10 Reasons to See "Freaky Friday" in the Park

Horizon Theatre's production of "Freaky Friday" is coming to Piedmont Park!

Freaky Friday | Horizon Theatre

For the fourth consecutive year, Horizon Theatre is sharing one of its super-popular musical comedies at the Park's Promenade. This year's show—one of the theatre's main stage plays earlier this year—has been met with hilarity, fantastic acting, super-fun musical numbers, and awesome reviews.

With only four performances, Wednesday through Saturday, June 20-23, this is a can't miss-show! In no particular order, here are 10 awesome reasons why you should see "Freaky Friday" in Piedmont Park...

1.) It's FREE! 

That's right. Horizon Theatre is giving away thousands of free tickets to see the four-day run of Freaky Friday in Piedmont Park. There's also reserved seating, for a nominal fee, closer to the stage, and if you're not a fan of sitting on the grass, you can buy reserved seats at a table near the stage or get a private table (for 6) also near the stage! I've sat on the lawn and reserved seats...whichever you chose, you'll have a great experience!

I think it's totally awesome is it that Horizon brings free theatre to our local community, and many others visiting Atlanta. "Thank you!", Horizon Theatre!

2.) The CAST is phenomenal!

The cast from the spring performance at Horizon Theatre in Inman Park/Little Five Points are all returning for the Piedmont Park run...I'm so excited! This was the largest cast to ever perform on the stage at Horizon Theatre and they truly are phenomenal. 

There are 19 actors in every performance, performing considerably more characters than that!

If you're an Atlanta theatre regular, you'll recognize names and faces of many of the cast, several of them multiple Suzi Bass award nominees and winners!

Jennifer Alice Acker, a personal favorite, is so incredibly talented and an amazing human being! She loves her craft, loves her fans, loves life and gives everything she has to every role she performs. Driven to continually improve (she's already AMAZING!), she's going to always deliver a magnificent performance! 

The spring show was the first time I'd seen Abby Holland on stage. She's AMAZING! Her voice is bold and beautiful and her acting is brilliant. I think you'll love her, too!

Christian Magby is multi-talented the likes you don't see very often. He acts, plays multiple musical instruments, writes, and he's one of the most personable artists you'll meet.

Freaky Friday | Horizon Theatre

3.) It's in PIEDMONT PARK, "Atlanta's Favorite Greenspace"!

This is the fourth year that Horizon Theatre has brought one of their mainstage shows to Piedmont Park, which is in the heart of Midtown and easy to get to! The Promenade is near the Atlanta Botanical Garden—accessible from the Garden's entry road—and the Sage Parking Deck, accessible from Piedmont Avenue and Monroe Drive.

I've attended the last three Horizon Theatre shows in Piedmont Park and can personally attest to their being great fun...the shows and seeing them in the Park! [2015] [2016] [2017]

4.) There's something for EVERYONE!

Horizon Theatre has made a commitment to produce at least one play per season that multiple generations can enjoy together, and "Freaky Friday" is exactly that! Bring the kids, bring your parents, bring your friends of all ages!

Freaky Friday | Horizon Theatre

5.) You get to MEET the cast and take PHOTOS with them!

In the wonderful Horizon Theatre tradition, after the show you'll get to meet the cast and make photos with them! Being the celebrity-spotter I am, this perk is a huge one for me and I love seeing so many other theatre-goers talking with the cast, congratulating them on their performance and getting to know them a little more.

6.) You've probably seen the MOVIE(s)!

"Freaky Friday" has quite a fun history, having been a book; then a movie in 1976 starring a young Jodie Foster who would go on to win two Oscar Awards; then another movie in 2003 starring Golden Globe-winner Jamie Lee Curtis and actress/musician Lindsay Lohan. 

Now...it's a MUSICAL!!!

Freaky Friday | Horizon Theatre

7.) There will be FOOD and DRINKS!

You're going to get hungry and thirsty, right? Of course you will!

The grounds will open at 6:00pm (show starts at 7:30pm each night), so bring a picnic and enjoy! NOTE: Feel free to bring your own food, water and soft-drinks, but no alcohol and no glass, please.

