Weekly Update!
Nine people's favorite Substack
Hello and welcome to Wednesday, everyone! The rain’s been falling, shows are closing up or just finished their run last week and we’re back with your favorite singular space to read all about what’s happening in your Central Arkansas community theatre space!
Also, I just want to point out that we are TEN WHOLE PEOPLE away from hitting 100 subscribers!! (Maybe I’ll do a giveaway?) So let’s keep bringing more people in to the fold and staying up-to-date with the Central Arkasnas Community Theatre space :)
I have a lot to write here today, but just to give you an overview, today we’ve got:
- A brief review of All My Sons at The Lantern Theatre!
- My big announcement!
- Cast announcements and show openings!
- The official season announcement from The Weekend Theatre!
- And more!
So, let’s get right into it and see what’s happening around the block of our local community theatre spaces :)
Nearly Two Decades Later…
When we were younger, Rachel McKee and I were in the same youth theater summer camp together, where we bonded over mutual love for the craft, new shows and how one day we were going to make our way to stardom. After nearly two decades have passed, we’ve grown and changed, but remained within the community arts of our respective towns.
Last weekend, I had the absolute pleasure of getting the chance to see Rachel’s production of All My Sons at The Lantern Theatre in Conway, and it was like stepping into an alternate history of our past. We both saw this show all those years ago, when figures now prominent within the Central Arkansas community theatre scene were just college kids, but more specifically, when it was one of the only shows I’ve ever been able to see my mother perform in.
Rachel and I talked about it after the final bows of her production, but that show had such a lasting impact on both of us as creatives, actors and now within the production seat.
The show was beautifully cast and wholly intimate within the chapel of a church right across the street from our old high school. A completely different set from the show of our past, but perfectly balanced between exactly what was needed to drive the scene forward and set the space for us as an audience. There were plenty of moments I caught myself nodding along with the characters and their dynamic performances, the heartbreak they were grappling with, all of it.
Huge shoutout to my girl, Gabrielle Neafsey, for doing a bang-up job as Annie. You were absolutely stunning and held my attention any time you entered the space, truly captivating.
Rachel, the show was magnificent. If my mother had been there to see it, she would have said the same. You perfectly captured the story and drew us into the world of Arthur Miller once again. Let’s not make it another near two decades before we get to celebrate each other’s work again!
Caleb Patton, Soon-To-Be Director!
Lights! Stage! Music! Madness! The time has finally come where I can officially announce that at the top of 2026, I will be making my directorial debut at The Weekend Theater! Putting together one of my favorite shows, [title of show], I cannot express enough how honored and grateful I am to be welcomed into the hallowed halls of TWT as a director.
If you aren’t familiar with this show, let me just say now. It’s wildly funny, absolutely endearing and will leave you singing the songs over and over again they’re so catchy. You can see the general synopsis below, but I truly love everything about this show.
From hit numbers like “Die Vampires, Die” to “Nine People’s Favorite Thing”, there isn’t a moment after watching, listening to and reading through so many versions of this show that I’m not impressed by the original playwrights. Anyone who’s worked with me in the past has heard me talk about how much I love shows with smaller casts and the space at TWT is absolutely perfect to put this production together.
I cannot wait to start bringing people in for auditions, whenever those will be, but at least now you know the best place to stay up-to-date with all the relevant information!
All About The Weekend Theater!
Over the last week, TWT has officially announced its cast for A New Brain AND its full season for the coming 2025/2026 layout. Not only am I excited to see some of my favorite people bring this story to life (Looking at you Koty and Patricia) but to see some new faces that I’ve yet to see on stage, but have had the pleasure of meeting within the community.
A New Brain is set to open on June 6th and runs through the 22nd, ticketing information should be released soon. Check out the preview below to get an idea of the show itself. But I promise, it’s going to be a show worth seeing!
Gordon collapses into his lunch and awakens in the hospital, surrounded by his maritime-enthusiast lover, his mother, a co-worker, the doctor, and the nurses. Reluctantly, he had been composing a song for a children’s television show that features a frog – Mr. Bungee – and the specter of this large green character and the unfinished work haunts him throughout his medical ordeal.
On top of the cast announcement being released for their final show of this season, they’ve officially announced the upcoming year’s shows, and boy howdy, am I excited!
Kicking things off July 18th - August 3rd, Shaina Tippitt will be directing and bringing to the stage Lord of the Flies. When a plane carrying a group of school children is shot down in the midst of evacuating for war, they find themselves marooned on a tropical, isolated island. Without adult supervision, they initially attempt to create a civilized society, but their attempts crumble as they descend into chaos, giving in to their darkest instincts.
From August 29th to September 14th, Taijee Bunch will be directing Gem of the Ocean. When Citizen Barlow comes to her Pittsburgh’s Hill District home seeking asylum, matriarch and advisor Aust Ester sets him off on a spiritual journey to visit the City of Bone, home of their ancestors. Gem of the Ocean is the ninth work in Wilson’s ten-play American Century Cycles, which has recorded the American Black experience and helped to define generations.
From October 10th to 26th, Andrea McDaniel will be directing Playing with Fire After Frankenstein. An exhausted and dying Victor Frankenstein has finally tracked down his Creature in the lonely, frozen tundra of the North Pole. Determined to right the wrong he has committed by, at last, destroying the malignant evil he believes he has created, Frankenstein finds that he must first deal with his own responsibility and guilt.
