7 Stages Archives - 7 Stages Theatre

7 Stages to produce Teo Castellanos play F.PUNK JUNKIES

Devi Wells — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 18:29:42 +0000

ATLANTA – From September 4-14, 2025 at 7 Stages, the play F.PUNK JUNKIES will be performed on 7 Stages’ Mainstage in an exciting and unconventional theatre-in-the-round format.

F.PUNK JUNKIES is a Woman-centered, Black and Brown Ensemble-driven dance theatre piece written and directed by Teo Castellanos, a multidisciplinary artist from Miami. This work brings the company’s “AfroRican Punk” aesthetic to their storytelling, and digs deeply into our collective ancestral roots.

Synopsis: Six deities gather to share tales woven with energetic punk music and expressive movement: Stories of a guitar player at a crossroad, a greedy deceiver, a theatrical baseball ritual, a secret society of beautiful femmes, an encounter on a plastic beach, a prison break, and reunification in the mosh pit. They are adapted from Orisha Mythology and Caribbean folktales with modern flair.

Originally co-produced by Miami Light Projects in 2022, this new production will feature artists from Atlanta and Miami – Alisha Simmons, Elaina Walton, Naïma Fowler, Inez Barlatier, Dr. Yvonne Miranda Singh and Teo Castellanos.

Tickets to F.PUNK JUNKIES are available at 7Stages.org and follow an accessible tiered pricing model.

Teo Castellanos is an acclaimed independent actor, writer, and director with over 30 years of experience in devised theater, film, and television. He is a Doris Duke Artist (2021), a United States Artist Fellow (2019), and a Sundance Institute Screenwriters Intensive Fellow (2015). Teo’s award-winning solo performance NE 2nd Avenue, commissioned by Miami Light Project, toured extensively for a decade and earned the Fringe First Award at the 2003 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.

About 7 Stages:

7 Stages brings local, national, and international emerging artwork of social, political, and spiritual importance to Atlanta audiences. Since 1979, artists of all kinds have found 7 Stages to be a haven for the development of new work.

7 Stages has resided on the ancestral and unceded lands of the Muscogee (Creek) people for over 43 years. While we produce content that spans nationally and internationally, it is essential for us to keep such inequities at the forefront of all that we do. We aim to honor these communities past, present and future through conversations, practices and programming that imagines and initiates what reparations look like for all. For every ticket sold, we include an Indigenous land use fee. The proceeds are donated to our Indigenous partners annually.

Our Mission: 7 Stages is a professional, non-profit theatre company devoted to engaging artists and audiences by focusing on the social, political, and spiritual values of contemporary culture. 7 Stages gives primary emphasis to international work and the support and development of new plays, new playwrights, and new methods of collaboration

Our Vision: Our theatre will be a global center for the creation of vital conversations through collaborative performance.

Vitals:

F.PUNK JUNKIES

A Woman-centered, Black and Brown Ensemble-driven dance theatre piece .

September 4-14, 2025 at 7 Stages.

Written and Directed by Teo Castellanos.

Ensemble: Alisha Simmons, Elaina Walton, Naima Fowler, Inez Barlatier, Yvonne Singh and Teo Castellanos.

Tickets at 7Stages.org/tickets

Learn more at 7stages.org/shows/f-punk-junkies/

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Renovations at 7 Stages improve audience comfort and accessibility

Devi Wells — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 19:30:45 +0000

In Fall of 2022, 7 Stages received funding from Fox Theatre Institute’s Preservation Grant and Georgia Council for the Arts’ Cultural Facilities Grant, as well as many individual donors. In addition, local hero Christopher Escobar donated gently used seats from a recent renovation at The Plaza Theatre. Renovations are underway in May and June of 2023, and will result in improved audience experience and accessibility for both performance spaces in our historic facility.

Mainstage work includes new seating, new carpet, and wider stairs with handrails greatly improving audience comfort and allowing more autonomy for patrons. The BackStage Theatre space received new seating risers that are more stable, have wider stairs, and include structural handrails. These improvements will not only make it safer for patrons, while improving access and comfort, but will also significantly reduce costs and increase artistic flexibility, making our BackStage Theatre a true black box.

