Interview with our director for BKLYN the Musical, Kyle J. Britt

“…BKLYN is one of my favorite musicals. It's highly underdone with an incredible score and a really beautiful story. I'm excited to see some local actors bring it to life!”

Interview with our director for Six Degrees of Separation, Tonya Bludsworth

“…I think Six Degrees of Separation will resonate with audiences because all these issues are in our faces every day. The power of flattery and desire for fame, the need we feel for connection and to be seen are things we all deal with constantly. Guare lets us experience all those things with poignancy and humor…”

Interview with our director for Terminus, Chloe Shade

“…It's one of the first times in a while that a script caught me off guard. I had to sit with it, then pick it back up for another read. Terminus is contemporary and new to many audiences. It's bold, exciting, and tells a story that isn't often told…”

Interview with our director for Lost in Yonkers, Dennis Delamar

“…Neil Simon is one of my favorite comedy playwrights, and I have loved his multiple Tony winning best play LOST IN YONKERS since I saw it on Broadway starring Mercedes Ruehl and Irene Worth in the 1991-1992 season. It also won the Pulitzer Prize that year, a first for him in his illustrious career. A memory play set during World War II? With lots of laughs and explosive emotional family drama? A Pulitzer? A Best Play Tony? Right up my creative ally!”

Interview with our director for A Christmas Carol, Stuart Spencer

“…A Christmas Carol reminds us that kindness, compassion, and human connection are choices we can make every day. Scrooge’s journey reminds us that it’s never too late to change, to forgive, or to invest in the people around us. I think we all still need that reminder…”

Interview with our director for Frankenstein, Delores Abdullah

“…I wanted to direct Frankenstein because it’s ultimately not about monsters—it’s about people. It’s about our need to be seen, loved, and accepted, and it challenges both artists and audiences to ask difficult questions about what we owe one another. As a director, that combination of emotional depth, moral complexity, and limitless theatrical possibility is incredibly exciting…”

Interview with our director for Come From Away, Billy Ensley

“…"Come From Away" beautifully reminds us that we are at our very best when we connect across nationalities, personal identities, religious and political beliefs, and realize our collective responsibility to each other as humans. I intend for our production to make people think past all of today's "noise" and focus on a kinder, more giving nature by remembering what happened in Gander, their giving and caring nature towards the stranger, during a horrific national tragedy at home….”

Interview with our director for The Color Purple, Corey Mitchell

TC: Describe The Color Purple in 3 words or less.
CM: SHOW ABOUT LOVE.

TC: Welcome back! What shows have you been involved in at Theatre Charlotte recently?
CM: Most recently, I directed The Prom for the teen summer show in 2023. My roots with TC go back almost 25 years, when I performed in my first show in Charlotte as Hysterium in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

TC: Is there a particular character, scene, or song that you are most excited to see come to life?
CM: It would have to be the opening of Act II, Africa Homeland. Everything in that scene is intricate and exquisite. The music, the dance, the costumes, and Nettie's letters blend together to immerse Celie into a very different life from her own.

Interview with our director for God of Carnage, Brian Lafontaine

TC: Describe God of Carnage in 3 words or less.
BL: CIVILIZED CHAOS

TC: Welcome back! What shows have you been involved in at Theatre Charlotte recently?
BL: Most recently, I was the Assistant Director for The Play That Goes Wrong. My last appearance on the TC stage was as Oscar Madison in TC's production of The Odd Couple.

TC: What about this show makes you excited to direct it?
BL: I'm really looking forward to directing God of Carnage this season. It's a fantastic show. 4 people. One location. No intermission. Flip the "On" switch and let the mayhem take off and see who's left standing by the end. I'm very familiar with the show. I was fortunate enough to see the original Tony Award Winning Broadway production when I was living in NY, and I had the great pleasure of being in a production in 2013. This show is a workout, and worth every moment.

Interview with our director for The Flick, Kyle J. Britt

TC: Describe The Flick in 3 words.
KJB: SLICE OF LIFE

TC: Welcome back! What shows have you been involved in at Theatre Charlotte recently?
KJB: At Theatre Charlotte, I've been on stage in The Drowsy Chaperone (Man In Chair), A Christmas Carol (Present), and The Wizard of Oz (Lion). Behind the scenes I've been involved with A Christmas Carol (Director, Projection Design), 1984 (Pre-recorded Video), and I've been the in-house photographer for Theatre Charlotte since Season 95.

