Q: You are no stranger to the Dock Street Theatre stage. What are a couple of your favorite past roles that you’ve performed with Charleston Stage?

I’ve been with Charleston Stage for nearly two years now and my favorite role would definitely have to be Ethan in Helium. This was my first role with Charleston Stage and it was a really great learning experience and all around great time! I made a lot of strong bonds with the cast and crew and I gained a home away from home. I also had the privilege of playing Albert in Bye Bye Birdie which I had a great time with because I love musical theatre and all music in general. My time with TheatreWings has also provided me with a variety of roles and growth opportunities.

 

Q: Where are you from? Are there any special subjects you are studying or activities you do that fuel your passion for the arts?

I am from Goose Creek, South Carolina, and I am sixteen years old. I attend Goose Creek High School. I am majoring in Theatre with Berkeley County Center for the Arts and this definitely fuels my passion for the arts because I am able to do what I love every day.

 

Q: You are playing the iconic role of Christopher Boone. How would you describe this character and what is your favorite part of performing this role?

Christopher is a highly intelligent kid with a beautiful mind full of creativity and brilliant ideas. He has a great passion for the things he loves and he is very brave. My favorite part of performing this role is the accent because it really helps me stop being myself and go into the character of Christopher Boone. Some challenging elements of this role would be staying true to Christopher himself and not falling into the clichés that people have about people on the spectrum. Christopher is a unique person and doesn’t fall under any labels. He is his own person and that person is magnificent.

 

Q: What has drawn you to this story and what are you hoping audiences will take away from this production?

This is such an incredible story about the world and how people see it and take it for granted. I want audiences to see the world through the eyes of Christopher and see the many things in daily life that people might not think about and may glance over.

 

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time I like to play my instruments and practice music. I love music! I like to hang out with my friends and spend time with my family.

 

Performances of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time run Feb. 6 – 24 at the Historic Dock Street Theatre. For tickets, click here.

 

 

 

 

 

Q: Were there any activities you did as a child that led to your passion for the arts?

I grew up in NJ around the Seaside Heights area. As a kid, I loved dancing so that is where I really formed my passion for the arts. As a teenager, I learned to sew and I loved all kinds of creative work but I had no idea that being a Costume Designer was a job that even existed. My only experience with theatre was being thrown into musicals as an ensemble member dancing in the background and pretending to sing!

 

Q: Where did you receive training?

In college, at the College of Charleston actually, I found my way into theatre because I asked for a job sewing in the costume shop to help me pay my tuition. Once I was in that world I learned about all the amazing jobs theatre has to offer and that being a Costume Designer would combine my love for art, history, fashion, dance, music, and building clothing. I went on to get an M.F.A. in Costume Design at the University of Virginia and then moved to NYC where I worked with Martin Pakledinaz and on numerous Broadway shows, opera, dance, and more, and was able to work as a costume designer on my own as well. I have continued working as a freelance designer along with now teaching at the College of Charleston as the Costume Design Professor and chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance.

 

Q: What other companies have you most recently designed for?

I recently designed for the San Francisco Ballet and am currently working on our production of Urinetown coming up in April at the College and on The Great Gatsby for Trustus Theatre in Columbia. I am also the Resident Costume Designer for PURE Theatre where I am currently mentoring some of my students on design work for upcoming PURE productions.

 

Q: Please discuss your process as the Costume Designer for The Curious Incident.

I spent a lot of time on this play just trying to understand how Christopher sees the world. My assistant, Laighton Cain, and I did a variety of different research from reading to watching movies, videos, and gathering visual research to allow us to have a better understanding of someone who would take in the world in as much detail as Christopher does. Our plan was to use that to help establish a color palette that was increasingly vivid as more information is presented to Christopher. We thought about colors and textures and things he might like and dislike in all the decisions we made. So much about these characters is not revealed in the play. More about them is found in the book but for this production who the individual actors are, and what the director is finding in the rehearsal process, is key. We’ve had to be flexible and think about how to support the pace of the play and the idea of trying to create a world for the audience that gives a glimpse of how Christopher perceives things.

