Brown County Playhouse Productions

~by Evan Markley

The Brown County Playhouse has been captivating audiences since 1949. With its intimate 425 seat house, the Playhouse has been offering a variety of acts including plays, musicals, movies, concerts, comedy shows, live streams, and radio shows.

With the return of live shows post COVID, the Playhouse is producing its largest play since being independently owned and operated by Brown County Playhouse Management, Inc: A Christmas Carol. Originally written by Charles Dickens in 1843, A Christmas Carol tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge as he seeks redemption after being visited by three ghosts that show him the faults in his selfish, callous demeanor.

A Christmas Carol is playing for three weekends (eight shows) December 2-4, 9-11, 16-17 (Sunday matinees).

While this may be a well-known story, lead director Dania Leova Hunter has put a fresh take on the classic tale. After a few years with the Playhouse, Dania has now transitioned from actor to director. She is also the Playhouse’s lighting designer. The script for A Christmas Carol was written by Dania as well. Her vison for the show is to keep the dialogue, costumes, and score accurate to period. The play will hit all the familiar beats, but the underlying messages highlight the journey of the human soul.

Dania graduated from Northwestern State University in Louisiana with a degree in performance and directing. She moved here searching for an opportunity to work in community theater. After landing some roles in Playhouse radio shows and working as the lighting designer, Dania is stepping up to the director’s chair.

A Christmas Carol rehearsal.

Dania Leova Hunter. courtesy photo

The Playhouse is also putting on its first musical in 10 years: Godspell. It was first scheduled for November 2022 but has since been postponed to sometime in 2023. Originally composed in 1971 by three-time Grammy award winner, Stephen Schwartz, Godspell tells the story of Jesus Christ’s life based upon the Gospel of Mathew. A troupe of friends sing songs and act out the stories as they travel through the inner city.

In 1973, Godspell became a hit movie and songs like “Day by Day” and “Save the People” became popular. The costumes of this musical mimic those in the movie. The cast has had the opportunity to design their own costumes resembling hippie, inner-city urchins with bright colors and creative patterns.

Director John Elmore explains that Godspell is sort of a combination of the musical, Hair and the rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar. He has directed Godspell in the past.

John graduated from Indiana University with a degree in directing and is now an adjunct teacher there. He has more than 29 years of experience directing commercials, music videos, films, TV shows, and theatrical productions. John is also a member of the Directors Guild of America. After retiring in 2019, John moved back to Brown County and has been directing shows at the Playhouse for two years. He is co-directing A Christmas Carol with Dania as well.

What makes these shows so special are the cast and crew. They have been actively practicing since August. A Christmas Carol has a massive cast of 18 with ages ranging from around 10 to those in their 70’s. Godspell currently has a cast of 10 people that are learning 18 songs to entertain the audience. Ages range from 23 to 68 years old. Both casts are entirely local. They have become a close-knit family after months of practice. You may recognize a few performers as several have been in multiple Brown County Playhouse productions.

While each show has religious themes, you do not need to be of any specific faith to enjoy the stories of the good in humanity and the challenge of the human experience.

Stay tuned for updates on Godspell’s release in 2023. You can buy tickets for A Christmas Carol now at <browncountyplayhouse.org>.