There will be concessions, and beer, wine, water and soft-drinks available for purchase.

Remember, the earlier you arrive the closer you can get to the stage! But it's such a big show, they're all great seats. 

8.) The SET is awesome!

Twin sisters and Suzi Bass award winners Isabel and Moriah Curley-Clay have done a magnificent job! I mentioned that this is the largest Horizon Theatre cast ever, and they brilliantly maneuvered the set at the theatre, but I'm super excited to see what they're do when it's in Piedmont Park. We're talking lots more real estate...more possibilities! 





9.) You're going to LAUGH!

Yes, it's a musical. Yes, it's about switching bodies. Yes, it's about the drama of a broken family—I come from one, so I know the hilarity that can come from that. It's ALL incredibly funny! You'll connect with this family, their friends, the wedding vendors, police encounters, and the wide range of relationships one encounters throughout life. Oh, and there's a high school scavenger hunt with a—by unanimous vote—totally hot list master...♫Aaaadddaammm!♫

10.) Horizon Theatre is GRATEFUL for your support!

Lisa Adler, Co-Founder and Co-Artistic/Producing Director, shares every opening night of every show that ticket sales make up for only about half of what it takes to run the theatre. Not everyone can see a show at the theatre, but most everyone can go to a free show...and then tell friends and family how great it was!

As a member of the Board of Directors at Horizon Theatre since August—and a patron of many years—we are incredibly grateful for your support, whether in ticket purchases, subscriptions and/or sharing how much you enjoyed your theatre experience with friends and family.

There you go...10 awesome reasons to come to Piedmont Park to see Horizon Theatre's production of Freaky Friday. I think you're going to love it!

Freaky Friday | Horizon Theatre

Project Dawn at Horizon Theatre is Creating Conversations

Horizon Theatre wraps up its 33rd main stage season bravely and boldly creating an open dialogue about prostitution and sex trafficking—a serious issue in Atlanta, unbeknownst to many because of a lack of conversation, but this production is hopefully a new catalyst for action.

Project Dawn—keenly called "gritty, gripping, and shockingly funny"—is an inspired-by-real-life story about a court program in Pennsylvania that strives—with a degree of success—to rehabilitate women with multiple prostitution convictions. 

The magnificence of this play goes beyond the conversations it's starting. The acting is magnificent, moving, and motivating. AND...each of the seven actresses—it's an all-female cast—play a prostitute in Project Dawn Court as well as a person on the other side of the law! The transitions from character to character take place on stage, but are so subtle that you don't notice most of them!

Project Dawn full cast | Horizon Theatre

Pictured above, left to right: Lane Carlock (Cassie/Gwen); Maria Rodriguez-Sager (Nia/Lola); Carolyn Cook (Sister Carol/Tracy); Christy Clark (Ruth/Krystal); Marianne Fraulo (Judge Kaplan/Bonnie); Bobbi Lynne Scott (Kyla/Shondell); Brooke Owens (Noelle/Ashlee)

At Horizon Theatre through Sunday, October 29, Project Dawn was written by prolific playwright Karen Hartman. This production of Project Dawn is part of a rolling world premiere (That's a big deal!). 

"Karen's play has the opportunity to further a community dialogue and address the root causes of commercial sexual exploitation through a story that takes us deep into that world. Audiences won't leave this play without changing their perspective of prostituted persons and how the criminal justice system can be an agent of change," says director Lisa Adler, Co-Artistic/ Producing Director at Horizon Theatre and Director of Project Dawn.

You know how in most plays you'll have a favorite actor or two. In this one you're going to have seven favorites! Some of the actresses totally champion one of their two rolls and others take the bar for exceptional acting in two rolls to new heights. 

I've been a fan of Carolyn Cook, who plays Sister Carol, an 80-year old activist nun, for many years. Sister Carol delivers the strongest discourse on the court floor, bringing to light that there are more people enslaved today—20 million—than there were in the times most of us consider slave times, asking, "Where's the rage?!" 

Sister Carol's stronger point was the necessity to protect women in the program, trying diligently to affect change in their lives.