Q: What are you most excited about that audiences will experience with your designs for The Curious Incident?

Honestly, I hope they don’t think much about my design. I know that sounds weird, but it is so important to support the story and not have the costumes stand out but for them to just seem right in a way that allows the audience not to notice them. We have really tried to choose the right looks for these specific people in these roles, paying attention to what is happening in the rehearsal process. For the actors, we tried to include clever things like using the colors Christopher dislikes on characters he doesn’t like, but the audience probably won’t notice those things.

Q: Tell us a little more about yourself.

I am the Costume Designer Professor and Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance where I have worked for 13 years in addition to continuing my work as a freelance Costume Designer. Working at the College is amazing since I get to be part of seeing current students find their passion for theatre and dance and work to help them develop as artists. My husband is in the theatre business as well. He works as an actor and carpenter and is currently also working on a production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time for Trustus Theatre in Columbia. We actually met in theatre when we were both working on a production of My Fair Lady at the Flat Rock Playhouse in NC five years ago, and now we have an amazing 3 year old son who already is showing his acting and singing abilities!

 

Performances of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time run Feb. 6 – 24 at the Historic Dock Street Theatre. For tickets, click here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SC THEATRE ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME INDUCTION FOR JULIAN WILES
NOVEMBER 9, 2018, Anderson University

On November 9, 2018, Julian Wiles was inducted into the SC Theatre Association Hall of Fame at Anderson University. Below are the opening remarks by Derek Pickens introducing Mr. Wiles as the inductee. Julian Wiles’s acceptance speech is also included below.

INTRO BY DEREK PICKENS, SC THEATRE ASSOCIATION BOARD MEMBER

 

 

Good evening everyone. My name is Derek Pickens, I am the South Carolina Theatre Association Theatre for Youth Division Chair, and it is my great honor to introduce to you our next/final inductee into the South Carolina Theatre Hall of Fame – Mr. Julian Wiles.

 

Julian Wiles is the Founder and Producing Artistic Director of Charleston Stage, the resident theatre company of the historic Dock Street Theatre. Julian founded the company in 1978, and 41 seasons later, he has directed and designed more than 200 productions and penned 27 original plays and musicals for the company, including the boy who stole the stars, Nevermore!, Helium, and the Christmas classic – Fruitcakes. (which has 9 different productions being produced this holiday season across the US, and even 1 in Canada.)

 

I first met Julian in 2011 when I moved to Charleston to be a part of the Resident Acting Company at Charleston Stage. Each year, Charleston Stage takes in a handful of young actors and actresses from across the country, fresh from college or grad school, and that year I happened to be one of the lucky ones chosen. During that short year, I not only had the pleasure of being directed by Julian, but also got to originate a role in the world premiere of his play Inga Binga, which chronicles the true stories a young JFK in the Lowcountry. After finishing my contract, I moved back home to Washington, DC – but I felt incomplete there. I longed for the home that I had created in Charleston and at Charleston Stage. So about a year later, I packed up my stuff and moved back to Charleston, where Julian welcomed me back with open arms. If it were not for Julian and the legacy he has created, I would have never found my home, my purpose, or even met my husband (who I happened to meet at Charleston Stage).

 

I, however, am just a small speck in comparison to the amount of lives that Julian has touched across the Lowcountry and the whole state of South Carolina. When he founded Charleston Stage, Julian decided that he had to focus on education and making sure that all young people in the Lowcountry had access to high quality theatre. Now, over 22,000 young people in the Lowcountry are reached each year and Arts education is a cornerstone of Charleston Stage’s mission. Education programs include special low price performances for over 19,000 school students each season, an after-school Theatre School program, which provides theatre training for over 350 students each year, a pre-professional theatre training program for outstanding high school students, and Art Reach Workshops, led by members of Charleston Stage’s Professional Resident Acting Company.

 

Please help me in welcoming to the stage, Mr. Julian Wiles.

