Debbie Kraski News

Chaffin's Barn, the venerable Nashville theatrical venue where you get top-flight productions served up alongside some mighty tasty roast beef, is on a roll this year. Coming off the success of its excellent production of 'Til Beth Do Us Part, Chaffin's mines their estimable comedy vault to bring back Larry Shue's Southern-fried and Georgia-bred classic The Foreigner - and audiences will be flocking to the Barn for a thoroughly delightful experience.

At first blush, Beth Bailey - the anti-heroine of 'Til Beth Do Us Part, the new comedy from the crackerjack writing triumvirate otherwise known as Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten - is a Southern-bred, country-fried rube with questionable fashion taste and amazing organizational skills. Delve a little bit deeper and you'll find that she's a manipulative, conniving bitch of a 100% cotton barracuda. And played by Kim Thornton Nygren, she's one heck of looker with a flair for over-the-top pratfalls and expert timing.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre presents 'Til Beth Do Us Part, a comedy by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten - the successful trio of playwrights behind Dearly Beloved and Christmas Belles - for a February 10-March 19 run at the venerable Nashville dinner theater. Directed by Martha Wilkinson, 'Til Beth Do Us Part features Lydia Bushfield, Warren Gore, Kim Nygren, Debbie Kraski, Tammie Whited and Charlie Winton.

The Pull-Tight Players Theatre of Franklin, Tennessee, will host a talk-back following the Friday, Feb. 4 performance of John Patrick Shanley's DOUBT. Patrons are invited and encouraged to stay to explore DOUBT further with director Heather Bottoms and the cast. This will substitute for the Players' traditional Prelude event Sunday, Jan. 16, which has been cancelled due to unpredictable weather.

The Pull-Tight Players Theatre of Franklin, Tennessee, will host a talk-back following the Friday, Feb. 4 performance of John Patrick Shanley's DOUBT. Patrons are invited and encouraged to stay to explore DOUBT further with director Heather Bottoms and the cast. This will substitute for the Players' traditional Prelude event Sunday, Jan. 16, which has been cancelled due to unpredictable weather.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre presents 'Til Beth Do Us Part, a comedy by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten - the successful trio of playwrights behind Dearly Beloved and Christmas Belles - for a February 10-March 19 run at the venerable Nashville dinner theater. Directed by Martha Wilkinson, 'Til Beth Do Us Part features Lydia Bushfield, Warren Gore, Kim Nygren, Debbie Kraski, Tammie Whited and Charlie Winton.

The Pull-Tight Players Theatre of Franklin, Tennessee, will host a talk-back following the Friday, Feb. 4 performance of John Patrick Shanley's DOUBT. Patrons are invited and encouraged to stay to explore DOUBT further with director Heather Bottoms and the cast. This will substitute for the Players' traditional Prelude event Sunday, Jan. 16, which has been cancelled due to unpredictable weather.

Opening January 21, Doubt, a Parable is the 2005 Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning drama. (You may have seen the 2009 Oscar nominated movie that was based on this play.)

The Pull-Tight Players Theatre of Franklin, Tennessee, will host a talk-back following the Friday, Feb. 4 performance of John Patrick Shanley's DOUBT. Patrons are invited and encouraged to stay to explore DOUBT further with director Heather Bottoms and the cast. This will substitute for the Players' traditional Prelude event Sunday, Jan. 16, which has been cancelled due to unpredictable weather.

Opening January 21, Doubt, a Parable is the 2005 Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning drama. (You may have seen the 2009 Oscar nominated movie that was based on this play.)

Jennifer Richmond, Dietz Osborne, Ben Dawson, Debbie Kraski and Charlie Winton star in Squabbles, the next show opening at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre in Nashville on Thursday, October 14. In Squabbles, Jerry Sloan is a successful jingle writer of commercial jingles married to an equally successful lawyer. Living with the happy couple is Jerry's not so happy father-in-law, Abe. When Jerry's mother Mildred is also forced to move in, the fur flies between Abe and Mildred in a succession of confrontations.

Jennifer Richmond, Dietz Osborne, Ben Dawson, Debbie Kraski and Charlie Winton star in Squabbles, the next show opening at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre in Nashville on Thursday, October 14. In Squabbles, Jerry Sloan is a successful jingle writer of commercial jingles married to an equally successful lawyer. Living with the happy couple is Jerry's not so happy father-in-law, Abe. When Jerry's mother Mildred is also forced to move in, the fur flies between Abe and Mildred in a succession of confrontations.

As Nashville's summer theater season continues to heat up, anticipation continues to grow for September's First Night Nashville Theatre Honors, the revival of the Music City theater gala that will benefit Reading is Fundamental (RIF) and sponsored by Macy's and BroadwayWorld.com. Set for Sunday, September 19, at Belmont University's Troutt Theatre, First Night 2010 will honor eight individuals for their sustained and continued commitment to theater in Nashville.

Eight of the leading lights of Nashville theater were announced Monday night as the Class of 2010 Honorees for the First Night Nashville Theatre Honors, to be presented Sunday, September 19. The Hard Rock Cafe Nashville's Reverb Room was the setting for the preview party and announcement of honorees.

As Nashville's summer theater season continues to heat up, anticipation continues to grow for September's First Night Nashville Theatre Honors, the revival of the Music City theater gala that will benefit Reading is Fundamental (RIF) and sponsored by Macy's and BroadwayWorld.com. Set for Sunday, September 19, at Belmont University's Troutt Theatre, First Night 2010 will honor eight individuals for their sustained and continued commitment to theater in Nashville.

The Boiler Room Theatre (BRT), Williamson County's resident professional theatre company, continues its 10th season with Neil Simon's comedy Brighton Beach Memoirs opening May 7, 2010 at the theatre, located in the historic Factory at Franklin (230 Franklin Rd., Building Six, Franklin) for a run through May 29, 2010.

The Boiler Room Theatre (BRT), Williamson County's resident professional theatre company, continues its 10th season with Neil Simon's comedy Brighton Beach Memoirs opening May 7, 2010 at the theatre, located in the historic Factory at Franklin (230 Franklin Rd., Building Six, Franklin) for a run through May 29, 2010.

With the holiday season just around the corner, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre has a special gift all wrapped up for the Nashville theatre-going public with their production of Christmas Belles, opening November 19 and running through December 31. The hilarious Futrelle sisters and all the other denizens of fictional Fayro, Texas return in this holiday-themed sequel to the smash hit comedy, Dearly Beloved by the playwriting trio of Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten. Directed by Nate Eppler, the cast features some of Nashville's best-loved actors and promises to be one of the hottest tickets in town this season.

Directed by Nate Eppler, Christmas Belles is staged in the round at Chaffin's Barn (as are all their shows), which works well for the play's hilariously overblown situations. Audiences have a birds-eye view of everything that's happening and that lends an even greater ring of authenticity to the hijinks unfolding onstage. By using every square foot of the Barn's playing area, Eppler involves the audience more intimately in the yuletide frivolities at the Tabernacle of the Lamb Church.

With the holiday season just around the corner, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre has a special gift all wrapped up for the Nashville theatre-going public with their production of Christmas Belles, opening November 19 and running through December 31. The hilarious Futrelle sisters and all the other denizens of fictional Fayro, Texas return in this holiday-themed sequel to the smash hit comedy, Dearly Beloved by the playwriting trio of Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten. Directed by Nate Eppler, the cast features some of Nashville's best-loved actors and promises to be one of the hottest tickets in town this season.