From November 21st to December 7th, The Thanksgiving Play will run at TWT, a director has not been announced yet. Good intentions collide with absurd assumptions in Larissa FastHorse’s wickedly funny satire, as a troupe of terminally woke teaching artist scrambles to create a pageant that somehow manages to celebrate both Turkey Day and Native American Heritage Month.
From January 16th to February 1st, I WILL BE DIRECTING MY FIRST MUSICAL, see above for more, [title of show]. Jeff and Hunter, two struggling writers, hear about a new musical theatre festival. However, the deadline for submissions is a mere three weeks away. With nothing to lose, the pair decides to try to create something new with the help of their friends Susan, Heidi and Larry on the eighty-eights. With the cast in place, Jeff and Hunter begin a conversation about what to write about. Eventually, Jeff suggests they write about what to write about.
From March 6th to 22nd, Byron Taylor will be directing Nuts. Set in a courtroom in New York’s Bellevue Hospital, the story follows a high-priced call girl incarcerated on a charge for killing a violent “john”. The State, represented by a court-appointed psychiatrist and an aggressive prosecutor, say Claudia Faith Draper is unfit to stand trial. As testimony from experts, physicians and her parents unfolds, with her psyche and childhood dissected, she must prove to the judge that she isn’t “nuts” to stand trial.
From April 17th to May 3rd, Artistic Director David Weatherly will be leading the charge on A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. When the low-born Monty Navarro finds out that he’s eighth in line for an earldom in the lofty D’Ysquith family, he figures his chances of outliving his predecessors are slight and sets off down a far more ghoulish path. Can he knock off his unsuspecting relatives without being caught and become the ninth Earl of Highhurst? And what of love? Because murder isn’t the only thing on Monty’s mind…
And lastly, to close their season, Darby Lytle will be directing The Taming of the Shrew from June 5th to 21st. Lucentio loves Bianca, but cannot court her until her shrewish older sister Katherina has married. So Lucentio recruits the eccentric Petruccio to marry the reluctant Katherina, and turn her into a good wife. Thus begins a battle of wits and wills the likes of which none have seen before!
Audition information, announcements, sponsorship opportunities and more are coming soon, so stay up to date with The Weekend Theater here and on their website, weekendtheater.org.
Auditions for Wildwood and AFMA!
After recently announcing their season for the next year, Wildwood Park for the Arts has sent out the audition information for their first two productions, High School Musical and Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Both enormous productions, but if what I’ve had the chance to see at Wildwood is indicative of how these will go, I know that I will be blown away by the actors and production teams with how well they’ll be brought to life.
Audition Dates:
Thursday, June 12th
Friday, June 13th
Call Backs:
Saturday, June 14th
A NOTE FOR THOSE AUDITIONING:
Strong musical skills required
Strong dance experience suggested (3+ years of dance preferred)
High School Musical:
Rehearsals begin August 17th
Performances run October 8th - 19th
Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat:
Rehearsals begin October 26th
Performances run November 14th - 23rd
Email zach@wildwoodpark.org to request an audition time on june 12th or 13th. More info and full audition notice coming soon!
But Wildwood isn’t the only place in town looking for actors to come and enjoy the party! The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts is holding its season auditions this Saturday from 1 pm to 5 pm. While they haven’t announced their season yet, they do detail their show schedule on the audition website and form.
To see all of the information and snag your spot, which, according to Associate Director Chad Bradford, are filling up quickly, you can head over to this link to set up your audition time now!
Spend Your Summer On Golden Pond!
This week, the cast of On Golden Pond officially takes the stage over at Argenta Contemporary Theatre to bring to life this heartwarming, absolutely lifelike story of Norman and Ethel Thayer and their summer at the titled pond. Truth be told, I was unable to make it to the Invited Dress last night (a much-needed mental respite after some personal matters came up), but I just want to come in here and write a few, completely unbiased words about this cast.
First and foremost, it has been an utter delight being the understudy for both Matt and Chris (Charlie and Bill Ray, respectively). Seeing how each tackles their respective characters, the emotion and humor they’ve both brought to the stage and the mentorship they’ve provided both on and off the stage has been so enlightening and continued to help me become a better actor.
Getting the chance to work alongside Brooke, Bob and Kelley (Chelsea, Norman and Ethel) has been nothing short of spectacular. They are masters of the craft, absolutely perfectly cast for their roles and truly some of the most considerate and helpful castmates a newbie like me could ask for. Each bring a unique light to the ACT stage and for those coming to see this show, you’re in for a very special treat with this trio.
Also have to give a shoutout to the fantastic Davis for blowing me away with how talented of a young actor he is. I still cannot get over how he’s been able to take in all his lines and adapt to direction so quickly!
And to all of my fellow “Undies”, we are crushing it. If you’ve purchased tickets to the show on the 23rd, and bless you if you have, you’ll get the chance to experience an entirely different cast and show altogether with myself, Katie, Chip, Alexis and Jacob.
The show officially opens to the public on Friday, so get your tickets now before they’re all gone!
Current Productions & Available Tickets
Carrie: The Musical - The Weekend Theater - Click Here - CLOSING SOON
On Golden Pond - Argenta Contemporary Theatre - Click Here
The Sound of Music - The Royal Theatre - Click Here - OPENING SOON
As You Like It - Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre - Click Here - OPENING SOON
The Prom - Actors Theatre of Little Rock - Click Here - OPENING SOON
PS. Keep an eye out on the Arkansas Times blog for the upcoming interview with our two young actors who are soon headed off to the Jimmy Awards!