 

 

ACCEPTANCE SPEECH BY JULIAN WILES

 

 

I want to thank the South Carolina Theatre Association for this special honor and would like to accept this recognition on behalf of everyone who has worked at Charleston Stage over these past 41 years. Today Charleston Stage plays to over 60,000 patrons. Our education programs, which are the heart and soul of so much of what we do, reach over 22,000 students each season. Started as a youth theatre, Charleston Stage today is one of the largest professional theatres in the region. We have a staff of 25 theatre professionals, a fulltime acting company, and a budget of over $2.7 million dollars…not bad for a company that started with a staff of one and a $20,000 budget.   What we didn’t have in dollars, we tried to make up in imagination. In that very first year we produced a skateboard musical atop a parking garage—17 year old Thomas Gibson of Criminal Minds was in the cast. Later this show was invited to tour youth theatres in Great Britain where we flew over with a cast of 30 and a skateboard ramp and performed around the country.

 

For me it’s been quite a journey. I was raised by a wonderful Mom and Dad on a cotton farm in rural Fort Motte, SC. In fact, my amazing 90 year-old Mom is here with me here tonight, along with my wife of almost 40 years, Jenny Hane. I would not be here without both of their wonderful love and support. Actually Jenny married me, despite the fact that in College I tried to direct her in the play, called something she did “stupid,” and she stormed off the stage and ended her theatrical career. She forgave me eventually and became a very fine teacher and provided wonderful and never-ending support to me and my work in the theatre.

 

The fact that a little boy raised on a cotton farm in rural South Carolina could grow up to have a career in the theatre is nothing short of remarkable. At the time, there were no drama classes at my school and the closest theatre was the Town Theatre in Columbia 40 miles and a world away.

 

I spent my freshman year at Clemson, which at the time had no drama program. Yet today it has a very robust theatre department.

 

When I transferred to the College of Charleston there was a fledging drama program there under the direction of my wonderful mentor, the late Emmett Robinson —a department that has grown into one of the leading drama programs in the state.

 

There was only one theatre when I arrived in Charleston 45 years ago. Today there are more than a dozen producing a wide range of work.

 

In those early days there were few drama classes in any schools and certainly no arts-infused elementary or performing arts high schools in the state. Now there are many.

 

This remarkable growth in theatre and theatre education in South Carolina over the past 40 years of my career is all because of the work and commitment of people like you. Make no mistake about it, through your work in the theatre, you make a real difference in the lives of so many young people and adults every single day.  I know this work is hard. I know it has its challenges, but you and I are lucky to be a part of a profession in which we get to celebrate the human spirt every single day. How many folks can say that?

 

And so I feel it’s important that we honor tonight, not just my work and that of my fellow inductees, but your incredible work as well. In my mind each and every one of you are already members of this Hall of Fame. Thanks for the great work you do.

 

On behalf of myself and everyone at Charleston Stage, may I offer my most heartfelt thanks and appreciation for this special honor.

 

Thank you.

Julian Wiles

Founder and Producing Artistic Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q: Where did you grow up? Were there any activities you did as a child that led to your passion for the arts?

A: Technically, I grew up in Northern Kentucky, only 10 minutes from Cincinnati, Ohio. So, it is just much easier for me to say I am from Cincinnati, even though many of my friends here like to give me grief about it, haha. I know it’s confusing but… tomato-potato, am I right?Anyway, I grew up very blessed to be in a thriving arts community. So by the time I was 8, I was acting in shows and I haven’t looked back since.

 

Q: Where did you receive your training?  How did this prepare you for your work in the theatre world?

A: I went to school at Western Kentucky University. There, I got a B.F.A. in Performing Arts with a concentration in Acting. I also double minored in Musical Theatre and Performing Arts Administration. My time at WKU really exposed me to many different styles of performance and gave me many opportunities to explore my craft. I am very grateful for how they prepared me.

 

 

Q: You are playing the iconic role of Lennie. Please discuss the challenges/rewards of performing this character and what are you hoping audiences will take away from your performance?

