930 TO SAY HELLO TO OUR LIVE GUEST. SO THERE’S A BRAND NEW THEATER GROUP IN THE TRIAD, AND IT’S HITTING THE STAGE SOON THE RED DRAMA DOOR SOCIETY IS PRESENTING ITS PRODUCTION OF THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE. THIS SATURDAY IN WINSTON-SALEM AND JOINING US NOW IS RYAN TWOMBLY WITH THE RED DOOR DRAMA SOCIETY. GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR BEING WITH US. HEY, THANKS FOR HAVING ME. WELL, FIRST TELL US WHAT ALL THE RED DOOR DRAMA SOCIETY IS AND AND WHAT DO YOU GUYS DO? WELL, WE’RE, UH, WE’RE A NONPROFIT THEATER GROUP. WE JUST GOT STARTED, AND, UH, WE REALLY CAME TOGETHER AS A GROUP OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY BECAUSE SOME OF OUR YOUNGER MEMBERS WERE IN A PRODUCTION TOGETHER THAT TOOK ABOUT THREE YEARS TO GET ON STAGE BECAUSE OF THE LOCKDOWNS. WE HAD, UH, SO AFTER THAT EXPERIENCE, SOME OF THE ACTORS WERE STILL JUST RARING TO GO. AND SOME OF THE PARENTS GOT TOGETHER AND SAID, CAN WE CREATE SOME MORE OPPORTUNITIES? UH, BOTH IN ACTING AND SOME OF THE OTHER THEATER ARTS? UH, WE DID A LITTLE FREE SHOW LAST YEAR FOR, FOR JUST, UH, SOME INVITED GUESTS, AND THAT WENT WELL ENOUGH. WE WANTED TO TO TAKE THINGS UP A NOTCH, UH, THIS YEAR. WELL, THAT’S EXCITING FOR ALL OF YOU INVOLVED, TOO. AND WE KNOW YOUR PERFORMANCE IS THIS WEEKEND. AND SO WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE PLAY? CAN YOU GIVE US KIND OF AN INSIDE PEEK? UH, WELL, THIS IS OUR STAR, EDWARD TULANE. UH, AND HE CERTAINLY DOES GO ON, UH, QUITE A JOURNEY. UH, IT’S BASED ON A BOOK BY KATE DICAMILLO. SHE’S SHE’S HAD A NUMBER OF HITS. UH, BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE. WAS ONE OF THEM. ONE OF THEM? UH, THERE WAS ADAPTED TO A MOVIE SOME SOME YEARS AGO. UH, SHE LIKES HER ANIMAL PROTAGONISTS, AND EDWARD IS KIND OF ONE OF THOSE, ALTHOUGH HE’S ALSO A TOY, AS YOU CAN SAY HERE. SO A LOT OF THE CHALLENGES HE FACES IS HE GETS INTO A SITUATION HE’S MAYBE NOT SO HAPPY WITH. UH, AND HE CAN’T DO ANYTHING. HE CAN’T SAY ANYTHING. YOU SEE, HIS MOUTH IS JUST PAINTED ON. UH, SO I THOUGHT THAT TIED IN WELL WITH HOW, UH, WE SOMETIMES FEEL AS KIDS. YOU KNOW, WE WE’RE IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS. UH, PARENTS ARE TAKING US HERE AND THERE SOMETIMES WE LOVE BEING WHERE WE’RE TAKING, YOU KNOW, DISNEY WORLD. SOMETIMES IT’S THE DENTIST. AND IF YOU HAPPEN TO NOT CARE FOR THE DENTIST, THAT CAN BE A CHALLENGE. SO, EDWARD GOES THROUGH A LOT OF THINGS THAT THAT KIDS HAVE TO SUFFER THROUGH. UH, BUT ALSO HE MEETS SOME VERY INTERESTING PEOPLE. I THINK, UH, ADULTS IN THE, IN THE AUDIENCE ARE REALLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT TO SOME OF THE STRUGGLES THAT THEY’VE HAD. AND THE LESSONS THAT THEY PASS ON TO EDWARD ABOUT BEING ABLE TO COPE. WHEREVER YOU ARE, BE HAPPY, WHEREVER YOU ARE. UH, AND REALLY, THE THE THEMES OF FOUND FAMILY AND, AND POSITIVITY REALLY COME THROUGH IN THE PLAY. NICE. YEAH. I THINK ADULTS FEEL THAT SAME THING AT THE DENTIST WHEN THEY’RE SITTING THERE ASKING US QUESTIONS AND WE CAN’T ACTUALLY ANSWER. UM, I’M CURIOUS HOW YOU ADAPTED THE BOOK FOR THE STAGE AND HOW THAT PROCESS WORKED, ESPECIALLY AS A NEW GROUP KIND OF COMING TOGETHER? YEAH, THERE WERE