TC: We assume you are thrilled to be directing this show, so tell us why you are excited and what you're most looking forward to.
KJB: This show is true naturalism vs constructed realism and you really get to sink into the three characters in this show, their relationships, and their lives. It's like eavesdropping on a great conversation.

Interview with our director for Over the River and Through the Woods, Elizabeth Edgeworth Sickerman

TC: Describe Over the River in 3 words.
EES: LIVELY + POIGNANT + HUMAN

TC: Welcome to the TC family! What shows or theatres have you recently been a part of?
EES: As an instructor at Central Piedmont Community College, I recently directed a production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and served as the fight choreographer for Nguyen’s She Kills Monsters. I also worked as a dramaturg on BNS Production’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone by August Wilson earlier this year. You may have even seen me sharing my love of folklore in Uptown Charlotte as a year-round guide with Carolina History & Haunts. I’m excited to collaborate with the phenomenal team at Theatre Charlotte for the first time on this production.

TC: What about this show makes you excited to direct it?
EES: "Over the River and Through the Woods" is a character-driven play and every role is complex. There’s a lot to unpack. I look forward to seeing what the actors bring to the stage.

Interview with our director for A Christmas Carol, Steve Price

TC: Describe A Christmas Carol in 3 words.
SP: SPIRITED THERAPY SESSION

TC: Welcome back! What shows have you been involved in at Theatre Charlotte recently?
SP: I've enjoyed participating in 3 productions with Theatre Charlotte. Two of which were as Bob Cratchit in this very play, A Christmas Carol in 2022 and 2023! And most recently as the very un-Cratchit-like Lenny Ganz in Neil Simon's Rumors in 2024.

TC: What about this show makes you excited to direct it?
SP: There's something inherently heartwarming about this story, and seeing the worst person you know discover the error of their way and make such an enormous shift to kindness, empathy, and charity. I think we could use a lot more Christmas Spirits working overtime these days, and hopefully TC's annual production brings a bit of an awakening to everyone who sees it.

Interview with our director for Murder on the Orient Express, Jill Bloede

TC: Describe Murder on the Orient Express in 3 words.
JB: CAPTIVATING CASE + POIROT. (OK, no fair only letting me choose 3 words. How about "You won't see the ending coming" or "Trickiest case for Hercule Poirot")

TC: Welcome back! What shows have you been involved in at Theatre Charlotte recently?
JB: Recently? Well, there was The Nerd, Addams Family, Christmas Carol, and most recently directed The Odd Couple. I had the privilege to perform Penny in You Can't Take it With You, and bucket-list-role: Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest

TC: We assume you are thrilled to be directing this show, so talk to us about why you are excited and what you're most looking forward to.
JB: You assume correctly - I'm thrilled to direct this thriller!!! Having directed this one before for Belmont Abbey, I learned a lot and am looking forward to a new bunch of collaborators to bring this great script to life for a larger audience.

Interview with our director for Little Shop of Horrors, Scott Albert

TC: Describe Little Shop of Horrors in 3 words.
SA: FUN + QUIRKY + ENGAGING

TC: Welcome to the TC family! What shows or theatres have you recently been a part of?
SA: Although I am new to the TC community, I am excited to get the opportunity to work here. My directing credits range over 20+ years in NY and Boston. Over the past few years, I have directed locally at Fort Mill Community Playhouse: Snapshots, 25th Annual Spelling Bee, Next to Normal, First Date. Rock Hill Theater: A Catered Affair. Lancaster Community Theater: Bye, Bye Birdie. Matthews Playhouse: Shrek Jr. and a dinner theater experience, The Anniversary, which I wrote and directed.

TC: What about this show makes you excited to direct it?
SA: I am excited to be directing Little Shop of Horrors because it's a cult classic - a show with a passionate fanbase, unforgettable characters, and a wildly fun blend of dark comedy, campy and catchy music. Taking on such an iconic piece gives me the unique opportunity to honor its legacy while finding a fresh, creative way to make it our own.