A: Lennie is definitely one of the more challenging roles that I have played. With his given circumstances it has been quite the exploration to find the story I want to tell through him. I think so many times Lennie is seen as an iconic role because of the cognitive barriers he struggles with and the challenges he faces. However, I think he’s so much more than that. I want audiences to take away that Lennie is so much more than the label society tries to put on him. Instead we should think about his loyalty and his compassion for others and his zest for life. Those are the things he should be defined as.

 

 

Q: Why is “Of Mice and Men” still relevant for audiences to see? How does this classic story inspire you?

A: I think this show is still relevant today because it discusses so many different issues we are still facing in America. The show looks at racism with the mistreatment towards Crooks, sexism with the glorification and dehumanization of Curley’s wife, and ableism with the remarks thrown at Lennie. In a time where we are seeing so much discrimination towards minority groups, a story like this needs to be told. This story inspires me because even though it doesn’t have the happiest of endings (Spoiler Alert!!! But honesty not really because if you haven’t read this book by now then what are you doing….) we still see those on the outs find comfort with one another and they show the power than coming together can create.

 

 

Q: You are also a Resident Actor this season. What are some of your duties and what is one of your favorite things about being a part of Charleston Stage?

A: I am a Resident Actor with Charleston Stage and boy what an incredible time it has been so far. Along with performing in the company’s season, one of my main duties is to teach as a part of the education program. I teach two classes with one of my incredible fellow Resident Actors every week, and a Performance Troupe class with the always wonderful Marybeth Clark. I sometimes also travel to schools in the area for in school workshops. It can be busy at times but is incredibly rewarding. One of my favorite things about working with Charleston Stage would be a tie between working on “Of Mice and Men,” because it has been a blessing to perform a dream role right out of graduating college, and the class I get to teach with Marybeth every week. She is an incredible educator and every week I learn so much just from teaching alongside her.

 

Q:  What other roles will you be performing with Charleston Stage this season?

A: After “Of Mice and Men,” you can see me in “A Christmas Carol” as the Ghost of Christmas Past and Herb in “Junie B.”.  After the new year I will also be in “Number the Stars,” “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time,” “The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley,” and “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” where I will be playing LeFou!

 

 

Performances continue running Oct. 19 – Nov. 4 at the Historic Dock Street Theatre. Ticket sales available online by clicking here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q: You are playing the iconic role of George. Please discuss the challenges/rewards of performing this character and what are you hoping audiences will take away from your performance?

A: George is a very multi-faceted character. He can be seen as short-tempered and mean, but considering the fact that he took care of a person with special needs (before we really knew what this was), unrelated to him, is kind of remarkable. He is a very kind person, deep down, and he really wants what’s best for Lennie and himself. He wants a place of their own, for his own reasons, of course, but if they did have a place to themselves, he wouldn’t have to worry about public perception of Lennie. No one could fire them. They could live a simple life. I think a challenge is letting George’s compassion for misfits shine through his hard exterior. Also, his struggle with the “final decision” about Lennie is quite a challenge. How do you put down a horse that’s sick when that horse is a part of you? When you love that horse? You know that horse is suffering and you know the alternative to you peacefully ending its life is much worse. Breaking down his hard exterior and letting the light shine through is the biggest challenge. The greatest reward? Getting to be friends and travel along with Lennie–a pure soul.

 

 

Q: Please explain the relationship between George and Lennie. Why do you think this friendship exists and what are the challenges within this duo?

A: George and Lennie are a wonderful pair of opposites bringing out the best in each other. George is pretty sharp, Lennie is not. Lennie is super strong, George simply gets by. In the end, though, they just want a peaceful, simple life. I think they really need each other for balance. George is so serious all the time, but Lennie brings out the “play” in George’s life. George grounds Lennie and keeps him out of trouble. And when Lennie does get in trouble (quite frequently, actually) George is right there to get him out–but scolds Lennie about it anyway. They need each other or life isn’t any fun–it’s just a routine. One might say that Lennie needs George to survive, literally. George needs Lennie’s kindness, purity, and friendship just as much, if not more. Life is really bleak without Lennie. (Probably why there isn’t a sequel.)

