FRIDAY 5 (+1) on Thursday: CRAZY ALL THESE YEARS' Adcock, McCain, Richmond & Whitmore

Opening tonight at Nashville's iconic Darkhorse Theater is multi-hyphenate Jeff Swafford's (he's a playwright-producer-filmmaker-director, among other things) play Crazy All These Years, which stars a cast of Nashville's best-known actors, including Jennifer Richmond, Michael Adock, Cinda McCain and Daniel Hackman.

In order to whet your appetite for the premiere, we coaxed three of the actors - along with production stage manager Jennifer Whitmore - to provide us with some insight into each of their careers and creative processes and to suggest why you should come see their show.

Today's Friday 5 (+1), which is actually presented on a Thursday, hopefully will provide you with the answers you seek...

Jennifer Richmond

What was your first taste of "live, onstage" theater? I guess actually being on stage in shows in elementary school. I was pretty good at it, so I liked it. However, it first really made an impact when I won a ticket to see Les Miserables. I couldn't really understand everything they were saying, but I understood enough from the emotion and it changed me.

What is your favorite pre-show ritual? I wouldn't say I have any "favorite" pre-show rituals, I just have things I do to warm up for the show like stretching my neck and doing vocal exercises. "Boy Gargoyle, Girl Gargoyle"

What is your favorite "the show must go on" moment? I feel like I have a bunch of these, but I'll tell this one because it involves Dan Hackman. We were in a show at the Barn and he got stuck behind a wreck and couldn't get to the theatre in time. It was explained to the audience that Adam Burnett ( who was waiting tables that night) would go on in his place on book until he could get there. When Dan showed up on stage, Martha Wilkinson said how she liked the character's new hair cut (Dan has a shaved head, Adam doesn't) and the audience laughed and cheered.

Also, there was a time I did The Odd Couple with Derek Whitaker and the power went out. We performed the rest of the show by candlelight and audience members lighting us with their phones. We all just commented on how Oscar must not have paid the power bill and moved on.

Stories like these are part of the reason why I love live theatre so much.

Who is your theatrical crush? Nate Eppler, which is rather cliche to say in this town, but everything he does is artistically sound because it has reason, purpose and a ton of thought behind it. He is never accidentally brilliant.

What is your dream role?

I think bucket lists can be dangerous and disappointing and dissatisfying. I've played some "dream roles", I've aged out of some "dream roles" and recently realized that some "dream roles" are just remnants of my childhood. They won't make me happy.

I asked Rebekah Durham one time about her dream roles and she thought for a second and said she didn't think she had any. She went on to say that whatever she was working on was her dream role because just to work was a dream. I know all of that just sounds like a smart actory thing to say, but I was there and it was totally sincere. I think about her words a lot and want to make them my own.

I hope my dream role hasn't been written yet and when we find each other it will be an artistically perfect match and incredibly fulfilling and when it is over there will be another one on the way.

Why should people come see Crazy All These Years? It's a new work, so it will be something you haven't seen a thousand times before. It is written from a place of honesty and Jeff is being completely vulnerable and brave to share this not so pretty, not so special part of life with us. It's an interesting combo of actors you've never seen together on stage before. Cinda playing the dying mother is chilling and a little too real. It will make you uncomfortable.

Michael Adcock

What was your first taste of "live, onstage" theater? The first show I remember attending as a kid was the Rep's A House Divided. My mom had attended high school with one of the actors in the cast, so we went to TPAC to check it out. I fell in love- mostly with the performance of an actor (name unknown to me) playing the role of a slave that eventually turns the gun on his owner. His intensity in that moment made me want to do stage. To make people feel the same way he made me. So...if anyone knows that fella, please, thank him for me. [Editor's note: The role of Moses was played by actor Rudy Robertson in that production of A House Divided; previously, Nashville theater icon Barry Scott created the role in a workshop that was not open to the public.]

What's your favorite pre-show ritual? One shot (1.5 oz) of gazelle's blood. Then I stand on my head and recite One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish - backward. I refuse to go on stage until I've done it correctly and to the beat of Eminem's "Rap God". Honestly, no pre-show rituals.

What's your favorite, most memorable, example of "the show must go on"? One that comes to mind is when Angela Gimlin's dress came undone and began falling off during a production of Dracula. I was trying to subtly give her the eyes to let her know she was about to be ass-flashing the audience. She spent the rest of the scene trying her best to keep it up. I spent the rest of it trying not to laugh.

What's your dream role? The only role I have left on my bucket list that I can think of is that of Asher in My Name is Asher Lev. Playing someone that isn't an asshole would be fun...I vaguely remember what that's like.

Why should people come see Crazy All These Years? It's a beautifully written script. Being adapted from a screenplay, I think it stays "real" in the sense of not being too showy. It's that honest feeling of being a fly on the wall as an audience member. It's genuine. Also, it resonates a lot for someone that grew up in a small town in Tennessee with hopes to always escape- while feeling anchored down. And I'm giving free hugs.