In 1979, 7 Stages began producing in a small storefront around the corner from our current home. In the early 1980s, 7 Stages expanded significantly, taking over the pool hall next door and nearly doubling the interior space. Shortly thereafter, additional space was needed, and our current home became available. Local legends Don Bender and Kelly Jordan leased the current facility to founders Del Hamilton and Faye Allen. In 1996, a $1.4 Million capital campaign allowed 7 Stages to purchase the facility, build the permanent Mainstage seating, connect the BackStage space to the central interior via a new hallway, and add offices among other improvements that gave the building its current layout.

The facility was originally built in the 1940s as a movie theater, one of several Storey Theatres, and has gone through myriad improvements before and after the purchase in 1996. Improvements throughout the 2000’s included replacing the roof while adding much needed insulation increasing the R Value significantly; restoring the Marquee and changing the the power hungry 10’ long fluorescent tubes out for energy efficient LED; changing most facility lighting over to LED throughout the building; adding equipment and infrastructure to change the majority of stage lighting in the Mainstage over to LED; replacing all 4 HVAC systems to more efficient units while automating controls for further cost and energy savings; renovating public restrooms and creating non-binary gender options, plus upgrading to more energy-efficient appliances.

7 Stages intended to embark on a typical Capital Campaign to raise all the funding and undergo a great deal of the renovations all at once during an extended closure. The 2008 recession required a new plan, and the Asset Restoration Campaign was born. A constantly evolving facility needs list was created, prioritized, and grouped into sensible buckets. A phase was selected, funds were raised, and projects completed. Meanwhile the list was constantly updated, prioritized, grouped together, and funded. In this way, we are able to manage the facility, ensuring it remains a vital arts center for our community.

Many of these renovations were made possible by The Community Foundation’s Grants to Green initiative and previous contributions from The Fox Theatre Institute, The Woodruff Foundation Lettie Pate Evans, The Tull Foundation, AEC Trust, Woodward Fund, Cousins Foundation, Livingston Foundation, and many individual donors. Over $1,000,000 has been invested in the Asset Restoration Campaign resulting in more than $10,000 of annual savings in energy and water. Another phase of LED upgrades and additional building envelope work are the next major projects.

Now, thanks to the Fox Theater Institute Preservation Grant, Georgia Council for the Arts Cultural Facilities Grant, Plaza Theatre and Christopher Escobar, 7 Stages is afforded the opportunity to create a significantly more accessible and safer theatre experience for patrons and producers.

Fox Theater Institute Preservation Grant awarded 7 Stages $25,000 for 2023 renovations. The Fox Theatre Institute (FTI) is a dynamic outreach program offering historic preservation expertise, consultation, and education to performing arts venues in Georgia and the region. Created by Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, an iconic attraction widely applauded for being a catalyst for positive change in the community, FTI pays it forward, helping other cultural institutions renew, reinvigorate, and restore artistic vitality in their backyards and beyond. Keeping environmental and economic impact top of mind, FTI offers the financial assistance, restoration support and operations mentoring needed to leverage scarce resources and stimulate local economies. Not only that, but it keeps the artistic pulse of beloved communities beating for decades to come.

Georgia Council for the Arts Cultural Facilities Grant awarded 7 Stages $36,000 for 2022-2023 improvements. Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) is a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development whose mission is to cultivate the growth of vibrant, thriving Georgia communities through the arts. GCA provides grant funding, programs, and services statewide that support the vital arts industry, preserve the state’s cultural heritage, increase tourism, and nurture strong communities. Funding for Georgia Council for the Arts is provided by appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Plaza Theatre donated over 170 seats to 7 Stages thanks to Christopher Escobar, the owner of the Plaza, who recently purchased the Tara Theatre and saved it from destruction. Opened in 1939, the Plaza Theatre is Atlanta’s oldest operating cinema, its only independent cinema, and now Atlanta’s only minority-owned cinema!