ACTUALLY SOME INTERESTING CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES. WE GOT A LITTLE GUEST OUT HERE. SORRY. UM, THE PLAY WAS WRITTEN SO THAT IT COULD BE PERFORMED ENTIRELY BY FOUR ACTORS WHO TAKE ON DIFFERENT ROLES. WELL, WE HAD MORE THAN FOUR ACTORS WHO WANTED TO, UH, PARTICIPATE. AND SO WE USED SOME, SOME SUGGESTIONS IN THE SCRIPT TO HOW TO SPLIT IT OUT. AND SO WE’VE GOT A SLIGHTLY LARGER CAST, BUT THERE’S STILL MULTIPLE ROLES THAT PEOPLE ARE PLAYING. AND, UH, WE, WE PLAY THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT EDWARD INTERACTS WITH. THE DIFFERENT FAMILIES THAT HE FORMS AS WE GO ALONG. UH, YOU’LL SEE A LOT OF, UH, UH, ARTISTS LEE AND THE HANDCRAFTING OF THE SET, SOME OF THE ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS WE DID IS THERE’S A SORT OF A FAIRY TALE THAT’S TOLD IN THE PLAY, UH, AND WE CHOSE TO USE A SUGGESTION IN THE SCRIPT TO DO THAT AS A SHADOW PLAY, WHERE WE HAVE THESE PUPPETS THAT APPEAR BEHIND A CURTAIN WITH A BACKLIGHT. I THAT’S THAT’S SOMETHING I HAD NEVER SEEN IN PERSON. I THOUGHT THAT MIGHT BE REALLY INTERESTING, UH, INTERESTING FOR THE AUDIENCE. UH, WE USE A LOT OF MUSIC IN THE PLAY TO SET THE SCENE, UH, VARIOUS THEMES FOR THE CHARACTERS. UH, WE REALLY TRY TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO TO BRING THE STORY TO LIFE. YOU TALKED ABOUT RYAN. SOME OF THE LIFE LESSONS YOU HOPE TO PORTRAY. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE INTENDED AUDIENCE? YOU KNOW, I ASSUME FAMILY FRIENDLY. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE FUN THAT MAY BE INVOLVED? YEAH, YEAH. WELL, IT’S DEFINITELY FAMILY FRIENDLY. UH, I, YOU KNOW, I’VE, I’VE TALKED TO SOME, SOME OF OUR AUDIENCE WHO SAID, YOU KNOW, I THINK MY KIDS, MY GRANDKIDS WOULD REALLY ENJOY THIS. UH, IT REALLY IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT EVERYBODY CAN ENJOY. UH, MY WIFE SAYS, UH, TO THAT I SHOULD WARN PEOPLE TO BRING ALONG TISSUES. THERE’S PLENTY THAT IS IS MOVING IN THE PLAY. UH, WE EXPERIENCED SOME SOME VERY DEFINITE, UH, YOU KNOW, REAL LIFE SITUATION THAT THAT PEOPLE ARE COPING WITH, WHETHER IT’S, UH, LOSS OF A LOVED ONE, DIFFICULT MEMORIES AND HOW YOU MOVE ON AND HOW YOU COPE. UH, GREAT FOR THE KIDS BECAUSE THEY GET TO SEE, UH, REALLY, WHAT IT’S LIKE TO, TO TO BE ABLE TO MOVE ON AND, AND STILL HAVE FUN TOGETHER. UH, AND THEN THE MUSIC THAT WE BRING IN, WE HAVE A LIVE GUITARIST WHO’S GOING TO JUST PLAY THROUGH AND AND CATCH THE MOVE MOOD OF EVERYTHING. HE PLAYS A LOT OF FOLK MUSIC. I THINK PEOPLE OUGHT TO ENJOY THAT. UH, EDWARD DOES A LITTLE DANCING. UH, SO EVERY OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE, UH, WE REALLY DO TRY TO HAVE FUN WITH THIS. WE HOPE PEOPLE ARE ARE SINGING ALONG WITH SOME OF THE SONGS YOU KNOW, IF THE KIDS WANT TO GET UP AND DANCE WITH EDWARD, WE’RE CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO STOP THEM. WELL, IT WAS NICE TO HAVE YOU ON OUR SHOW, RYAN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND GOOD LUCK THIS WEEKEND. THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE GETS ITS TRIAD DEBUT THIS SATURDAY. IT WILL BE ON STAGE AT THE MILTON ROAD CENTER FOR THE ARTS THROUGH SUNDAY. THAT LOCATION FOR YOU, NORTH SPRU