The Broadway musical drama Parade opens in Tallahassee this Thursday.
Parade is based on the true story of Leo Frank, a Jewish man lynched in Georgia in 1915.
Frank was accused of murdering a teenaged girl on the day of the annual Confederate Memorial Day parade. He went on trial, and scholars believe he was wrongly convicted. The Georgia governor reduced Frank’s sentence from the death penalty to life in prison and had him moved to a different location. But a mob found him and lynched him.
This show is performed in the round. Cast member John Campana says the audience will have an immersive experience.
“The main performance area is going to be in the center of the room, so there’ll be elevated platforms," Campana says. "The ensemble, when we’re not playing characters, we’ll be seated in benches around the periphery of the performance area."
The show is being held in the Faith Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall at 2200 N Meridian Rd. The church’s worship director, Peter Pursino, says they were looking for ways to bring in the community. They decided theatrical productions would be a good draw after meeting with local director Naomi Rose-Mock.
“Naomi was looking for a place to do A Christmas Carol, and I said let’s do it at Faith in the round," Pursino says. "One thing led to another. We started adding other shows, and it’s been a dream of both mine and Naomi’s to do Parade.”
Parade runs at various times September 19 - 29. Click here for show times and tickets.