Carolyn acted in Horizon Theatre's The City of Conversation last year and directed this year's How to Use a Knife.

Christy Clark seamlessly transitions from court therapist Ruth to a Muslim prostitute Krystal. Each character has a strong presence. Ruth's a tiny bit less assertive, but she's profound. Ruth led a "User's Guide to Power" program for her fellow court colleagues. Krystal was sleeping in a chair in a halfway house, trying desperately to make it through the program. 

Christy Clark's performance in Project Dawn is superb! She was also in Horizon Theatre's most recent play Blackberry Daze.   

Maria Rodriguez-Sager plays Nia, an incredibly intelligent court coordinator, with multiple degrees, and seemingly possessing the power of premonition. She also plays Lola who hasn't seen her mother in 20 years. She desperately wants to graduate the program so that she can be a mother to her own daughter, having missed being so to her sons.

Lola has some of the funniest lines in the show and she's the underdog that everyone is rooting for. She's introduced in the beginning of the play and she concludes this amazing inspired-by-real-life story.

Project Dawn full cast | Horizon Theatre

Pictured above, left to right: Brooke Owens (Noelle/Ashlee); Lane Carlock (Cassie/Gwen); Maria Rodriguez-Sager (Nia/Lola); Marianne Fraulo (Judge Kaplan/Bonnie); Christy Clark (Ruth/Krystal); Bobbi Lynne Scott (Kyla/Shondell); Carolyn Cook (Sister Carol/Tracy)

The wise Judge Kaplan (Marianne Fraulo), and I paraphrase, tells the ladies in the program, "Don't do it for anyone else. Do it for yourself. The first time they let you down, you have an excuse to use." This show is filled with gems like that. And it's filled with humor...brilliantly interspersed throughout the play.

I'd be remiss if I didn't note the phenomenal costume design by Suzi Bass award winner Dr. L Nyrobi Moss. I've seen numerous plays in which Nyrobi has done the costuming, but this was a challenge...a challenge that that she met with expertise that only Nyrobi could bring. 

Spectacularly talented, Mary Parker designed lighting that was so nuanced that you barely noticed costume "changes", that also provided intense drama at critical points, and shown brightly at every moment of hope. This could be another Suzi Bass award for Mary and Nyrobi! 

There are post-show discussions with experts in the field who are knowledgeable about sexual exploitation and trafficking in Atlanta and Georgia. Playwright Karen Hartman was the post-show discussion guest for two nights. 

Some of the other speakers are with the following organizations: Haven ATL, Wellspring Living, BeLoved, Vanessa Jackson (A local Licensed Clinical Social Worker mentioned in the play), House of Cherith, youthSpark, Dress for Success, 4Sarah, Junior League, and Billion Rising. I encourage you to explore what these organizations are doing.

We're into the final weekends to see Project Dawn at Horizon Theatre. See it before it closes on Sunday, October 29!

While you're getting your tickets to this season's final mainstage show, look at tickets to Horizon Theatre's family series show Madeline's Christmas, and their annual holiday show The Santaland Diaries, this year starring Topher Payne!

Disclaimer: I was recently voted to the Board of Directors of Horizon Theatre. The opinions expressed in this post are personal opinion, reflective of years of dedicated support for theatre and performing arts in Atlanta.

10 Reasons to See "Nobody Loves You" in the Park

Horizon Theatre's production of "Nobody Loves You" is coming to Piedmont Park! 

For the third consecutive year, Horizon is sharing one of its super-popular musical comedies at the Park's Promenade. This year's show—one of the theatre's mainstage plays earlier this year—has been met with hilarity, fantastic acting, super-fun musical numbers, and awesome reviews.

With only four performances, Wednesday through Saturday, June 14-17, this is a can't miss-show. In no particular order, here are 10 awesome reasons why...

1.) It's free! 

That's right. Horizon Theatre is giving away thousands of free tickets to see the four-day run of Nobody Loves You in Piedmont Park. There's also reserved seating for a nominal fee, closer to the stage, and if you're not a fan of sitting on the grass, there are tables available, too!

How awesome is it that Horizon brings free theatre to our local community and many others visiting our fair city. Thank you, Horizon Theatre!

