Keri Pisapia

Theater people from throughout Tennessee gathered at Belmont University's Bill and Carole Troutt Theatre on Sunday night for the 2013 First Night Honors to pay tribute to a group of eight remarkable people who have made indelible marks on the theater scene throughout their storied careers. Hosted by Holly Shepherd and Joel Diggs, the gala evening honored the eight leading lights of Tennessee theater as they were recognized as members of the First Night Class of 2013 Honorees.

Director Lisa Gillespie is responsible for my most recent serving of Steel Magnolias (onstage at Boiler Room Theatre in Franklin through September 8), which like all richly decadent Southern delicacies, sates something within me that yearns for a memory-laden repast-serving up Harling's artful blend of comedy and drama that is so redolent of my upbringing. In fact, every new production of Steel Magnolias that I see reminds me of a family reunion, where the same stories of kinfolk and friends are told time and again, providing a rich heritage from which to draw sustenance.

First Night Award-winning Boiler Room Theatre is looking ahead to its 2013 season, unveiling the seven shows that will make up the company's Lucky 13th Season. The 2013 season shows have been announced via social media this week, with each day featuring the announcement of another title in BRT's slate of shows.

The Boiler Room Theatre (BRT), Williamson County's original and longest-running professional theatre company, will stage Robert Harling's classic comedic drama Steel Magnolias in August. The production will run from tonight, August 17th through September 8that the theatre's iconic namesake venue in the historic Factory at Franklin, 230 Franklin Rd., Building Six, in Franklin, Tenn.

Apparently, it is Elvis Week in Nashville (at least according to the fine folks at Loveless Cafe), so before we head out to the theater for a full weekend of show openings and the like, a trip to West Nashville for a slice of the Loveless' Elvis pie is in order (for the uninitiated, that's peanut butter, banana, bacon and homemade whipped cream-the four basic food groups, according to The King.), so before we slip into a diabetic coma, here's installment #7 of Music City Confidential, all the news that's fit to print from onstage, offstage, backstage and beyond…

The Boiler Room Theatre (BRT), Williamson County's original and longest-running professional theatre company, will stage Robert Harling's classic comedic drama Steel Magnolias in August. The production will run from August 17th through September 8that the theatre's iconic namesake venue in the historic Factory at Franklin, 230 Franklin Rd., Building Six, in Franklin, Tenn.

We've been doing our part to prepare ye the way, watching the action onstage, taking some furtive peeks backstage, listening to all the offstage gossip and venturing beyond the confines of the theater to gain the informed knowledge to see more shows in the Volunteer State than you ever thought possible. So, good people of the theaterati, read on and get all the information you need to know in this, our latest installment of Music City Confidential. This is #6…

Now, we're the last to try to stir up trouble or to further flame the fires of jealousy or envy, but we thought we'd share with you some photographs of some of those lovely ladies who could delight their audiences just by standing there-but whom inspire and encourage us all with their superb onstage talents. So, here's our recommendation, take a look at these photographs, then find out on which stages you can find these women this summer, then make a reservation and go to the theater…

Who's who in Tennessee theater? Sometimes, without a program in your hand, it's difficult to know who's playing whom-hence, our newest feature: Hey, Jef, Here's My Headshot...featuring some of the Volunteer State's best-known-or soon-to-be-known all over the freakin' world-thespians. And have you ever wondered who the amazing photographers are who make them look so damn good? We're gonna tell ya…Today's actor/subject/model is the lovely and talented Keri Pisapia, photographed by Kristy West.

In recognition of The Barn's 45 years of bringing the magic of live theater to the stage, we continue our special series of Onstage at The Barn: Memories from The First 45 Years, with actress/music director/singer/songwriter/new mom Jaclyn Brown, who is one of the most accomplished multi-hyphenates to be found in Nashville, taking on a wide range of roles and responsibilities at Chaffin's Barn (she served as music director for Too Old For the Chorus (But Not Too Old To Be A Star), the show now onstage in West Nashville. Today, Jaclyn adds the memories of her Barn experiences to the ones that we've been sharing for two weeks to celebrate the 45th anniversary…

In so many ways, Trying - Joanna McClellan Glass' richly drawn portrait of the relationship between a patrician American jurist and his Canadian prairie-born secretary - is full of surprising moments, the various and disparate elements of fine drama woven together beautifully to tell a genuinely moving story. Who could have ever guessed that a two-person play, steeped in history though it may be, could prove so compellingly and resolutely fascinating?

The time is November, 1967, and a young woman has just been hired as a secretary for Judge Francis Biddle, Attorney General to Franklin Roosevelt, and famous as the former Chief Judge of the American Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. Now 81 and in failing health, Judge Biddle is still a Main Line Philadelphia aristocrat. Sarah Schorr, the latest in a string of secretaries, is a plain-spoken 25 year old from the Canadian prairie town of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Keri Pisapia is one of those Nashville actors who has quietly made a name for herself in a wide range of roles and productions during her time on the Music City stage. After adding a number of shows to her burgeoning resume (including the role of Anne in La Cage Aux Folles, which I directed for Circle Players a long, long time ago), she left Nashville to pursue her career in New York City, only to find herself returning to her adopted hometown after her NYC sojourn.

The world premiere of a new musical is always cause for excitement, whether the stage is on Broadway or in Nashville, and it was with great anticipation that we approached Call Me Home

July continues to be a busy month for Nashville-area theatre companies as five new productions are slated to open by week's end, including the world premiere of a new musical, the Nashville premiere of a new comedy by Sarah Ruhl and a production of Fame, the Musical, from Middle Tennessee's oldest community theatre organization.