 

 

Q: Why is “Of Mice and Men” still relevant for audiences to see? How do the words of John Steinbeck and this classic story inspire you?

A: “Of Mice and Men” will always be relevant.  Friendship and the bonds that unexpected characters can form are so meaningful, and this story lets you see the good in people. We are in a difficult climate where sometimes being “different” is synonymous with being “bad.” We don’t take the time to understand each other’s differences and love each other in spite of them. We don’t give people second chances as much as we should. We outright judge people by the way they look, or talk, or laugh before really trying to see who that person is and what they stand for. George shouts at Lennie, but keeps Lennie by his side because, even though they’re polar opposites, they’re there for each other. This is a story of love and ultimate sacrifice. It’s simple. It’s beautiful. I think the world can use stories like this and learn from them.

 

Q:  What other roles will you be performing with Charleston Stage this season?

A: I will be Marley and several other characters in “A Christmas Carol.” I will also be directing Steel Magnolias and Number the Stars.

 

 

Performances of “Of Mice and Men” run Oct. 17 – Nov. 4 at the Historic Dock Street Theatre. Ticket sales are available online by clicking here.

 

 

 

 

 

Q: Where did you grow up? Were there any activities you did as a child that led to your passion for the arts?

I grew up in McMinnville, TN. I was active in all clubs at school and the community theatre near my town, the Arts Center of Cannon County in Woodbury, TN. I also took as many art classes as possible in high school.

 

Q: Where did you receive training? How did this prepare you for your work in the theatre world?

I first went to school at Middle Tennessee State University, but then transferred to University of Memphis, known as Memphis State to some. There I obtained my B.F.A. in Theatre with a double emphasis in Scenic Design and Musical Theatre. Along with my education, I received my training through various internships and Summer Stock throughout the country. I have painted in five different states. By doing this I got to experience professional theatre faster than most of my colleagues.

 

 

Q: What is your full-time position with Charleston Stage?

I’m currently the Scenic Charge/Scenic Design Associate. Last year I was a Resident Actor for the company and got the chance to paint for Charleston Stage and design along side Julian during Shakespeare in Love and design BILLY, GOAT, GRUFF The Musical myself. This year I will be painting everything you see on stage, and set designing Of Mice and Men, Number the Stars, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley.

 

Q: Please discuss your process and what was involved with set designing for the classic play Of Mice and Men.

When I started the process I wanted to do something different, and really transform our space. The show is very intimate, so it’s designed around that along with the feeling that came from the Great Depression and the work force during that time. When I started, I drew multiple sketches that eventually transformed into draftings and elevations on my computer after many talks with the director and design team. Then when all was done I created a miniature scale model of the set.

 

 

Q: What are you most excited about that audiences will experience with your designs for Of Mice and Men?

It really is something different we have done with the space. I’m excited for the audience to experience some vibrant color and the use of real metal in the set. And I’m hoping that the story will be a bit more intimate with the way we use the set.

 

 

Performances of Of Mice and Men run Oct. 17 – Nov. 4 at the Historic Dock Street Theatre. To purchase tickets online, click here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q: Where did you grow up? Were there any activities you did as a child that led to your passion for the arts?

I grew up in Minneapolis, a city with a vibrant arts community. There seemed to be a little thread of creativity in the family as one of my many aunts was a dancer, another was a skilled caterer, flower arranger and craftswoman, and a cousin was a visual artist. Most of our very large extended family were not artists, but we few dedicated our careers to our various creative pursuits. I always loved to draw, loved to read, loved acting, and eventually learned to sew. If you put those things together, you pretty much have a costume designer.

 

Q: Where did you receive training? How did this prepare you for your work in the theatre world?