Jeanette Illidge and Patrick Wade | Nobody Loves You | Horizon Theatre

2.) The cast is phenomenal!

If you're an Atlanta theatre regular, you'll recognize names and faces of many of the cast, several of them multiple Suzi Bass award nominees and winners!

Pictured above are the stars of the show. Patrick Wade (Jeff) plays a skeptic of the reality television show Nobody Loves You and he's taking action to blow their cover...to prove that they're not really making love connections, but it's all just a sham. Hilarity ensues.

Jeanette Illidge (Jenny) plays a producer of Nobody Loves You and the love interest of Jeff, whose secondary objective of joining the show was to win back his ex. You're laughing already, aren't you?

3.) It's in Piedmont Park, "Atlanta's Favorite Greenspace"!

This is the third year that Horizon Theatre has brought one of their mainstage shows to Piedmont Park, which is in the heart of Midtown and easy to get to! The Promenade is near the Atlanta Botanical Garden—accessible from the Garden's entry road—and the Sage Parking Deck, accessible from Piedmont Avenue and Monroe Drive. 

I've attended the last two Horizon Theatre shows in Piedmont Park and can personally attest to their being great fun...the shows and seeing them in the Park! [2015] [2016] 

4.) It's a show-within-a-show!

If you're a fan of reality television, this one is on steroids, but has an actual plot.

"The game of love is on! Tune into 'Nobody Loves You,' the TV show-within-the-show that follows attractive singles pairing up to find love...Take a behind-the-scenes ride through this hilarious musical comedy about the intimate and gut-wrenching quest for love while millions of viewers watch!"  

Austin Tijerina, Travis, Leslie Bellair | Nobody Loves You | Horizon Theatre

5.) You get to meet the cast and take photos with them!

In the wonderful Horizon Theatre tradition, after the show you'll get to meet the cast and take photos with them! Being the celebrity-spotter I am, this perk is a huge one for me and I love seeing so many other theatre-goers talking with the cast, congratulating them on their performances and getting to know them a little more. 

If you saw Nobody Loves You at Horizon Theatre in Little Five Points earlier this year, you'll notice a cast change in the Piedmont Park show. Pictured above from the earlier show is Austin Tijerina, who played Evan, a hilarious character being played by Leo Thomasian in the Piedmont Park show. 

And the lovely young lady in the red jacket is the totally awesome Leslie Bellair (Samantha) who will be the only actress to have performed in all three Horizon Theatre productions in Piedmont Park. I'm a huge fan of her work! 

6.) It's sexy!

It's a story about people falling in love, and yes...there is sex. Or at least the innuendo of perhaps, maybe that happening. Okay, maybe there's only some sexy dancing and sexy outfits, and maybe a shirt comes off and maybe there's some crushing, and some flirting and kissing, and...well, let me just say that it's one of the sexiest musicals you'll see this year.

7.) There will be food and drinks!

You're going to get hungry and thirsty, right? Of course you will! 

The grounds will open at 6:00 p.m. (show starts at 7:30 p.m.), so bring a picnic and enjoy. NOTE: Feel free to bring your own food, water and soft-drinks, but no alcohol and no glass, please.

There will be food trucks and concessions, as well as beer, wine, water and soft-drinks available for purchase. [more info]

Remember, the earlier you arrive the closer you can get to the stage! But it's such a big show, they're all great seats. 

The set of "Nobody Loves You" | Horizon Theatre | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

8.) The set is awesome!

Twin sisters and Suzi Bass award winners Isabel and Moriah Curley-Clay have done it again! The above photo is of the in-theatre set, which isn't as static as you might think. I can only imagine how much more spectacular the set will be when it's up in Piedmont Park. We're talking lots more real estate...more possibilities!  

9.) You're going to laugh!

Yes, it's a musical. Yes, it's about a reality television show. Yes, it's about the drama of people falling in love. And it's all incredibly funny! From the lyrics of the songs (listen closely so you don't miss this fun!) to the "off camera" shenanigans, to the plot twists and turns, prepare to have your funny bone tickled all night long!  

10.) Horizon Theatre loves YOU for your support!