7 Stages is a professional, non-profit theatre company devoted to engaging artists and audiences by focusing on the social, political, and spiritual values of contemporary culture. 7 Stages gives primary emphasis to international work and the support and development of new plays, new playwrights, and new methods of collaboration.

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YC Stories

Devi Wells — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 20:39:00 +0000

Youth Creates is 7 Stages’ training program providing experiential learning and performance opportunities for teenagers. Through playwriting, design, and performance, students collaborate to create an original production.

To celebrate 20 years of the program, we started collecting stories from the alumni who made Youth Creates what it is today!

I was initially a dancer with Moving in the Spirit and learned about Youth Creates through their partnership during the summers. During my time with YC I was able to intern during the year, be a part of the first group of students to participate in Bootcamp in the Netherlands and was blessed enough to go back again. My experience in the program reiterated to me what my passions were, while allowing me the access to conceptualize what it takes to produce a full theatre production.

Since graduating from the program I’ve moved to Chicago and graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a BA in Music/Vocal Performance. Over the past year I’ve acted in a short film which has been featured in three film festivals thus far, performed with Moving in the Spirit for their upcoming work in progress, and will be on tour this summer with Maverick City Music as an official member of their choir on the “Kingdom Tour.”

Hey there, I’m Geoffrey! Since moving on from YC in 2014, I went to Emory University, where I got a degree in Theater Studies and Painting.

I’m now a painter, tattoo artist, and performer. I’ve got murals up in Decatur, Little 5, Cabbage Town and Bankhead. I’m traveling all over to tattoo. I’m also playing guitar in the local music scene, and am working on my first album.

YC was an incredible time for me to work deeply with other creatives. That time helped me further my own style, but most importantly introduced me to a community of artists I’m still very much a part of. Those years in YC taught me practical skills, provided fresh opportunities, and let me work with some truly delightful humans. I wish you well on your journey.

The time I spent with the Youth Creates program has definitely shaped the adult artist that I’ve become. Spending time overseas in the Netherlands definitely opened my eyes to the world around me. It helped me grow up and appreciate different cultures. My eight or so years in the program were artistically fulfilling. They informed my artistic voice and taught me compassion and compromise with love.

Since graduating the program I have starred in many short films and even a couple features. I started my own film company Trash Mouth Productions in late 2021. I am also a Local IATSE 479 film union member. I wouldn’t be happy doing anything else besides art.

http://www.editingle.com/

IG @trashmouthproductions

My time at YC can only be described as revolutionary. From my start at 7 Stages with sitting on the couch after school in the office to the one and only Heidi Howard forcing me to the stage, YC has shaped every fiber of my being and has constructed a future in theatre that would not have been possible without it. Thank you for my start in theatre with self-expression leading the way, my cultural expansion through creating in the Netherlands, and the lifelong friends I have gained along the way.

Since leaving YC I have graduated from Dekalb School of the Arts (2017) as an acting major, North Carolina A&T (2021) with a professional theatre with a concentration in Acting degree and am currently completing my master’s in arts management degree at Carnegie Mellon University (2023). I have had the opportunity to teach children acting, work administratively in the theatre, and have continued to act onstage with my most recent accomplishment being Joanne in Rent.

I’m Juno and I did YC 2015 through 2018! I am a senior at UGA double majoring in film and sociology.

My YC experience is a significant part of who I am. Through YC and boot camp I learned not only to collaborate but to take up space without being embarrassed. I’m still exploring career possibilities but YC only helped to solidify my dream to live and work where art and human relationships meet!

Hey Devi! My name is Tia! A YC memory from 2015: Looking up at the stars, we all brought out our instruments and sang what we felt. We made songs from random prompts (like spider monkey? 🤷🏽‍♀️😂) and made interpretive dances. It was truly a creative space. No expectations, just art.

That moment taught me the importance of presence. I still use that today; if I feel uninspired, I take a break from technology and just enjoy the space around me. What have you learned from YC that still inspires you today?