I went to college at the University of Minnesota. It is there, working as a mime for the Peppermint Tent Summer Children’s Theatre, that I discovered how much more interesting it was to design costumes was than it was to perform. The costume designer that summer was having difficulty producing the costumes required for the show, so I volunteered to go home and make something that would fit into the designer’s color scheme. I found this so inspiring that I decided that I wanted the costume designer’s job next summer. I no longer auditioned and I took my first costume design class. In the end, I designed costumes for all five of the University of Minnesota’s theatres before graduating. I also built gigantic full body masks for an anti-Vietnam War protest on the steps of the state capitol in St. Paul. It was all too much fun to do anything else.

I went to graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Fortunately for me, Wisconsin had assembled a team of top designers to teach their MFA program. There was no one to teach costume construction, so it was a good thing that I arrived with sewing skills. My fellow students and I didn’t have much time for anything other than attending class and working in the costume shop, so homework was often squeezed into exam periods or overnight writing or drawing sessions. It was a serious trial for the jobs that came after, because there is never enough time, enough labor or enough money.

 

Q: What other companies have you most recently designed for?

The Colorado Shakespeare Festival, The Clarence Brown theatre, Playmaker’s Repertory, The Barter Theater, The Arkansas Repertory, Syracuse Stage, and The Peccadillo Theater.

 

Q: Please discuss your process as the Costume Designer for Of Mice and Men.

The best research for this period is in the photographs from the Works Progress Administration like Dorthea Lange and Walker Evans. The photos are a moving testament to the hardships of ordinary people during the depression.

 

 

Q: What are you most excited about that audiences will experience with your designs for Of Mice and Men?

In a play like Of Mice and Men, I will feel like I have succeeded if the audience doesn’t think of the clothes as costumes, but as a natural extension of who each character is. They should be virtually unnoticeable.

 

Q: Tell us a little more about yourself.

I live in Knoxville, Tennessee, where I have just retired from my position as professor, resident costume designer and head of the MFA design program after 44 years at the University of Tennessee. Having left my first teaching job midway through a two year contract at the University of Colorado (a beautiful place but a terrible job), I decided that I had to stick out at least two years at the University of Tennessee or I might get a reputation for being flighty. That ship sailed.

Part of my job at the University of Tennessee was developing enlightening travel programs for the M.F.A. students. I arranged opportunities for master classes and cultural immersion in England, Wales, Germany, Bulgaria, The Czech Republic, Mexico, India, Thailand and Cambodia. Through this I developed a delight in travel and I continue to pursue travel on my own and with friends.

 

Featured (from left to right): Costume rendering for George and costume rendering for Lennie by Marianne Custer.

 

Performances of Of Mice and Men run October 17 – November 4 at the Historic Dock Street Theatre. To purchase tickets online, click here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q) You are no stranger to the Dock Street Theatre stage. What are a few of your favorite past roles that you’ve performed with Charleston Stage?

I’ve been working with Charleston Stage for 7 seasons now, my first being in 2011 as a Resident Actor. Some of my favorite past roles have been Princeton/Rod in the 2012 production of Avenue Q, Franz in The Producers, Eddie in Shear Madness, and Scuttle in The Little Mermaid.

 

Q) What is your role in Mamma Mia and what do you like most about your character?

I play the role of Bill Austin, one of Sophie’s “Maybe Dads.” I like to describe him as the “fun dad” – he’s a writer, an adventurer, and isn’t afraid of have a good time!

 

 

Q) What drew you to performing in Mamma Mia?

To be honest, I was never in to the original ABBA music. But 10 years ago I was on tour with a theatre group and we happened in to Las Vegas for a few days. I pulled $20 out of my bank account and told myself that was all I was able to gamble. I ended up winning $100 and decided to buy a second row seat to the production of Mamma Mia playing there. It was an absolute blast! All I remember was having a great time and enjoying every moment. So when the opportunity arose to be in the show here at Charleston Stage, I didn’t even think twice.

 

Q) What are you most excited about that audiences will experience with Charleston Stage’s production of Mamma Mia?

The band is absolutely STELLAR! Sam Henderson, our Resident Music Director and Director of Music Education, has put together an amazing group. From the Overture to the Exit Music, I’m completely enthralled with every sound that comes from the pit.