Lisa Adler, Co-Founder and Co-Artistic/Producing Director, shares every opening night of every show that ticket sales make up for only about half of what it takes to run the theatre. Not everyone can see a show at the theatre, but most everyone can go to a free show...and then tell friends and family how great it was! 

I can't speak for the theatre, but I'm certain that Horizon is grateful for your support, whether in ticket purchases, subscriptions and/or sharing how much you enjoyed your theatre experience with friends and family. 

There you go...10 great reasons to come to Piedmont Park to see Horizon Theatre's production of Nobody Loves You. I think you're going to love it!

INTERVIEW: Actor Jonathan Horne

The first time I met Jonathan Horne we played horseshoes. But that was another time and another place.

When I learned that there might be a possibility of interviewing one of the actors in Freed Spirits, the now-showing world-premiere at Horizon Theatre, I immediately thought of Jonathan. I'd seen him act before and and was genuinely impressed. And he's also brilliant in Freed Spirits. 

Jonathan graciously agreed to an interview and I found myself blown away by his insightful answers to my questions. He's humble, articulate, and totally loves his craft. There's a considerably interesting and complex human being underneath his meek demeanor...

Jonathan Horne (Photo courtesy Jonathan Horne)

wanderlust ATLANTA: Where are you from? Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?

Jonathan: I'm originally from Asheville, North Carolina, but my family moved to Atlanta when I was eight; I'm a transplant, but consider myself a "naturalized" Atlantaen. I live in Smyrna with my wife, Laura!

wanderlust ATLANTA: When did you first begin acting? Was it purposefully or accidentally?

Jonathan: I was forced into it, actually. I had to participate in a school system-wide "oratorical recital" in sixth grade. My fear of being in front of people was bested by my fear of getting a bad grade. 

My dad suggested doing the "St. Crispin's Day" speech from Shakespeare's Henry V—the argument that students can't understand Shakespeare is bunk, by the way—and my mom directed me. 

I had a real "Aha!" moment while doing the speech. Henry's bravery became mine and I felt the awkward sixth grader with a wooden sword and homemade tunic fade away. I went to a small Christian high school, so I always kept getting thrown into productions when kids dropped out due to grades or sports, and it wasn't until I played Hamlet my senior year that I knew this was what I had to do with my life. 

wanderlust ATLANTA: What was the catalyst that led you to a career on stage?

Jonathan: I had been teaching English and theatre for three years after college in the hopes that I could still be tangentially connected to acting while making "real people money". I was completely miserable. I finally just reached a point where my desire to act trumped any desire to "stick it out." I saved up money for a year to help subsidize my year long apprenticeship with the Shakespeare Tavern and have been incredibly fortunate to be working fairly steadily ever since!

wanderlust ATLANTA: What's been the biggest "Wow!" moment of your acting career?

Jonathan: By far it has to be playing Joseph (John) Merrick in 'The Elephant Man' at Georgia Ensemble Theatre. It was the most physically, spiritually, and emotionally demanding, as well as transformative, experience of my career and will be incredibly difficult to top—though I can assure you it won't stop me from trying! 

There are so many things that can go wrong with a show, so when everything just gels in a transcendent way, you can't help but go "Wow!" The show really helped me break into the larger Atlanta theatre community, for which I will always be thankful! 

wanderlust ATLANTA: What have you enjoyed most about working on your current project, "Freed Spirits" at Horizon Theatre?

Jonathan: The ensemble! This cast became close knit stupidly fast. They are such an amazingly giving group of actors and we all mesh with each other so organically! Sometimes the fun you see on stage is pure acting, this show is mostly real fun crafted into a story!

wanderlust ATLANTA: "Freed Spirits" is your Horizon Theatre debut. What have you enjoyed most about the experience so far?

Jonathan: I was brought on to read my character—Byron—for a twenty-minute presentation at the Decatur Book Festival three years ago. Lisa Adler kept bringing me back for more workshops and readings, so I was fortunate enough to see and be a part of the show and character's evolution over the past three years! 

