, the easier it got. After a couple of weeks of practice, it started to feel like the puppet and I were dancing. Now, after all this time, we waltz around the stage like we were meant to be together.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Frozen wasn’t your first Broadway show… Heck, that count’s up to 10 Broadway shows if my research serves me right, 2005’s Dirty Rotten Scoundrels marking your Broadway debut. What do you remember most about taking to the Broadway stage for the very first time?

JERMEY DAVIS: The thing I remember most from that night was the curtain call. I went out to take my bow, and as I looked out over the applauding audience, I was thrown back in time to my childhood bedroom where I was having a daydream that one day I would be a Broadway actor. I started crying as I took my bow for Scoundrels because I realized that a childhood dream had come true.

Jeremy Davis as Olaf (photo by Matthew Murphy/courtesy frozenthemusical.com)

JHPENTERTAINMENT: OK, I have to admit something. I’ve never seen Frozen, Frozen II, or even the made-for-tv holiday special, Olaf’s Frozen Adventure! I KNOW, I KNOW!!! But what can I say? I don’t have kids and my nieces were all grown with their own kids by the time the movies came out. That said, I’ve not been living under a rock, so of course I have soaked up some knowledge of the characters and basics of the storyline. All that to ask…what’s it like being part of such an iconic pop culture phenomenon?

JERMEY DAVIS: First of all, WATCH FROZEN! It’s a great film, and it’s not just for kids. I’m a full grown adult (allegedly), and I love it!

As for what it’s like to be a part of this amazing phenomenon, it’s awesome! Every night, I walk out on stage to a crowd that’s already in love with Olaf, and it’s an amazing feeling to be at the center of all that love. It makes the job so easy and fun!

JHPENTERTAINMENT: If you could incorporate one aspect of Olaf’s personality or ideology, what would it be?

JERMEY DAVIS: The thing I love most about Olaf is his perspective on the world. He sees everything that happens, every moment, as an opportunity for joy. He meets a new person, and they’re his best friend. He walks into a new place, and he sees it as a theme park. He falls to pieces, and he rolls all his parts on the ground in glee. After all this time playing Olaf, his outlook has started to become part of my real life perspective, and I can’t really put into words how much better it’s made my life to look at the world in that way.

RAPID FIRE Q&A WITH FROZEN’s KRISTOFF, NICHOLAS EDWARDS

JHPENTERTAINMENT: I admitted when I chatted with your Frozen co-star, Jeremy Davis earlier that I’ve never seen any of the Frozen universe of movies, tv specials or short films. So, for the uninitiated, who is Kristoff and how much fun are you having playing him?

NICHOLAS EDWARDS: Kristoff is a local Arendellian ice harvester mountain man who alongside his best friend Sven (who happens to be a reindeer), gets swept up in this majestic quest to help princess Anna climb the North Mountain and save Arendelle from the eternal winter brought on by the ice queen Elsa! I am having the time of my life! I get to help save Arendelle 8x a week!

JHPENTERTAINMENT: For the stage version, Kristoff’s role has been amped up a bit, including being featured in a few new musical numbers. Do you have a favorite musical moment in the show, whether it’s one you’re featured in, or one you just enjoy from the wings?

NICHOLAS EDWARDS: I mean Let it Go is truly one of the most magical theatrical moments in a musical ever, but I really love the two sister’s duet I Can’t Lose You. It’s a new song written for the tour and it really helps flesh out the relationship between the two sisters, and of course the song itself is just thrilling! The vocals are insane!

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Like Jeremy you also come to the tour after having appeared in the Broadway production. With a National Tour, you’re performing on a different stage each week. To that end, I’m curious how much rehearsal or run-though you all get in each city, or do you simply adapt to each venue as you go?

NICHOLAS EDWARDS: Each city we do a sound check and quick spacing rehearsal that lasts around 3 hours the day of the first show. Outside of that we do a few lift and fight calls as a check in throughout the week, but yes- we adapt and stay on our toes as learn the ins and outs of each venue. Safety first!

Nicholas Edwards as Kristoff @nickedwardsnyc Instagram

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Between your time with Frozen on Broadway and the current National Tour, you also appeared on Broadway in & Juliet as Lord Capulet and Sly. Have your found any similarities between these characters?