The days spent training under such powerful artists in such a rare and safe place in this world gave me space to grow. YC consciously shaped and guided my being long after my attendance as a young artist and intern.

Now I strive to add to such a community by establishing my own organization – built around a youth program heavily inspired by YC.

In my travels, networking and growing, I’ve utilized many of the skills developed in YC as A Bug Bounty Hunter, An MC, A Musician, A Choreographer, A Tech, A Defender, A Translator, A Teacher, As the “Solar-Powered Bard” that I strive to be, YC & the Queens & Kings that decided to share in knowledge with me will forever push me forward. Thank you YC for saving me.

Youth Creates has definitely been a life changing experience for me. Summer of 2014 was when I initially joined YC as a foreign exchange student from Israel. I loved the program so much that I came back the following summer. I can honestly say that YC felt like a “butterfly effect” for me by how randomly the bridge of events occurred to bring me here all the way from Israel which completely changed the path I decided to take in my life after that. I met so many incredible people that I am grateful to still be friends with to this day. YC also gave me the courage and will to move to Atlanta in 2018 despite fear and doubt of the unknown.

I am currently a senior at SCAD with an illustration major and acting minor. about to graduate. I am also tattooing, illustrating and doing freelance graphic design at the moment.

https://www.aplaceineden.com/

IG: @a_place_in_eden

YC helped me to gain confidence as an artist and taught me the importance of working with others. Each person’s experience in this world is so different and helps to inform our art. The art we create in collaboration with those around us has the power to change the world.

Since participating in Youth Creates, I graduated from Guilford College in 2019 with a degree in Technical Theater, focused in Lighting Design and Stage Management, and now work in theater.

Hello everyone! I am currently a Senior majoring in Film & Media, graduating early from Georgia State whoop whoop! The first glimpse I got of Youth Creates was the 2016 show “Dig” and at that moment I knew I wanted to join. Best decision I’ve ever made. I was quiet and very reserved at first, but YC taught me how to use my voice and to OWN it lol. It really is a safe space for your creativity without judgment.

Now I’m speaking up and exploring the art side of me as a young adult. There was also the opportunity to meet and create with people my age internationally! What an experience! but yes the friends, smiles and memories I have from YC and Bootcamp will always have a place in my heart.

I realize now that Youth Creates has shaped me in more ways than one. Initially, performing and sharing my experience gave me butterflies, and I wanted to learn to control that. I know now that everyone all over the world gets butterflies. Youth Creates teaches you to mold those butterflies into something to tell the world. Most of all, Youth Creates is here to remind you that the world embraces you for you. So let it shine!

I’ll never forget Parker Ciliax teaching me a portion of “Venetian Boat Song” while on a rehearsal break. It is one of my favorite classical pieces to this day, and a testament to the creative energy that was constantly buzzing around us. As I pursue my endeavors, artistic or otherwise, I search for that warmth and encouragement in a group or community. Youth Creates taught me to find ‘Magic Moments’ in everything I do and to fight for what I care about.

Hi! My name is Larissa, I am from Amsterdam in The Netherlands, and I have been part of Youth Creates as a student in 2016 and as an intern in 2018 and 2019.

Youth Creates has been one of the most incredible and life-changing experiences of my life, teaching me not only about the beautiful arts and inspiring me to pursue music, but also about myself, inspiring me to use my voice and to grow as a person to become who I am today.

I am a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and aspiring music producer. In 2020, I co-founded a creative youth platform called ‘THE PACK’ at International Theater Amsterdam. I also organize local music events and work as a freelance producer for television, film, and theater.

Youth Creates, together with the incredible people I’ve met and the friends I’ve made, have a special place in my heart, and I am forever grateful to be part of the 7Stages Family.