Lisa has also been incredibly gracious and kind to me, especially bringing me on when she had never worked with me before! I also have tried to make it a point this year to branch out and work at new—for me—theatres; so I'm thrilled to get to work with new people, directors, designers, etc.! 

wanderlust ATLANTA: Are there any similarities between you and Byron White, your "Freed Spirits" character?

Jonathan: As Daryl kept tweaking the script, Byron and I became closer to the same person. I had the opportunity to keep jumping into this world over the period of three years as the play was developing, and each new draft felt eerily closer to reality—early in the process, I was dating my future wife who I had mercilessly pestered to go out with me ala Byron.

I have two amazing parents and an amazing wife, but that's about where the differences end. I may or may not have just pulled clothes out of my car for the promotional photoshoot...

wanderlust ATLANTA: Horizon Theatre has a long tradition of inviting theatre-goers to meet and speak with actors after the show. What's your personal philosophy for the most rewarding actor/theatre enthusiast interaction?

Jonathan: Oh man, as an introvert this is always difficult. Honestly, I think the adage "they're more scared of you than you are of them" applies to a lot of us! Whenever I see a show, I always try to say something specific I enjoyed—a particular scene that was emotionally impactful, the way the actor dealt with a difficult scene, etc.—something that shows I was engaged and appreciative of the work that went into that evening. 

wanderlust ATLANTA: What's a show or project that you're working on that we'll see in the near future?

Jonathan: I'm getting the chance to live out one of my longest running theatrical dreams by playing John Proctor in 'The Crucible' at Actor's Express. I also recently got to work with Dan Bush (of Atlanta classic 'The Signal' fame) as the lead in an upcoming episode of 'Your Worst Nightmare' which will air sometime in November! 

wanderlust ATLANTA: Where do you hope your acting career will eventually lead?

Jonathan: I really want to stay in Atlanta. I'd definitely love to work in Los Angeles or New York, but I really hope to be a part of helping make Atlanta a world-class artistic city. Honestly, If I can continue to make a living acting; I'll be content. 

wanderlust ATLANTA: What advice would you give to aspiring actors, young or well-seasoned, wanting to act for the first time? 

Jonathan: There's no reason not to go for it! As far as theatre is concerned, there are several really great community theatres in Atlanta, as well as a vibrant independent film market here with tons of opportunities for aspiring actors! 

You don't have to be a "professional" to be professional though. Whether your goal is to act for the fun of it, or as a career, take it seriously. Also, always challenge yourself; you won't grow if you're comfortable.

wanderlust ATLANTA: What do you see as the greatest challenge AND the greatest success for the Atlanta acting community?

Jonathan: I think Atlanta is still finding its voice. We have so much opportunity and talent as an artistic community as well as a lot of national attention on us because of all the film and television being produced here. I want to see Atlanta actors/writers/directors become as well-known as our city.

Our biggest obstacle to that is that we have to fight the perception, sometimes earned, that we're unprepared and untrained, and a lot of people are helping to combat that. Drama Inc. in particular is a real force for training and community building.

Theatrically speaking, it's fantastic seeing, and now being a part of, all these newly produced plays that really speak to our unique culture. Our local playwrights are killing it! 

wanderlust ATLANTA: If you could act with any three actors, local or international, living or not, who would they be and why? 

Jonathan: I'm going to choose young Orson Welles, Gary Oldman, and Liv Ullmann. I have absolutely no idea what the show would be about, but I don't think it would matter. 

Welles because he was a visionary of startling proportions and his acting always feels so thoroughly ahead of its time. Oldman because I think he is the greatest living actor. Ullmann because her face contains universes of experience in the simplest of expressions...plus she could probably get Ingmar Bergman to direct us.  

wanderlust ATLANTA: I see "Soli Deo Gloria!" on your website and in playbill bios. Why is this important to you?

Jonathan: It's a constant reminder of why I do this, and whom I'm doing it for. Not every acting opportunity is going to be "missional," but when you get those opportunities to be a vessel for a larger truth, you pray that your work transcends the theatre. 

Tom Waits (and Jimmy Stewart in Harvey) said, "no one ever brings anything small into a bar." I think it's also true for theatre...you never know what the pain, doubt, or fears of someone might be when they come to see a show. 