NICHOLAS EDWARDS: Definitely not! Lord Capulet is a powerful father figure who sentences his daughter to life in a nunnery- Kristoff would never do that!

JHPENTERTAINMENT: I like to end my interviews by asking a variation of the following…What do you hope audiences come away remembering long after seeing Frozen?

NICHOLAS EDWARDS: A lot of families who come to see Disney shows are experiencing their first Broadway musical- I can only hope that this sparks something inside them to continue to want to come back and experience more of the magic that live theatre brings to audiences.

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Disney’s Frozen: The Broadway Musical comes to TPAC’s Jackson Hall with the following performance schedule: Tuesday-Sunday, May 7-12 and Tuesday thru Saturday, May 14-18. Tuesday-Saturday evening performances begin at 7:30p.m. with Saturday matinee’s at 2p.m. and Sunday performances at 1p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets range in price from $53 to $198. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets or for more information. Follow Frozen on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Or check out their official Frozen On Tour Site.

Not in Nashville? Not to worry. As the tour continues, Frozen: The Broadway Musical is headed to Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, TX May 22-June 2, Austin, TX’s Bass Concert Hall at University of Texas at APAC June 5-16, Buell Theatre in Denver, CO June 19-July 3, Vancouver, BC’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre July 9-July 21, First Interstate Center for the Arts in Spokane, WA July 24-August 4, Boise, ID’s Morrison Center for the Performing Arts August 7-18 and San Jose Center for the Performing Arts in San Jose, CA August 21-September 1 with more dates expected to be added soon as the tour continues.

Interested in coverage for your latest entertaining endeavor? Click the contact page and drop me a note. You can also follow JHP Entertainment on Instagram and Facebook. In the meantime, #GoSeeTheShow!

Rapid Fire 20Q with cast members of Playhouse 615’s ‘Hedda Gabler’; final performances thru April 28

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While many smaller theatre companies tend to showcase audience-expected simple comedies and like, one thing I always enjoy about a Playhouse 615 season is the variety of shows presented by this intimate 60-seat theatre nestled in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. In recent years, they’ve mounted everything from classics like The Trip to Bountiful, The Glass Menagerie and Arsenic and Old Lace to more outlandish fare including No Sex, We’re Sixty, The Sugar Bean Sister and more. Having recently wrapped their run of The 39 Steps, Playhouse 615 continues their tradition of a non-traditional season with their current production, an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler.

Something else Playhouse 615 isn’t afraid to do…present a show for more than a quick two-week run. To that end, their production of Hedda Gabler debuted the first weekend of April and will conclude its run with shows Friday, April 26 through Sunday, April 28. Last week, with the cast midway through the run, I had a chance to chat with them for my latest Rapid Fire 20Q. Those conversations follow.

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RAPID FIRE 20Q WITH THE CAST OF PLAYHOUSE 615’S HEDDA GABLER

RAPID FIRE WITH HEDDA GABLER’s ERIN GRACE BAILEY

JHPENTERTAINMENT: You’re cast as the lead in Hedda Gabler. What can you tell me about the character? 

ERIN GRACE BAILEY: Hedda is a complicated person, and if anything, I think it makes her more realistic. I learn more about who she is and how she responds to the world around her every single time we perform the show. For this reason, I think she’s an exciting and dynamic character. Anyone who sees this show more than once isn’t going to see the same thing twice.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: In addition to starring in the show, you also adapted the play. Forgive the alliteration, but Hedda is pretty heady stuff. What drew you to adapting this work?

ERIN GRACE BAILEY: Well, it really wasn’t my intention to adapt it at first. What changed my mind was reading a bunch of adaptations over and over again. While there are some really awesome ones out there, none of them felt right to me. Hedda is a young woman who suffers from mental health issues and struggles with the gender roles put on to her by those around her. Oftentimes, there isn’t a lot of focus on these things though because Hedda is bright. She’s also a manipulator and makes some horribly harmful decisions that affects the other characters’ trajectories, but in the end, I’ve always been taught, in drama, if you can’t empathize with or care about the character, no matter how awful their decisions are, the tragedy isn’t tragic. I sort of feel like the best way to create empathy for a character is to have it written by someone who understands them, and while I haven’t been through everything Hedda has been through, I relate to her in many ways, especially being in a similar stage of life as her. When we were looking for adaptations of the play to perform, it was hard to find any adaptations written by women, especially contemporary adaptations (which was the route we already knew we wanted to go with it), so in the end, we thought creating our own adaptation would serve us better than trying to conform to someone else’s.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: When you began adapting it, was there always the idea that you’d also star in your own adapted version?

