By Barrett White
Out theatre director and immersive experience extraordinaire Brian Clowdus doesn’t ask how before laying down a grand plan.
The Atlanta-area theatrical pioneer first entered the national spotlight for using an actual helicopter in Serenbe Playhouse’s production of Miss Saigon. He then graced Spectrum South in August 2018 when he sank the set and sent actors plummeting beneath the waves in Serenbe’s Titanic.
For Serenbe’s production of the Civil War–era family drama Shenandoah (the run of which was extended through April 14, 2019), the set doesn’t sink, nor do helicopters descend upon the audience to the crescendo of music and emotions alike. Rest assured though, Shenandoah’s production value is anything but lacking. Known for immersion, Serenbe’s cast greets you as you park your car on a grassy hill adjacent to the performance space. All Serenbe productions are outdoors, but as you enter the “theatre,” you’re greeted by a young soldier who offers you “contraband” (Serenbe merchandise), and others cooking vegetables and s’mores over a fire for the attendees who are gathered ‘round. As the sun sets and the audience members find their seats, cannon fire erupts. In the distance, off in the fields, the Civil War rages, opening the show.
The centerpiece of the production is the Anderson family home, quaint and charming, on a property that the family has tilled and groomed all on their own—with no help from slaves. It’s the central man-against-society conflict—the Andersons live in Virginia, so how could they be abolitionists, or against the Civil War?
Clowdus looped in big names for his production, including Taylor Hicks of American Idol fame as leading man Charlie Anderson, with country singer and Broadway actress Rachel Potter as Anderson’s daughter-in-law, the sweet but strong Anne, who has taken over maternal duties in the Anderson family. Hicks’ sweet, fatherly voice aids in capturing Charlie’s character, a doting father of six, and effortlessly glides over the show’s score, which soars as if Gary Geld, Shenandoah’s composer, had taken a page from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel. Potter, known for her angelic, full-bodied belting, provides solid groundwork for quashing her sister-in-law’s pre-wedding nerves in “We Make a Beautiful Pair,” and for uplifting Gabriel, a young slave child who’s just been freed in “Freedom.”
Rachel Potter (l) and Caleb Baumann in ‘Shenandoah’ at the Serenbe Playhouse. Photo by BreeAnne Crowdus
Rounding out the large cast is an endless sea of talent from Atlanta and beyond. Daniel Burns, Pilot Bunch, Chase Davidson, Sophie DeLeo, Jeremy Gee, Cullen Gray, and Aaron Schilling make up the rest of the Anderson clan, with Caleb Baumann and Jordan Patrick supporting. Union and Confederate soldiers make up the chorus and townsfolk, played by Andrew Anderson, Alden Burroughs, Brady Dunn, Destiny Freeman, Alexandria Joy, Karley Renee, Jeremy Skidmore, and Terrance Smith.
“I had been to Serenbe before—I’d been to the community—and this was a great way for me to tackle a really sizeable role in theatre,” says Hicks, who played Teen Angel in Grease on Broadway before touring the role for 18 months. Charlie Anderson marks Hicks’ first lead role on stage. “The story is great and the music is beautiful,” he says.
Potter, a country singer by trade and a talented Broadway actress, originated the role of Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family, and The Mistress in the revival of Evita. “I think Brian [Clowdus] just had this vision in his mind that I would work out to play Anne, being a country singer,” Potter says.
And she’s right: Clowdus’ vision, once again, has met its mark.
What: Shenandoah
Where: Serenbe Playhouse
When: Through April 14, 2019
Details: For more information on the show, please visit Serenbe’s website.
