SONORA — In present-day North Florida, in a town called Starke, in a trailer park called "Armadillo Acres" (though there are few armadillos and even fewer acres), there’s a new tenant – and she’s wreaking havoc all over Florida’s most exclusive trailer park. New resident, Pippi, the stripper, is on the run, in her five-inch heels no less! Her arrival shakes up the otherwise hum-drum, daily existence of the trailer park residents. When Pippi comes between the Dr. Phil-loving agoraphobic Jeannie and her tollbooth-collector husband Norbert – Conflict shakes the dysfunctional bliss of the trailer park!
The trailer park’s colorful and quirky denizens include a Greek-chorus-like trio of women: Linoleum, (Lin), Betty and Pickles, each with their own problems, who serve as narrators and lawn chair philosophers, pontificating on life in their trailer park world.
The Great American Trailer Park Musical, with music and lyrics by David Nehls and book by Betsy Kelso is a raucous and ribald musical featuring a country-rock/blues score including such hits as "This Side of the Tracks," "It Doesn't Take a Genius," and "Road Kill." It has been described as "South Park" meets "Desperate Housewives.”
Sierra Rep welcomes Trey Compton as guest director/choreographer for his first time with SRT. His most recent success was his nomination for a Drama Desk Award for Best Musical and Best Director for the off-Broadway production of the musical Yank! at the York Theater Company, NY, New York. His numerous credits include White’s Lies, which ran at New World Stages with Betty Buckley, as well as his experience with classics like; South Pacific, Twelve Angry Men, The Music Man, Evita, The Producers, and West Side Story, as Assistant Director.
Trey grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and has been making his living as a director, choreographer and fight director in New York City for the past ten years. He attended Pace University in NYC. When asked to share his thoughts and visions for the SRT production of Trailer Park, he said, “I have loved Trailer Park since I first saw it in New York. Trailer Park knows exactly what it is from moment one. Within the first 20 seconds the audience knows immediately that they are about to go on a bumpy, hysterical, colorful, cheese-whiz filled ride. It has a wonderful balance of both lowbrow and highbrow humor that is delivered at unexpected intervals, keeping the audience in constant surprise. Ultimately, it becomes a heartwarming story about individuals who are challenged to change.”
Three of our actors making their SRT debut are Andrew Berlin, Ellie Wyman and Kaitlyn Sage: Actor Andrew Berlin in his SRT debut as Norbert, comes to us from his recent National Tour of A Christmas Story: The Musical. His recent international tour was Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. Soprano Ellie Wyman joins her first show with Sierra Repertory Theatre. She is a multi-talented actor, singer, dancer, and educator. We are thrilled to have her appear on SRT’s stage in the role of Pippi, along with Kaitlyn Sage who will be playing Pickles. She too is making her Sierra Repertory Theatre debut. Other talented and seasoned cast members are Cody Gerszewski as Duke, Audra Qualley, as Linoleum, Erica Hanrahan-Ball as Betty, and Catherine Yates as Jeannie.