There are so many beautiful things that I could say about my time with Youth Creates, and all of them would be true. I saw my first show at the age of 6 (Freddie Hendricks & Youth Ensemble of Atlanta’s “School House Rocks”) at 7 Stages and knew that I was destined to be on one of their stages. I didn’t know that I had manifested exactly that. Many years later my mom heard about Youth Creates from my cousin who starred in the YEA show. From the Age of 12 to now, YC has impacted my life in so many ways. I moved into TV & Film production with the skills that Heidi, Mack, Del & the rest of the gang taught. I met so many incredible talents along the way as well.

I will forever brag about my time with YC & the fact that It gave myself and many other creative children the outlet to just BE. Now I’m 34 and a parent to a 6yr old with an imagination and a passion for creating just as I had; and I know that YC will be a part of her life when the time presents itself as well. That’s just how the 7 Stages family works. Thank you Youth Creates & 7 Stages for giving a kid like me a chance.

xoxo, Britany L. White (YC, 2003-beyond)

Do YOU have a YC story to share? Contact Devi with your story and a recent photo of yourself!

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Ed. Director Destiny Renee on An American Sunrise and Human Sunrise Festival

Devi Wells — Tue, 17 May 2022 00:44:07 +0000

In anticipation of upcoming Human Sunrise Festival, we talked with our dear friend, collaborator, and 7 Stages Education Director Destiny Renee about the festival and what led up to this multifaceted event.

Destiny has spent the last year helping students across Atlanta craft artistic responses to An American Sunrise by U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo. This book of poetry speaks to the experiences of Muscogee (Creek) people, whose land we now call Atlanta. Destiny chose to explore An American Sunrise for its universal themes of grief, hope, displacement, loss, ancestry, nature, and to learn about Muscogee people while honoring their lives and work.

Q&A

Your background in performance, art, and education led you to a very unique position with 7 Stages. What drives you to do this work with our community? Is there one overarching goal or dream that keeps you going?

DR – 7 Stages has truly drawn me in because of the important work that they do within the community; everyone is important and their stories matter. They have nurtured me as an artist during a time when I didn’t know I needed that space to grow and strengthen my creative voice. There’s always an overarching goal! To uplift everyone, especially the youth and give them a platform to be heard and create from the heart.

How did An American Sunrise inspire you to bring all of these people together under one roof?

DR – Well honestly after reading like the first 10 poems within An American Sunrise I was already crying and texting our Artistic Director, Heidi Howard, telling her that it was a MUST. The themes within the book were universal: Grief, hope, displacement, loss, honoring ancestry and nature. There’s also a historical aspect which fit really well within our education program. I knew that all communities would benefit from taking a deeper look into the stories of Native & Indigenous people, the first voices. We could all learn a lot from them, especially when it comes to caring for our beloved planet Earth.

What can we expect to do and feel at this event, and what do you think we’ll take away from it?

DR – We can expect to have fun! There will be a variety of artistic responses to Joy Harjo’s beautiful poetry. With text so rich like An American Sunrise, all of our students and Artistic Associates really dug deep to create from a vulnerable space. There will be music, art, dance, short plays, aerial performances, spoken word and so much more. This event will also leave room for community members to tell their own stories inspired by the themes within the book on an open mic as well as different interactive experiences within our lobby. It is my hope that everyone will leave feeling more open to express their truth freely, acknowledge their history and find ways to make a brighter tomorrow.

Human Sunrise Festival

We invite you to our Human Sunrise Festival on May 28th, from 3 – 7 PM in our lobby and outdoors. An eclectic range of artistic responses to Harjo’s journey encourages audiences and L5P visitors to honor the Muscogee and Creek people and their land. As we shed light on colonialism and complacency, we celebrate all of our ancestors and commit to future generations through art making and story sharing.

An immersive installation explores the four classical elements and our stories’ relationships to them. Visual art created by our students, teaching artists, community members, as well as local, national and international artistic associates decorates our gallery. Spoken word poetry, music, dance, aerial performances, and a screening of selected films create a flurry of activity, engagement and connection throughout the event.

Join us for an artburst of sunrise and possibility! CLICK TO LEARN MORE & RSVP.

