Parade
Middleton Players Theatre
Middleton-Cross Plains Area Performing Arts Center 2100 Bristol St., Middleton, Wisconsin 53562
In 1913, Leo Frank, a Brooklyn-raised Jew living in Georgia, is put on trial for the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan, a worker in his pencil factory. Already guilty in the court of public opinion, his fate is further sealed by a sensationalist publisher and a janitor’s false testimony. Frank’s only defenders are a governor with a conscience and, eventually, his assimilated Southern wife, who finds the strength to become his greatest champion. A lesser-known musical, it had a very short run on Broadway — only 84 performances. But it still took home two Tonys and six Drama Desk Awards, perhaps because of the music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown (The Last Five Years, The Bridges of Madison County) and the book by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Alfred Uhry (Driving Miss Daisy, The Last Night of Ballyhoo). The Middleton Players Theatre production boasts husband and wife performers Trevor and Mari Bass as Leo and Lucille Frank. Mary Phagan is played by Mona Iskandar.
press release: This September, Middleton Players Theatre will present Jason Robert Brown’s Parade, for three performances only, September 13-15 at the Middleton Performing Arts Center, 2100 Bristol St.
April 26, 1913, in Marietta, Georgia. Red Oak trees are abundant. While the town celebrates its confederate history via a town parade, the body of 13-year-old Mary Phagan is discovered in the basement of the National Pencil Company. This is the setting of Jason Robert Brown’s haunting telling of the horrific true events surrounding Leo Frank. Frank, a Jewish man who feels out of place in the south and who is the director of the National Pencil Company at the time of Phagan’s death, was one of several men suspected of committing the atrocity. What follows is a town thrown into turmoil, angst, and suspicion that is elevated by antisemitism and racism—biases of the era that are disturbingly prevalent even in today’s social climate. As if the haunting music and unapologetic narrative of Frank’s trial were not enough to move audiences, Parade takes a discerning look at the corruptive power of political ambition, and the ease with which coercion can lead to devastating results.
Evidence now strongly suggests that Frank was wrongly convicted, but nonetheless the townspeople’s fear and aggression escalated to the most tragic of outcomes. To appropriately convey the gravitas of the subject matter requires an A-team cast, something that Middleton Players is quite pleased to announce we have achieved. Trevor Bass returns to the stage as Leo Frank, the nervous fish-out-of-water who is the accused in the Phagan trial. Mari Bass will portray Lucille Frank, Leo’s loyal and silently strong wife. Shawn Holmes will play Jim Conley, the star witness for the prosecution. Mona Iskandar will play Mary Phagan, the innocent victim of the violent crime that shook the entire town. Flynn Marcus will play Frankie Epps, Mary’s young and exuberant friend. Newcomer Matt Ragalie will play the sleazy reporter Britt Craig. Thomas J. Kasdorf and Ashton Siewert will co-direct, and Kasdorf will lead the 20 piece orchestra. Additional staff includes Sharon White as costume designer; Matthew Albrecht as lighting designer; and Alyssa Krantz as scenic designer and stage manager.
Parade will be presented at the Middleton Performing Arts Center at 2100 Bristol St., Middleton. Performance dates and times are September 13, 14, and 15 at 7:30PM. Reserved tickets are $30/adults, $25/seniors and $20/students and can be purchased online at middletonplayers.com or at the door 60 minutes before each performance. For best seating online ticket purchases are strongly recommended.
Middleton Players Theatre was founded in 1990 and has produced over 40 shows in its 30-year history. Mainstage shows are produced at the acclaimed Middleton Performing Arts Center, while other smaller concerts and cabarets have been performed around the greater Madison area.