It's casting a wide net, but sometimes you can touch someone's life in a spiritual way and help them on "the search", as Walker Percy called it. Also, it keeps me from believing both extreme ditches of "you're the greatest" and "you're rubbish." 

wanderlust ATLANTA: Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers/your fans?

Jonathan: Support Atlanta theatre! You can also visit my website for new and upcoming projects! 

Jonathan Horne Acting Reel from Jonathan Horne

Thank you, Jonathan, for the interview!

In case you were wondering about the horseshoes, Jonathan was in the Serenbe Playhouse production "Of Mice and Men". The contrast of Jonathan against the character he played was alone enough to convince me that he's a brilliant and wonderfully talented actor, and I look forward to following his career. I encourage you to, as well.

Readers, you can see Johnathan now in Freed Spirits at Horizon Theatre (on stage through Sunday, October 30, 2016) and follow his website and social media for other upcoming projects!

Freed Spirits...Unearthed at Oakland Cemetery

From the very first moment I heard about "Freed Spirits" coming to Horizon Theatre—squirming in my seat—I knew that I had to see this mystery-comedy set in Atlanta's Oakland Cemetery!

Later, I learned more of its significance: that it was commissioned by Horizon Theatre for its annual New South Play Festival, that it's been in the works for three years, that it's a world-premiere, and that it's directed by Lisa Adler and written by Playwright Daryl Lisa Fazio.

There are four principal characters, a tour guide, a steampunk sleuth, a photographer and a retired pathologist-turned-master gardener...and a couple of "ghosts". 

MJ, Byron, Netta, Susan | Freed Spirits | Horizon Theatre | Photo: Lisa Adler

The only thing scary about Freed Spirits would be missing it! 

This play is delightful, it's thought-provoking, has some pretty awesome special effects, the set is absolutely spectacular and the acting is brilliantly superb! 

Suehyla El-Attar as Susan | Freed Spirits | Horizon Theatre | Photo: BreeAnne Clowdus

The show begins in Oakland Cemetery with Keisha (Jimmica Collins), a super energetic entrepreneurial videographer, interviewing Susan Dickey (Suehyla El-Attar), an Oakland Cemetery tour guide, for a documentary. 

Like Susan, I too have been a tour guide (four years at the Atlanta Botanical Garden), but I do not have an eidetic memory like Susan or Sheldon Cooper. If I did, I would hope that I'd use it as hilariously as the two of them do! 

The opening sounds pretty simple, right? It's not. The mystery begins as soon as the lights come up and the first word is uttered. 

As they're talking and filming, the wind picks up. It really picks up. And there's lightening. Lots of lightening. There's a storm. No...there's a tornado! And it tears right through Oakland Cemetery!

M.J. and Susan | Freed Spirits | Horizon Theatre | Photo: Lisa Adler

I was living in Washington, DC when the 2008 tornado hit Atlanta. I was so incredibly scared for my friends. I can't imagine how scared they were. 

Actually, I can image...I don't have to imagine, actually. I was in a tornado when I was in 5th grade. I remember quite vividly how scary it was. It hit just as we were getting off the school bus and my mother was grabbing as many kids as she could an harboring them in our house until the dangerous winds passed. 

The special effects in this show totally engage you!

M.J. Bell (Bryn Striepe) | Freed Spirits | Horizon Theatre | Photo: BreeAnne Clowdus

The play resumes with the introduction of M.J. Bell (Bryn Striepe), a sleuthing steampunker, who iterates time and again that her attire is not a fashion statement but a "way of life". 

I'm not going to give away too much, but suffice it to say that there are many, many layers of stories in this play...within the plot and the players. 

M.J. is one of my favorite. I love her independence, her brilliant talent for deducing—she'd be awesome on any of the CSI television shows—and that her character introduces a reference to my personal favorite event of the year...Dragon Con! 

M.J. gets nicknamed "Corset" somewhere along the performance. I believe most of the characters get a nickname, and they're brilliant.

Cast | Freed Spirits | Horizon Theatre | Photo: Lisa Adler

As you can imagine, a tornado unearths more than we sometimes expect, and human nature demands that we investigate, right? 

