Taylor Cassell
  • Theatre
  • Dahlonega, GA

Taylor Cassell from Dahlonega, Ga., Participates in 'Grapes of Wrath' Theater Production at Brenau University

2012 Feb 14

Taylor Cassell from Dahlonega, Ga., will be on the wardrobe crew in the Gainesville Theatre Alliance production of "The Grapes of Wrath," scheduled to run through Feb. 25 in Brenau University's Hosch Theatre at 429 Academy St., Gainesville. Cassell is a freshman at Brenau majoring in theater.

The classic Depression-era tale, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Nobel Prize laureate John Steinbeck, takes on renewed poignancy in these days of rampant foreclosures, sky-rocking unemployment and global economies tottering on the brink of collapse. It covers the odyssey of the Joads, a family of Oklahoma "Dust Bowl" sharecroppers who in desperation join the westward migration with thousands of others seeking jobs, dignity and basic needs for survival.

(See the video in which Brenau faculty and students discuss the importance of the Steinbeck novel and the play by clicking www.brenau.edu/video.)

As do all the GTA productions, "The Grapes of Wrath" production is a collaboration of work by students and faculty of Brenau and Gainesville State College working with professionals at every level. Georgia Ensemble Theatre's Bob Farley is guest director. Professional actin Jane Bass, who appears often at Atlanta's Shakespeare Tavern, handles the of "Grandma Joad" and Elisa Carlson, returning to Georgia after a 15-career as a dialog coach at theaters around the country, has the pivotal, heart-wrenching role of "Ma Joad."

"For me, it's really a story about Ma Joad," said director Farley. "Because of the iconic photos of Henry Fonda [in the movie role], Tom Joad is often thought of as the hero, but he's a convicted murderer, just out on parole. I don't want that kind of person to be hero. Ma Joad is the one who responds to all the hurdles the family must confront, and who holds the family together."

Making the play more relevant to what is happening in the world today and helping strengthen bonds to the community, GTA has invited 10 organizations to be part of a Community Resource Fair in the lobby each night of the production. All are groups that work to bring relief to the poor and homeless in the area.

Tickets are $16-18 for adults, $14-16 for seniors and $10-12 for students. Patrons can select their own seats on the website at www.gainesvilleTHEATREalliance.org or purchase tickets through the GTA Box Office from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays at 678-717-3624. MasterCard, Visa and Discover are accepted. ADA seating is available by calling the Box Office.

Brenau collaborates with Gainesville State College in the Gainesville Theatre Alliance, which for three decades has brought high-level drama and musical performances involving students, community theater amateurs and professionals to stages at the two institutions.

ABOUT BRENAU – Founded in 1878, Brenau University currently enrolls about 2,800 students in graduate and undergraduate programs on campuses and online. With a curriculum that blends professional preparation informed by the liberal arts, Brenau degree tracks range from Associate of Arts, which includes a special "early college" program for exceptional high school-age students to terminal degrees, including a Master of Fine Arts in Interior design and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. The main campus of the Georgia-based liberal arts institution, which includes the Brenau Women's College, is in Gainesville with other campuses in Augusta, Kings Bay and in two metro Atlanta locations, Norcross and Fairburn. Brenau's 2011 ranking as one of the top 15-best higher education values in the Southeast by U.S. News & World Report marks the university's sixth consecutive year in that position for the magazine's America's Best Colleges guidebook. Brenau University also has been cited as one of the best universities in the Southeast by The Princeton Review. The Chronicle of Higher Education accorded Brenau "honor roll" status as one of the top 10 best colleges and universities to work in its 2011-12 survey rankings.