WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – At this Orange County theatre, life imitates art.
Garden Theatre artistic director Joseph Walsh is proving that inspiration can come from within, bringing the community a season of shows centered on “family.”
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Walsh said the 2022-23 season theme was crafted with the theatre’s staff and artists in mind, the theatrical exploration of family a tribute to his own chosen tribe.
“This staff is extraordinary and I wanted to celebrate them. It was inspired by them, their voices and their ideas of who they are were in it. They really were a part of the creative process,” Walsh said.
And much like in “Dreamgirls,” one of the musicals sharing the spotlight this season, Walsh said the Garden Theatre is “a family like a giant tree, branching out to the sky. We are a family, we are so much more than just you and I.”
“I thought about how that lyric really does sum up what it means to be a part of the Garden Theatre and how much stronger we are together as a community, as a group of artists, who come together to tell stories,” he said.
The season, which spans every era from Shakespeare to the ‘60s to the 21st century, officially starts Aug. 26 with a “A Bronx Tale,” followed by “Paper Thin,” “Honk!,” “Stick Fly,” “Next to Normal,” “Something Rotten!” and “Dreamgirls.”
Walsh added arranging a season around a theme makes it easier to piece together, imagining it as a seven-show experience that must be viewed together from start to finish.
“You start with something to pinpoint, something to hang thematically, all of the plays together,” Walsh said. “It gives you a little bit of a clue as to where you want to take the season ... So you come and you experience the whole season with us. There’s some things you like, there’s some things you don’t like, there’s some things you love. But you really are a part of the conversation from beginning to end.”
And audience members are participating in these performances in more ways than one. They can also enjoy a talkback after at least one performance of every show, set into the season to allow crowds to question the works and explore the themes within them.
It’s something that aligns with the Garden Theatre’s mission statement to “inspire discovery through theatrical experiences that are innovative, impactful, and inclusive,” their website reads.
“Telling stories that will attract different audiences helps to make sure that the space is open and welcoming to everybody,” Walsh said.
It’s also why he said they’re featuring both smash-hit sensations and lesser known narratives, such as “Paper Thin” by T.K. Lee, which had its world premiere only last year in Ocala, and “Stick Fly” by Lydia R. Diamond, which goes under the microscope to view race relations through a different lens, one colored by discussions among a wealthy Black family on Martha’s Vineyard.
“(We) wanted to make sure that we are we are telling diverse stories from diverse voices,” Walsh said.
These two plays shows families for what they are in all their flaws and faults.
“We started to look at shows that really dug into, what does it mean to be a family and what are the trials and tribulations? Sometimes families uplift you, sometimes families have struggles, and so we wanted to show all sides of what it means to be a family,” Walsh added. “... People create families. So I also wanted to celebrate it acknowledge right the families that we choose and create as well.”
Walsh said to look at the work featured next season, the theatre had to start from a place of creativity and imagination, something he said they’re becoming known for.
“We have a season of family at a theatre that is live, local and reimagined. And we’re excited that music will be live. A majority of the talent is local. So we’re giving local artists a chance to perform on stage in every aspect of production. And because of the size of the space, we have to reimagine things when we don’t have wings,” Walsh said.
To buy season tickets or find more information on the shows featured, visit the theatre’s website.