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You’re Not Dumb! 7 Stages Explains It All! Episode One

Caroline Baxter — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 15:38:14 +0000

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An interview with the creators of COWBOY

Caroline Baxter — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 20:40:52 +0000

Our summer marketing interns, Sarah Summerbell and Ryan Williams, had the opportunity to interview the creators of Cowboy, Niv Sheinfeld and Oren Laor. Below, they talk about the story behind the western theme, abstract versus concrete story lines, and bringing the production to America:

Q. The word “cowboy” invokes a stereotypical American image of masculinity. How does your show comment on or play with American themes?

A. Cowboy is not only an American icon – when we were growing up (late 70s and early 80s), most Israeli boys choose to wear a cowboy costume in Purim (A Jewish holiday in which kids put on costumes, like Halloween). So it is very much part of our childhood as well, we were also dressed up in cowboy costume back then, and more than once. As we grew up, the image of the cowboy became more complex and came to stand for not only masculinity, but also for the romantic notion of living alone and of being an outsider. In the show we play with all kinds of masculine and feminine images. In the vogue scene they call it Gender Fuck. We play with what we are expected to be, and with what we are expected not to be, we play with the questions of how we men ask for closeness and touch, how we communicate and how we eliminate communication when we need to be alone. We play with the contrasting fragments of our identity as men and as gay men (or are they really contrasting…).
Q. This is your first time performing Cowboy in America. How do you expect American audiences to react?

A. We think that the show carries universal themes, and yet some of its content is directly connected to American culture. There’s a lot in common between American and Israeli cultures, so we hope the public will feel at home right from the start.
Q. How did you come up with this piece? What were your influences?

A. The romantic image of the cowboy (lone ranger, isolated in the mountains for long periods), the movie Brokeback Mountain, the American vogue scene, the movie Paris is Burning.
Q. Could you categorize this piece into a theatrical style. If so, what would that be?

A. It’s very limiting to try and categorize the work into a theatrical style. It is a mix of dance, theater, performance. We like to call it “stage event”.
Q. How do you experiment with abstraction vs. concrete storytelling? How much is abstract? How much is concrete?

A. It’s concrete enough to have the public understand what is happening, however it is still abstract in a way because there’s no narrative to follow or dramatic story telling.

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The Threepenny Opera cast spotlight!

Caroline Baxter — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 05:00:58 +0000

Jessica De Maria as Lucy

Q. What song from the production gets stuck in your head for days?

A. Selfish, but definitely THE BARBARA SONG. Yes, it’s the one I learned first…but mostly because I find myself quoting it pretty regularly. Oops. Men amiright?

Q. What is your favorite line from the production?

A. I have several marked in my script…from the profound to the hilarious. But I think my favorite has to be:

“WHAT KEEPS A MAN ALIVE? HE LIVES ON OTHERS.

HE LIKES TO TASTE THEM FIRST, THEN EAT THEM WHOLE, IF HE CAN.”

Q. Threepenny has been around for MANY years, what makes this production timeless in your opinion and what do you hope audiences will walk away feeling?

A. Threepenny is timeless because the state of these characters is timeless. The situations they find themselves in, that created them still exist. We just are able to hide them in an easier way. We put a nice pretty, clean duvet cover on it. I want the audience to have their eyes opened, I want them to find themselves in the show and I want them to feel empathy where they didn’t think they could or would.

Shannon Murphy as Dotty

Q. What song from the production gets stuck in your head for days?

A. Instead Of Song

Q. What is your favorite line from the production?

A. “You who dote on our despair and your desire, may learn the simple truth from this our song. Whatever you may do, wherever you aspire. First feed the face, and then talk right and wrong.”

Q. Threepenny has been around for MANY years, what makes this production timeless in your opinion and what do you hope audiences will walk away feeling?

A. Threepenny is timeless because the Brecht wrote it inclusively. He calls upon everyone from the poorest of the poor to the richest of the rich to reflect upon their relationship with morality. I want the audience to laugh and gasp and feel uncomfortable and ask the beggar in all of us how filling morality actually is.

