Red Rooster Tales Revival plays tribute to Parrish history and lore

PARRISH

Based on Parrish history, as well as local legends and tall tales, Parrish Playworks' "Red Rooster Tales Revival: The Train to Yesterday" rolls out this week with four performances.

The nonprofit theater group presents the 90-minute community performance featuring all local talent on stage and behind the scenes at Parrish United Methodist Church, 12180 U.S. 301 N, 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and closes with two shows on Saturday at 1:30 and 5:30 p.m.

"This is a slightly expanded show. People who saw the last production will recognize parts of it, but they will also see new performances," said Karen Romant, a Parrish resident who is also the play's writer and director.

"It's not a dry historical retelling," Romant said.

Parrish residents will relate to the program, which is enlivened with humor and song.

While the performance is not strictly in chronological order, it touches on the early inhabitants of the area from thousands of years ago, as well as the first Europeans who arrived in the Tampa Bay area, including conquistadors and pirates. Primarily though, Red Rooster Tales Revival focuses on the Parrish of the late 19th Century through the 1960s,

Romant said.

The cast numbers 24, and includes performers ranging in age from 7 to 75. Another dozen or so residents work behind the scenes.

The set is newly designed by Jeff Weber, with the largest backdrop resembling a bright Parrish postcard.

Monday, cast members did a run-through of the "Good Ole Boys" scene, with lots of small town joshing and joking.

"We have taken some artistic license, but have tried to get the feel of vintage Parrish," Romant said. "The whole purpose is to explore and celebrate the people who came before. I enjoy the sense of place and belonging, where people care about each other."

With Parrish on the cusp of unprecedented growth, Romant believes it is important to capture and preserve the history of the community in performance, she said.

The short-term goal is to produce additional performances, and the long-term goal is to build a Parrish playhouse, Romant said.

This year's production capture an authentic feel in part by including cast members who really know what they are talking about.

Stan Kotas, who plays the role of the conductor, in Red Rooster Tales Revival, comes from a career working in railroad companies, and also serves as a conductor at the Florida Railroad Museum in Parrish.

"More than 50 percent of the cast and crew is new. They came out for the audition and we are really happy about that," Kotas said.

Jill Goldsmith plays Emma, and tells stories about orange groves. It comes naturally for her because her father owned a Parrish orange grove. Incidentally, she lives on Red Rooster Road.

Parrish Playworks was founded by Romant, and composer and musical director Ellen VanDolah, the creative team behind Red Rooster Tales.

For tickets and information visit parrishplayworks.org, or at Cecil's Antique Emporium, the Parrish Y, or the Parrish United Methodist Church office.

James A. Jones Jr., East Manatee reporter, can be contacted at 941-745-7053 or on Twitter @jajones1.

This story was originally published April 11, 2016 at 11:10 PM with the headline "Red Rooster Tales Revival plays tribute to Parrish history and lore ."