I was excited to see that, just this week, Justin Dionne, who will be directing Poochie, my new play, just got nominated for 9 MTA awards for his recent production of Almost Maine with St. Thomas Players.
St. Thomas Players is a small theatre troupe here in Salisbury. The MTA is the Metrolina Theatre Association, and it encompasses theatre from the entire Charlotte area and surrounding counties.
Nine nominations (including best director) is a lot — and quite an honor for Justin. I was excited and privileged for him to take on this project because I knew he had a real future as a director, and apparently that future is now. It’s a new play and a new theatre company. Justin is young, energetic, enthusiastic, and extremely talented. His day job is working as marketing director for Piedmont Players.
My vision was a bare stage with a couple of pieces of furniture. Lights up and lights down. I wasn’t sure if there was any humor in the play or not. Justin has “people” working on set design and lighting, and he does see humor.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of friends and family, the funding for Poochie is almost halfway there, with 11 days to go. Please share the link, if you’re so inclined…