Cinda McCain

What was your first taste of "live, onstage" theater? Late 1980s. I got cast as Meg in Crimes of the Heart, by default! - directed by the brilliant Melissa Carrelli. It was one of those really rare plays that was absolutely magical. We were a family in the biggest sense of the word. They told me, "Don't get used to this. Plays are rarely like this." They were absolutely right.

What is your favorite pre-show ritual? Saying a prayer.

What is your favorite "the show must go on" moment? Running off stage during Separate Tables to throw up in between scenes.

Who is your theatrical crush? Don't have one.

What is your dream role? I've played Blanche Dubois in Streetcar and Beatrice in Gamma Rays...so that's already been done.

Why should people come see Crazy All These Years? It's an experience that most people have, or will have, that's too painful to talk about. Come live vicariously through one of these characters. There is something for everyone.

Jennifer Whitmore (production stage manager)

What was your first taste of "live, onstage" theater? I really don't remember a time when I didn't have theatre in my life. My parents met in community theatre and I performed in dance and ice skating shows when I was really little and started acting in shows in middle school

What is your favorite "the show must go on" moment? There are so many. But I think when I was working on a production of Hamlet and during the sword fight the sword broke. You could hear the whole audience gasp collectively. Then all of a sudden Hamlet busts out "Laertes, thou knowest not thine own strength." The audience roared and we actually had back-up swords, so they eventually just went on after the crowd quieted down enough.

What is your dream role? I have always wanted to play Hedda Gabbler. I just really loved that character when we studied it in school

Why should people come see Crazy All These Years? I think most people can relate in some way to either the characters or their stories.

About the show: Woodland Entertainment founder Jeff Swafford will bring his new play Crazy All These Years from the screen to the stage of Nashville's iconic Darkhorse Theater April 13-22.

Originally shot as a film featuring local actress Cinda McCain, Crazy All These Years is a poignant yet humorous look at life, death and the damage caused by running away from the past. This new drama, described as "quiet and compelling," focuses on Ben, a gay man who returns to his small Tennessee hometown to care for his cantankerous dying mother. As they struggle to understand one another, Ben must also examine his previous relationships and the broken hearts left in his wake.

"The idea for this story started out as a play," says Swafford, a stage actor during his early career. I've always wanted to see it on stage because I believe the emotional impact of the story lends itself well to live theater and I'm excited to see it in front of an audience." Swafford helms the world premiere production of the stage presentation, having served as writer/director of the film version of Crazy All These Years, as well as the web series Three.

After graduating from Murfreesboro's Middle Tennessee State University, Swafford moved to Los Angeles and worked in the film industry for 15 years, most notably with director Quentin Tarantino and producer Lawrence Bender. His credits include such films as Jackie Brown, Kill Bill (Vols. 1 & 2) and Good Will Hunting.

The Nashville premiere of Crazy All These Years marks the first theatrical production of Swafford's company, Woodland Entertainment.

The cast of Crazy All These Years includes local favorites Cinda McCain (as Martha), Michael Adcock (as Ben), Jennifer Richmond (as Lori) and Daniel Hackman (as Joe).

When and Where Woodland Entertainment's Crazy All These Years runs select dates April 13-22 at Darkhorse Theatre, 4610 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, April 13-15 and 20-22.

Tickets Tickets are $15 and are available online at www.ticketsnashville.com or at the door 30 minutes prior to show time. Seating is limited. A portion of each ticket sold benefits the Tennessee Equality Project.

Who's Who - Cast and Crew

Cinda McCain (Martha), a Nashville resident since 1988, has an extensive resume, with numerous stage, film and television credits including her portrayal of the foul-mouthed trailer park owner Loretta Jenkins in the hit web series "How I Seize It." Stage credits include Southern Baptist Sissies (Odette), The Glass Menagerie (Amanda) and her First Night Award-winning portrayal of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire.

Michael Adcock (Ben) is a native Tennessean with numerous stage credits including local productions of Peter and the Starcatcher (Black Stache), Floyd Collins (Skeets), The Miss Firecracker Contest (Delmount) and Memphis, The Musical (Huey.) He has also appeared in several stand-up comedy showcases, including Zanies' "Best of Nashville."

Jennifer Richmond (Lori) has extensive local credits, including work with Nashville Children's Theatre, Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Actors Bridge, Street Theatre Company and Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, to name but a few. Previous shows include Cabaret (Sally Bowles) Avenue Q (Kate/Lucy) and Long Way Down (Maybelline), a new work by local playwright Nate Eppler for which she was awarded a First Night Award for Best Actress.

Daniel Hackman (Joe) makes his welcome return to the Nashville theatre scene after a brief residency in L.A. During his time there, he performed in shows at the Hollywood Fringe Festival and in the short film Before I Met You (Downtown LA Film Festival), along with a handful of other shorts and viral videos. A Belmont graduate, his local credits include work with Blackbird Theatre, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, People's Branch and Open Stage.

The production team includes Jeff Swafford (Playwright and Director), Derek Whittaker (Producer), Katie Gant (Lighting Designer), Emily Sue Laird (Scenic Designer) and Jennifer Whitmore (Stage Manager)

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