 

 

Q) Share a little bit about yourself.

My husband Ryan (playing Harry Bright) and I live in West Ashley with our amazing family of three cats – Hermes, Apollo, and Gypsy. I’ve been a theatre teacher for the Charleston County School District for the past 5 years, and just started this year at Cario Middle School.

 

Q) What’s up next for you? Will you be performing in another role with Charleston Stage or outside of the company?

Later this season I’ll be playing Cogsworth in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and I’ll also be appearing in Vanity Fair at the Woolfe Street Playhouse this winter.

 

Final Performance is tonight (Sept. 23) at 7:30pm at the Historic Dock Street Theatre. Ticket sales available in person at the Box Office.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q: Where did you grow up? Were there any activities you did as a child that led to your passion for the arts?

I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. As a kid, I would play Barbies with my sisters, and I would do their hair, make up their “houses,” and give each of the dolls a background story…and then I would quit. I found that setting up the story was far more interesting than living in the story itself. I drew pictures a lot as a child, wrote a play, and designed the scenery on sheets in my grandparents’ backyard, etc. When I got to high school, I participated in activities like Odyssey of the Mind – again, designing scenery and costumes for our performance/problem solving session. I also got into theatre in my sophomore year, where I helped with set construction. In fact, until I took a Set Design class in college, I thought that the set designer was just the high school art teacher – not an actual profession where people paid you money to draw pictures!

 

 

Q: Where did you receive training? How did this prepare you for your work in the theatre world?

A tiny liberal arts school in Ohio named Ashland University, where I received my B.A. My M.F.A. was earned at Kent State University, also in Ohio. I have also worked under and with amazing designers, prop artisans, and scenic artists at some pretty incredible theatres. These people believed in and invested in me, and I try to pass that on to younger artists and designers where I can. For what it’s worth, I still feel as if I am in training. There is always more to learn and ways to grow, and every person I work with helps me develop as an artist and a human just a little bit more. I am grateful for everything I have been taught in school, on the job, and in life.

 

 

Q: What other companies have you most recently designed for?

It’s been a busy spring and summer! I opened Eclipsed at Southern Repertory Theatre in NOLA and The Revisionist at Stages Repertory Theatre in Houston in April. This summer brought Hello, Dolly! starring Dee Hoty and Mamma Mia! at Lyric Theatre in Oklahoma City in July, as well as a remount of an earlier set design of Iolanthe at Ohio Light Opera.

 

Q: Please discuss your process as the Set Designer for Mamma Mia!

Actually, this is second of three productions of Mamma Mia! for me this summer/fall but before this, I hadn’t even seen it! It’s a pretty popular show this season. There has to be enough room for some excellent dancing, so putting a lot of architecture in the way of movement was not going to work. That being said, it was important to the whole team to make sure the beauty of the architecture and landscape of Greece was present in the design. The question was how many elements did we need to accomplish this feat? What was going to evoke enough of a sense of a vacation destination that was also separate and distinct from the beauty of the Charleston beaches and vacation spots? Over the course of working on the production, I have fallen deeply in love with the music of the show (as has much of the world), so the design was also about finding moments to incorporate some disco elements into the mix, as an homage to an ABBA concert. (They’re currently making another album, and I couldn’t be more excited!)

 

 

Q: What are you most excited about that audiences will experience with your designs for Mamma Mia?

I think, if our plans work, the scenery, costumes, and lighting (along with the music, of course) will coalesce to allow the audience to dance in their seats and just ENJOY themselves. I secretly hope everyone sings along, too…mostly so that I am not the only one doing so!

 

Q: Tell us a little more about yourself.

I reside in Fayetteville, AR, with my husband and almost 3 year old son. I am currently working on shows at Lyric Theatre again, as well as TheatreSquared in Fayetteville, AR; Casa Mañana in Ft. Worth, TX, Children’s Musical Theater of San Jose, CA; and Orlando Repertory Theatre in Florida – with more to be added soon! I have a couple of small murals in the works as well. I try to fit those in as I have time, along with freelance scenic art. My work may be viewed at
www.kvpowersdesign.com.