Mid-initial post-tornado investigation enters Byron White (Jonathan Horne), a photographer and wanna-be hipster. He's immediately infatuated with M.J. and everyone sees it. Not that he's trying to hide it, but he's painfully shy. And...he does an awesome Yoda impersonation.

Byron White (Jonathan Horne) | Freed Spirits | Horizon Theatre | Photo: BreeAnne Clowdus

Byron is another of the characters that I related to. He's a photographer, he's shy, he's helpful and he's innocent. Okay, okay...I used to be innocent. Really. Anyway, this character too has many layers below his meek demeanor. 

Jonathan Horne, the actor, I'd met at another play earlier this year. When I found out that there were interview opportunities for this play, I immediately asked if I could connect with Jonathan. He graciously granted me an interview and that will be my next post. Look for it...I think you too will be highly impressed with his talent and aspiration!

Freed Spirits | Horizon Theatre | Photo: Lisa Adler

"I ain't afraid of no ghost," says no one in this play! 

Netta and Susan are, in my opinion, the funniest characters in the play, and not just through punchlines. We're talking gestures, looks, actions, twitching, running...it goes on and on, and you don't want it to stop! The whole cast is hilarious...there's as much comedy as there is mystery in this show!

On one of my visits to see Freed Spirits my guest was Margaret Mitchell. She looks amazing for 115 and to be interned at Oakland Cemetery. 

Actually, my friend Sally portrays "Margaret Mitchell" occasionally for special Oakland Cemetery tours. She also "is" Margaret Mitchell for Atlanta Movie Tours' "Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind Tour". Sally, like Netta and Susan, has a wonderful sense of humor. And she loved the play, too!

Dr. Netta Finch (Marguerite Hannah) | Freed Spirits | Horizon Theatre | Photo: BreeAnne Clowdus

Marguerite Hannah, who plays Dr. Netta Finch—a Grady Hospital retired pathologist turned Master Gardener at Oakland Cemetery—is an actress whose every word you hang on...she commands attention and you're so glad you give it to her because she's going to make you laugh, again and again. 

I saw Marguerite in "Waffle Palace" at Horizon Theatre a few years ago...she was absolutely delightful. I'm thrilled to see her again! My best friend Barry went with me to see that show and also to see Freed Spirits...he loved both! 

Cast of Freed Spirits | Horizon Theatre | Photo: Lisa Adler

I'm in love with the four main characters, but would be totally remiss if I didn't note the wonderfully performed ghosts.  

This play is set in a cemetery and the show's run is leading up to Halloween, so it's no surprise that there are ghosts on the playbill...well, ghost characters, that is. There's a young slave girl portrayed by Jimmica Collins—was is also the documentarian I mentioned earlier—and Spencer Miller who portrays a Civil War soldier. Both are excellent and quite fun...especially as ghosts.

As I've shared, there are lots of layers, twists and surprises in this show. Keep your eyes open...and ready yourselves for an evening of laugh-out-loud good times! 

Daryl Lisa Fasio | Freed Spirits | Horizon Theatre | Photo: BreeAnne Clowdus

Playwright, and graphic designer, Daryl Lisa Fasio said in an AJC.com interview:

"Oakland is the most interesting reflection of Atlanta," Fazio said. She chose to set her latest play there because she’s been fascinated with Oakland ever since she moved to town six years ago. "I can't imagine anything more perfect. It's got everything. It's got community involvement, it's got this long history, and it's got the juiciest stories to dig into.”

I had the opportunity to briefly meet and talk with Daryl at the Opening Night reception after the show. She's delightful and super excited about her first Atlanta production. I hope there will be more. I can share that the audiences I've sat in on are loving it! I think you will, too.

Cast | Freed Spirits | Horizon Theatre | Photo: BreeAnne Clowdus

The very first announcement for Freed Spirits alone was enough for me to want to see it. But seeing it commanded seeing it again, and even once more...and, truth be told, I may go see it again.

You too can see Freed Spirits at Horizon Theatre, now through Sunday, October 30. Don't dare miss this one!