Jed Drummond as Readymoney Matt/Band

Q. What song from the production gets stuck in your head for days?

A. As the pianist for this production, all of the songs are zooming around madly in my head at all times. I must admit a particular love for our leading ladies’ big solo numbers : “Pirate Jenny”, “Barbara Song”, and “Solomon Song”.

Q. What is your favorite line from the production?

A. Macheath : Confidentially, I’m thinking of going into banking exclusively. It’s safer and the takes are bigger.

Q. Threepenny has been around for MANY years, what makes this production timeless in your opinion and what do you hope audiences will walk away feeling?

A. I don’t think that the show is exactly timeless; rather, it continues to be TIMELY because the negative repercussions of capitalism remain, and are only becoming more egregious.

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Finding love at The Threepenny Opera

Caroline Baxter — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 17:29:31 +0000

During our 1983 run of Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera, two of the actors found more than just another stage credit. Nick Crabb and Sue Gilman found each other. Below is Sue’s tale of finding her Mackie.

“I was one of the whores, Betty. The cast was so large and the show so complicated we rehearsed in small groups for several weeks – the whores together, the singers, of course, like that. So the first time the whole cast came together was with the choreographer, Joanne. She was introducing us to the big scenes where pretty much the whole cast is on stage. As she was putting us through some warm up exercises I was looking around the room to see who was there, who were all these people I would be working with. I knew a few of them, George Nikas and Tom Turbeville and Del and Faye, of course. My eye fell on a man I’d never seen before. Tall, very slim, dark hair. I thought, “Who is that!?” And that was it. My life was changed forever.

Turned out that was Mack the Knife aka Nick Crabb. I didn’t fully know it at the time but I fell madly in love right there on the spot. And I hadn’t even heard him sing yet! Oh Lord, that man could sing. I spent the run of the show falling more and more in love with him. He clearly liked me but was insanely hard to get. He had just ended an engagement and was at loose ends and a bit broken hearted. So that was part of it. I worked harder to get that man’s attention than just about anything I’ve ever done in my life. I would show up anyplace I thought he might be. I would always make sure he was invited when I knew a group of us were going to the Pub after rehearsal (then it was the Little Five Points Pub; today it’s the Corner Tavern). I was truly shameless. All the scenes we had together were completely thrilling, of course. Especially those little bits here and there where we actually touched or even danced together. I was a complete helpless fool for this man. By the end of the show we had become ‘friends’ but I was really worried about losing touch with him.

Thank God he and George cooked at the Pub so I could always find him there. It’s so strange that we had never met. I had been working at Southern Theatre Conspiracy for a couple of years and he had been at 7 Stages for ages. We were right around the corner from each other, both doing theatre, I ate in the Pub all the time, I had known George, who was his best friend, for years, but, somehow, we never met. Later I did realize that I had seen him before. I think it was when 7 Stages was doing one of the Mama Dada plays and he had dyed his hair blue. I suddenly remembered I had seen this guy standing on the sidewalk on Moreland with blue hair one day.

I managed to continue to find ways to see him after the show closed and I remember the first time we kissed. He was living at Del and Faye’s on Elmira. He and I had been out somewhere and I was dropping him off in front of their house. When he got out of the car he came around to the driver’s window and kissed me on the lips. Honestly, I thought I was going to die. It’s really embarrassing what I did. I whooped. Like a cowboy. I whooped and drove away. Anyway, I believe I remember correctly that it took me 8 months from that first sighting at the choreography rehearsal to, well, you know, commitment. After that it didn’t take long before we were living together. We did lots of shows together for the next couple of years. Being with him was completely extraordinary. He was brilliant, magical, sensitive, sooo talented, and loved me without reservation (once I finally got him to realize I was the love of his life). I learned so very much about what it is to love another human being from him. He was a master at it. I only got to have him in my life for 3 short years. He died on July 3, 1987. Next summer will be 30 years. I’ve never really recovered, I guess. I miss him pretty much every day.