 

 

Performances continue running Sept. 20 – 23 at the Historic Dock Street Theatre. Purchase tickets today by clicking here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q) You are no stranger to the Dock Street Theatre stage. What are a few of your favorite past roles that you’ve performed with Charleston Stage?

I was worried when Marybeth and Julian asked me to do this show that I WOULD be seen as a stranger! Because of “life” I realized last year, when I came back to return to perform at the 40^th Anniversary Gala, that my last show I did with Charleston Stage was The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. That was such an amazing experience playing Vice Principal Panch. Prior to that, I had not been on stage with Charleston Stage since before my med school days, as a Resident Actor. In those years I was lucky enough to play Sancho in Man of La Mancha and Marley in A Christmas Carol, among other roles. But Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls will always be my favorite. That was my first show at the Dock Street and is still one of my favorite musicals of all time.

 

Q) What is your role in Mamma Mia and what do you like most about your character?

I play Sam Carmichael in Mamma Mia. I LOVE playing Sam. In a sea of big characters, big outfits, and BIGGER music, Sam is a real human being who has been through something very difficult we all can relate to (divorce) and who is making that one last leap at his dreams. You know, so often characters like Sam, in musicals and plays, are young dreamers who are fighting for their dreams. Sam is different. He is taking that chance later in life, and I think that is a message that resonates with a lot of people. That it is never to late to live “happily ever after”.

 

 

Q) What drew you to performing in Mamma Mia?

Since I went to medical school I have been doing the majority of my performing at Theater 99 doing shows there with my ensemble. We do mostly comedy improv, but there are shows that I do there that are also very deep and can be emotional, like Moral Fixation a 2 person improvised one act play that I have been doing for 14 years with Greg Tavares. But those shows have always been high quality with low production. We do the show month after month with just two chairs on the stage. When I performed at the gala last year, and got up on the Dock Street Stage again, it felt like it was time to come back to a “big production”…you know, partly to be a part of the spectacle again…and a little part of me to see if I still “had it”.

 

Q) What are you most excited about that audiences will experience with Charleston Stage’s production of Mamma Mia?

I think that the audience will get everything that they expect with this show. The ensemble is amazing. We have Broadway quality singers in the cast and excellent dancers. The sets are amazing, the crew (though many are under 16) are super professional and tight with their transitions. The lighting, sound, and orchestra are all as good as anything you will find in the Southeast. The music is fun and timeless and there are tons of laughs. What I think audiences will be surprised at is how relatable and real the central stories are. Sure, there is the Shakespearean Comedy of Errors component of fatherhood that the plot is built around, but the real story is about what it means to be a family, and what it means to be in love.

 

 

Q) Share a little bit about yourself.

A native South Carolinian, I have lived in Charleston since 2000 after finishing Wofford College. After my Resident Actor year at Charleston Stage, I went back to medical school at MUSC where I specialized in Psychiatry and then did a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. I currently am a Professor of Psychiatry at MUSC and run the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry training program and develop the Psychiatry curriculum for all of the medical students in the College of Medicine. After living in the old St. Jasper apartments during my acting residency, my then fiancée (now wife) Amy and I swore that we would never move off of the downtown peninsula (I think knowing that if we left we wouldn’t come back). So, for the last 18 years, we have slowly increased our living space downtown and now we have a nice little home for our family (Son Charlie (12) and daughter Grace (8)) in Radcliffeborough.

 

Q) What’s up next for you?

Starting back in October I will be back at Theatre 99 performing in my monthly shows Moral Fixation, Doppelganger, and Not Your Momma and Daddy. I will also probably do a few weekend shows with The Have Nots, as is my normal schedule. I hope to be back on the Dock Street Stage sooner rather than later, and you never know where (or when) I may show up again!

 

Performances continue running Sept. 19 – 23 at the Historic Dock Street Theatre. Purchase online today by clicking here.