A Closer Look at Carousel

Location

– This October, Rodgers & Hammerstein's classic musical Carousel will be retold by Watershed Public Theatre in Columbia, TN. The play is set around a New England seaside carnival, something delightful in nature. But its complicated characters exist in desperate times and live by desperate measures. It's a family story, but a hard one.
Director Payton McCarthy is absolutely raring to tell it. The MTSU grad became fascinated with Carousel after seeing the film adaption about a decade ago. The emotional depth and potential of the play would help propel Payton through his academic career studying theatre as he pondered the moral questions posed by the script. Through numerous, Carousel-centric college papers and projects, Payton developed a vast personal vision of how to bring the production to life in a new, original way. When Watershed invited him to direct their seasonal musical, McCarthy was ready to go with his Carousel concept, and his path became a perfect circle.
 
"Carousel depicts a love story in which one of the lovers is desperately struggling to keep his life together, and lashes out in that struggle," McCarthy offers. "It is one specific form of abuse. And despite this unhealthy dynamic to the relationship, there is real love between these two characters. It's a complicated situation... this show is a cautionary tale."
 
As stage musical innovators, Rodgers & Hammerstein used song and dance to do more than just entertain — the music helped advance the plot and express the soul of the characters. Debuting as their second musical in 1945, Carousel was an early example of the duo's dedicated attention to social issues — in this case, crime and domestic abuse. Director McCarthy's thoughtful updates to the play aim to add more impact for a 2024 audience. The setting is bleak, the story is detailed, and the pain of the characters is vivid.
 
In honor of October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Watershed Public Theatre will host a special preview event, “A Closer Look at Carousel,” free and open to the public. From 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Tuesday, October 1, come enjoy a sneak peek of a scene from Carousel at Columbia State’s Jones Student Center, located at 1665 Hampshire Pike, Columbia, TN. Following the performance will be a discussion led by production director Payton McCarthy and Cindy Sims, Executive Director of Center of Hope.
 
"I want survivors in the audience to know that they're not alone, and I want to make a statement about just how harmful abusive actions are," says McCarthy. "The final note we leave on in our production is a message of consequence, regret, and accountability."
 
WPT's partnership with Center of Hope continues through the run of Carousel performances later in the month. Anyone who brings a donation item for Center of Hope's shelter to the preview event or performances will receive a discount of $5 off every Carousel ticket purchased. The items of greatest need for the shelter are shelf stable convenience foods such as cereal, canned meats and soups, as well as large sizes of diapers and phone chargers.
 
Carousel features a talented cast of Middle Tennessee artists: Patrick Adams, Meredith Aydelott, Heather Barnard, Olivia Black, R. Scott Duvall, Solomon Foriest, Brett Lemmers, Trinity Madura, Luke McGuire, Deb Meeks, Francesca Noe, Christian Randell, Shealey Root, Isabel Smith, Sarah-Marie Smith, McKenna Steel, Jonathan Tatom, Sarah Tatom, Luke Tatum and Dacus Thomas.
 
Show times are October 18, 19, 25, & 26 at 7:00 pm, with matinee performances on October 20 & 27 at 3:00 pm; at Columbia State Community College's Cherry Theater, 1665 Hampshire Pike, Columbia. Tickets can be purchased online at watershedpublictheatre.org or at the door.
Mission Statement:
At Watershed Public Theatre, we believe that theatre is the ultimate collaborative art and work to bring together arts professionals, volunteers, students and patrons to share in the illumination that only live performance can provide. We maintain our focus on nurturing community and practicing social and environmental responsibility while striving for the highest quality of artistic and educational experiences.
For more details or to join WPT’s mailing list, visit watershedpublictheatre.org, email info@watershedtheatre.org, call 931-797-6551 or visit the Facebook page: Facebook.com/WatershedTheatre.