As for Threepenny. It’s just weird isn’t it? It’s embarrassing to use the word timeless but I’m afraid it’s true. Such a delicious romp through the vagaries of morality on all levels. Who’s good and who’s bad here? Who’s got the power? Who’s got the brains? Such wonderful cynicism. And the music is brilliant. After all these years, completely without provocation, a tune will just arrive unbidden in my mind. Always a pleasure and a delight. Not just because it is a path to Nick but because, to me, it’s extraordinary work. Weill and Brecht – thank you!”

Thank you, Sue Gilman, for sharing this story with us!

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Don Finney featured in GA Voice

Caroline Baxter — Fri, 09 Sep 2016 05:00:36 +0000

Out actor talks return of ‘The Threepenny Opera’ to Atlanta

Jim Farmer

September 1, 2016 12:00 am

Next week, the play with music “The Threepenny Opera” – known for its score including numbers such as “Mack the Knife” – opens at 7 Stages to launch the company’s 38th season. Written in the 1920s by Bertolt Brecht, this version – directed by Michael Haverty – brings out actor Don Finney back to the stage. We caught up recently with Finney – a veteran of the company – to talk about the show, his amoral character and his return to acting after a long layoff.Hello, Don. How did you get involved in this production?
I got a call from Heidi (Howard, the company’s artistic director) asking if I would be interested. I have always wanted to do it. I went in assuming I would be looked at for Mr. Peachum but when I got to the audition they had me learn Mrs. Peachum’s number and the rest is history.

For those not familiar with the piece, tell us a little about it.
It’s basically just a crime story about the catching of the most notorious gang leader in London. It is filled with characters who are not the nicest people in the world. It’s also filled with lust, sex, guns, and violence.

Tell us about your character.
My character, Mrs. Peachum, is probably the darkest in the play. She will do anything to get what she wants, but she is trapped in a horrible marriage, a marriage of convenience. She’s in a very dark place.

Why does this hold up?
There are so many human aspects. One of the most important things about the play is how its power and corruption really resonate now. There seems to be something in the world today where people feel trapped. Just look at our election now, and what’s happening in the U.K. with Brexit.

The interesting thing is that there is a lot of comedy in the play but when done well, it turns your mind inside out. It’s almost like a nightmarish cartoon; there is something profoundly human that comes out of it. On top of that, there is this fabulous score.

Is there any significance to the fact that a gay man is playing this role?
I don’t know that there is one. I don’t look at it that way personally. I look at it as an actor taking on another role. If anything, it might make her more monstrous.

Why did you take a break from acting?
I walked away for a while. I didn’t think I was getting what I wanted out of it. There were other things in life I wanted to pursue,

How has theater changed since?
You walk in and the cast is very young. Yet the wonderful thing is, for me, coming back, I do feel like I am home. I have worked at 7 Stages for years. I have known Heidi forever. Bryan Mercer is doing the music and he and I have known each other 30, 35 years. The surprising thing is to work with all these young people and they look up to me.

What can gay audiences get from the show?
Besides the human element I mentioned earlier and the score, we have a really hot leading man. And a fat man in a dress. I think it’s going to be fun.

“The Threepenny Opera”
7 Stages
1105 Euclid Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30307
Through September 25
www.7stages.org

The post Don Finney featured in GA Voice appeared first on 7 Stages Theatre.

7 Stages presents Cereal: Episode 1

Caroline Baxter — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 13:44:35 +0000

Two crunchy interns talk about 7 Stages 2016-17 Season and share insight into each production, the actors, design teams, and hot topics. Also, they eat a lot of cereal. Please excuse the crunching, slurping and references to Lucky Charms.

In Episode 1, our hosts, Sarah and Ryan, talk to a couple members of the apprentice ensemble in The Threepenny Opera.

This podcast series was created by the summer 2016 marketing interns at 7 Stages. Thanks to Sarah Summerbell and Ryan Williams for their hard work and love for the arts!

The post 7 Stages presents Cereal: Episode 1 appeared first on 7 Stages Theatre.