ERIN GRACE BAILEY: Yes, this project actually went a little bit backwards from the usual process. Instead of picking a script and then auditioning and casting it, this one went the other way around. Joel Meriwether, the artistic director at Playhouse, asked me to play Hedda about a year ago. After reviewing different versions of the script, none of them felt exactly right for us or like it focused on the message we wanted to convey, so I decided to adapt the script after that. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: From what I know, the set is something a bit different for Playhouse 615 in that it not only extends from the usual stage, but also incorporates theater seating on stage. What went into that design decision?

ERIN GRACE BAILEY: I absolutely love performing in the round or on a thrust stage. I did it a lot in college, and I’ve missed it tremendously. I think it’s more intimate and realistic for the actors, and everyone in the audience gets a unique perspective of the story. So much of this particular play is about being stifled or feeling like you’re under someone’s microscope. We wanted the audience to sort of feel like they’re intruding on something, like they’re sitting in the Tesmans’ living room watching everything crumble. In the end, it also just ended up being a more practical decision as well because it gave us a little more space as actors to play.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Henrik Ibsen’s original was written in Danish, so I have to ask. Unless you speak Danish, what version did you base your adaptation on?

ERIN GRACE BAILEY: Ha! No, I do not speak Danish. I drew inspiration from several different adaptations, but I primarily used a direct translation by Una Ellis-Fermor because I wanted to use a translation or adaptation that was written by a woman, which as I mentioned previously, was a surprisingly difficult find. Ironically, I happened upon Ellis-Fermor’s translation while on a trip to McKay’s when I wasn’t even looking for it, so whoever decided to sell their copy, it was meant to be!

RAPID FIRE WITH HEDDA GABLER’s WILL HENKE

JHPENTERTAINMENT: You’re playing Ejlert Lövborg in Playhouse 615’s Hedda Gabler. Who is Lövborg to you?     

WILL HENKE: Ejlert is a misunderstood man within his own mind and the world around him. There is a certain disconnect with the way his mind and body communicates and often sabotages one another and a most universal disconnect between his existence and his peers. His inability to conform and find meaning in his life is temporarily remedied by the company of Hedda Gabler, who may (or may not) be the missing piece to his inevitable demise.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Is it just me, or do you hear ‘loverboy’ in the character’s name?

WILL HENKE: Funny that you say that! I always heard “I Love” in Ejlert. He’s Ibsen’s own unorthodox version of a hopeless romantic.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: How familiar were you with Hedda Gabler prior to auditioning for the role?

WILL HENKE: Without outing myself too much, I was completely unfamiliar with Hedda Gabler before the show. I’ve read A Doll’s House to fulfill my Ibsen quota, but most of my theatrical literature is devoted to contemporary pieces (see: Jackie Sibblies Drury, Brandon Jacob Jenkins for my faves).

JHPENTERTAINMENT: I just spoke with your co-star, Eric Grace Bailey, who also adapted Ibsen’s work for this production. She opted to shift the time and setting to modern day. How do you think that enhances this particular version?

WILL HENKE: I think the charm of the modernization lies in the very ability to do so. Setting Hedda in current times as opposed to 1890s Norway is a testament to the timelessness of the piece.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Your show bio includes a mention of your theatre origin, having played Horse #3 in a high school production of Cinderella. How did that humble beginning prepare you for a life on stage? 

WILL HENKE: There are no small parts. Just small horses.

RAPID FIRE WITH HEDDA GABLER’s SAWYER LATHAM

JHPENTERTAINMENT: How would you describe Judge Brack, the character you play in Hedda Gabler?

SAWHER LATHAM: Brack, in simple terms, is a power hungry narcissist. His entire driving force is manipulating the people around him and he derives pleasure from bending people to his will. Just a stand up guy. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Playhouse 615 audiences might recognize you from your recent turn in their production of The Woman in Black. What is it about your experience at Playhouse 615 that prompted a return for another show? 

