After a long summer of great anticipation, we at Prospectus jumped at the chance to sit down with the directors of the two productions Parkland Theatre is putting on this fall. Here is a peek at what you can expect from the upcoming fall productions.
Following a shocking turnout of 78 people, the directors were given the opportunity to choose a cast that truly brought their vision to light. Although the hardest part was having to turn some away, they were excited to embark on creating productions that spoke to the heart of the directors.
At the head of “12 Angry Jurors” is BJ Gailey, the director of this production. Gailey began his life in theatre as an actor but ended up finding his home in teaching the craft instead. He believes that the trick to directing is really bringing the minor details to life.
This production is a seventy-five-minute show with no intermission, allowing you to feel like you are right there with the cast going through the trial together. All showings of “12 Angry Jurors” will be in Parkland’s Second Stage, with the first on Oct. 3 and the last on Oct. 13.
“Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” is being directed by Chelsea Collier, who began as an actress as well. When asked how she decided to become a director she quoted James W. Morris, “When you find a show where you could see yourself in every role, that is the show you want to direct.”
The production plays a very important role in Collier’s life, as it creates and spreads joy during the darker times of the year. As you can probably tell, the production promotes connection and warmth in preparation for Christmas, but that does not mean there are no surprises. “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” will be in The Harold and Jean Miner Theatre from Dec. 5 through Dec. 14.
This season comes to you by Brian Morgan, Parkland’s theatre director, who dedicated himself to giving back all he has learned and experienced in the field to the theatre community at Parkland.
