Pam Atha News

Charming and exuberant, Karissa is doing the whole senior year experience to the hilt, leading her classmates in their final year at one of the nation's leading high schools, and somehow finding time to pursue her passion of theater.

More importantly, perhaps, since I know where the bodies are buried-both literally and figuratively-I am provided a unique perspective on the personalities that have shaped theater in Tennessee for at least the past 30 years (I was five years old when I started in this gig). Today you will be introduced to one of the finest actors to ever walk onto a Tennessee stage via our brand new feature series…WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Our first subject is Mark Delabarre, who who spoke with us from his home in New York City.

The world premiere of a brand-spanking new musical with Broadway in its sights, a relatively young but awe-inspiring theater company and a sparkling, witty new play about Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald led the list of Tennessee's outstanding theatrical achievements in 2012 that was revealed Sunday night at Midwinter's First Night.

Voting is now underway for the Nashville Awards and continues until December 31, 2012. Winners will be announced in early January.

The Rocky Horror Show is BACK on the Boiler Room Theatre stage! After last year's rave production of this cult classic, the time warp is back for you and your friends to enjoy! Six Performances Only! October 26-November 3!

For Tennessee theater audiences, this weekend presents a bounty of theatrical riches, with six shows opening: Blackbird Theatre's Red, Sideshow's Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake), Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre's Spreading it Around, Boiler Room Theatre's Parade, Tennessee Women's Theater Project's Shooting Star and Street Theatre Company's latest incarnation of Macabaret.

This cabaret-style show will 'make you laugh 'til it hurts with its outrageous look at the morbid and the macabre.' Being performed for the fourth consecutive year at Street Theatre Company, this cult hit joins New York, Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles, Madrid, in producing the show. Join your host, Phil Graves, and his cadaverous cohorts as they perform songs such as "Marriage is Murder," "Grave Mistake," and "Dead End Job" that deal with love gone bad, obsessions, and strange things that go bump in the night.

Boiler Room Theatre revives its award-winning production of The Rocky Horror Show for six performances in October, running October 26 through November 3, including two midnight shows and a special Halloween performance.

This cabaret-style show will 'make you laugh 'til it hurts with its outrageous look at the morbid and the macabre.' Being performed for the fourth consecutive year at Street Theatre Company, this cult hit joins New York, Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles, Madrid, in producing the show. Join your host, Phil Graves, and his cadaverous cohorts as they perform songs such as "Marriage is Murder," "Grave Mistake," and "Dead End Job" that deal with love gone bad, obsessions, and strange things that go bump in the night.

Fun-filled and light-hearted, Much Ado About Nothing-the latest Shakespeare-in-the-Park offering from Nashville Shakespeare Festival-offers its audiences a tuneful, sprightly way to celebrate late summer amid all the trappings of theatrical magic, brought to life by a confident, self-assured cast uttering the Bard's timeless words set to the tuneful music and lyrics of Janet McMahan and David Huntsinger.

Dressed to the nines-despite forecasts of thunderstorms and a tornado watch that hung over the region-theater people from throughout Tennessee gathered at Belmont University's Bill and Carole Troutt Theatre on Sunday night for the 2013 First Night Honors. Hosted by Holly Shepherd and Joel Diggs, the gala evening honored eight leading lights of Tennessee theater as they were recognized as members of the First Night Class of 2013 Honorees.

Eight individuals, whose names attest to the depth and breadth of live theatrical performance in Nashville, have been named as members of the 2012 Class of First Night Honorees and will be feted with a special tribute concert on Sunday, September 2, at Belmont University's Troutt Theatre.

Members of the 2012 First Night Honors' Class of Honorees will be revealed to the public tonight, July 23, during the First Night Preview Party, which will be held at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, 8204 Highway 100 in Nashville.

Members of the 2012 First Night Honors' Class of Honorees will be revealed to the public Monday night, July 23, during the First Night Preview Party, which will be held at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, 8204 Highway 100 in Nashville.

SAVE THE DATE: The 2012 First Night Honorees, Most Promising Actors and the First Night Star Award winners will be revealed on Monday, July 23, at the First Night Preview Party...details to follow.

Martha Wilkinson is a force of nature-onstage, offstage, no matter where she goes, the woman is a force of nature and, throughout her career, she's taken on some of musical theater's most coveted roles proving along the way that she can do virtually anything. Now, in Tennessee Repertory Theatre's staging of Little Shop of Horrors, Wilkinson adds yet another stellar performance to her resume, playing the campy musical's offbeat heroine with the ease, grace and unerring comic timing that is her stock in trade. In short, Wilkinson's performance as Audrey, the flower shop girl with a penchant for ending up with the wrong guy, is one of the best we've seen of the role and its one that yet again establishes her as Music City's queen of musical theater.

Today, we continue our special series of Onstage at The Barn: Memories from The First 45 Years, with actor/director/playwright Chambers Stevens, still known as "Steve Chambers" to many of his Nashville followers, who before moving to Los Angeles had appeared on practically every stage in Music City USA, including the magical descending stage at The Barn. Now known throughout the world for his work with aspiring actors and for the many critically acclaimed plays he has written, he gives credit where credit is due: His Barn experiences helped him achieve his dreams.

In recognition of The Barn's 45 years of bringing the magic of live theater to the stage, we continue our special series of Onstage at The Barn: Memories from The First 45 Years, with actor Brian Russell, who is one of the region's favorite actors despite the recurring rumor that he was in the cast of Our American Cousin on the night that Lincoln was shot. Today, Brian, who just concluded a critically lauded (which means I gave him a glowing review) run in Tennessee Repertory Theatre's Superior Donuts, adds the memories of her Barn experiences to the ones that we've been sharing of late to celebrate the 45th anniversary…

In recognition of The Barn's 45 years of bringing the magic of live theater to the stage, we continue our special series of Onstage at The Barn: Memories from The First 45 Years, with actor extraordinaire Eric Tichenor, who made his debut at the Barn in the hit 1990 musical comedy A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and who has provided Nashville theater audiences a whole slew of theater memories since…

The Act Too Players (ATP), Williamson County's premier training program for all youths interested in the performing arts have now added several new classes including some that are open for adults.