SAWHER LATHAM: The environment behind the scenes is one of the best in Nashville and the surrounding areas. There’s a certain feeling you get when you’re around people who care as much as you do. I get that feeling here. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Your admitted AI-generated acting resume, though mildly entertaining, is largely bereft of any real details of your former roles aside from Smoke during The Bell Witch Fall Festival. What was your first stage performance?

SAWHER LATHAM: My first onstage performance was with the Theatre Bug back in like 2015. I played a little techie kid in Showmance. I don’t remember too much from that process but I must have enjoyed it to still be around doing it today. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What is it about Hedda Gabler that continues to interest audiences and remain relevant some 131 years after Ibsen first wrote it?

SAWHER LATHAM: I mean, it’s a classic for a reason. I don’t think I can add anything to it that hasn’t been said already. Ibsen created such an interesting world with incredibly complex characters. Ahead of his time. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Your co-star, Eric Grace Bailey of course also adapted this particular presentation. Being the premiere production of this iteration, were there scene in her adaptation that were edited or changed as rehearsals went along?

SAWHER LATHAM: There were definitely trims along the way but in whole it’s remained mostly intact from the first draft. I was lucky so most of my things remained unchanged so I never had to

RAPID FIRE WITH HEDDA GABLER’s MILES GATHRELL

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Who is George Tesman to you?

MILES GATRELL: George is the definition of a guy who looks good on paper: kind, promising career, good family. Unfortunately, in practice he lacks the emotional intelligence for a healthy relationship. He’s someone who is always falling a little short, but can’t understand why. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: As George, you play Hedda’s easy-going, but inevitably put-upon husband. How is Erin Grace as a co-star?

MILES GATRELL: Erin Grace is the reason I’m part of this show! We had the opportunity to work together last year in the Actor’s Bridge production of Things I Know to Be True. She’s talented, professional, and a joy to collaborate with.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Your character also shares an on-stage relationship with Beth Henderson’s Juliana Tesman, George’s aunt. I’ve gotta tell you, I consider Beth one of my ‘theatre crushes’, having seen her in a multitude of roles through the years and always being absolutely grateful for the opportunity. How has it been to share the stage with Beth?

MILES GATRELL: This is my first time working with Beth, and I’ve very much appreciated her presence in this show. Her focus and dedication helped ground me during the process, and working our scenes has felt like a breeze.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Alright, I’m not letting this interview end without going completely off topic to ask about your vintage toy collection. Fellow vintage toy and pop culture nerd here. My favorite item in my collection would have to be my original Bionic Woman lunchbox that I’ve had since I was a kid. What’s among your favorites?

MILES GATRELL: I’m sure some people will balk at this being considered vintage now, but I have a small Pokémon statue that was given away at the 1998 Tokyo TV Fair. As far as I can tell only one has ever been sold on eBay, and it’s quite difficult to find information about it. I managed to snag it from a junk store in Des Moines, Iowa for about four bucks.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Like your co-star, I understand you’ve also written and produced a couple of plays. Do you believe being creative in both regards enhances your performance as an actor?

MILES GATRELL: I think dipping into playwriting can be very helpful for an actor. Performers can become very focused on their character, and what they hope to achieve in the role. I think it is important to always check back in with the larger story being told. Playwriting makes it easier to understand how your character fits into, and complements that bigger picture. 

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Playhouse 615’s Hedda Gabler completes its four-week run with performances Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 26, 27 and 28 with evening performances at 7:30p.m. on Friday and Saturday and a final Sunday matinee at 2:30p.m. Playhouse 615 is offering a special BOGO (buy one get one) ticket offer for $20 (that’s the usual price of one ticket). CLICK HERE to purchase tickets. You can also reserve your spot by calling the box office at 615.319.7031, or you can purchase tickets (if available) at the door, day of show, an hour before curtain.

Up next for Playhouse 615 is Nunsense, directed by Daniel Vincent and starring Linda Gaille, Ann Street Kavanagh, Diane Bearden-Enright, Cat Eberwine and Takiah Ledo. Nunsense runs May 10-May 26. CLICK HERE for tickets. For more on the show and to keep up with Playhouse 615, check out their website or follow them on Facebook.

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