Tifton, GA
Population: 16,733
Tifton, Georgia is a lazy little town in South Georgia. We pulled up to our luxurious EconoLodge bright-eyed and bushy tailed. (Deidre found a stranger’s turd in her toilet upon arrival, and the staff reluctantly brought her a plunger for it.) There were Mexican restaurants, churches, and pick-up trucks as far as the eye can see. We ate at Metate, an authentic Mexican restaurant with mole that was pretty excellent.
Here, we performed The Crucible twice at Tifton County High School. We had a matinee for students during the day—many of the students were Title I and had never seen a play before. At night, we had a kickass performance for about 50 locals (plus CJ’s mom) who were very appreciative.
Tifton County High School–catwalkin’ 
Feat. CJ’s Mom!
The next morning, we picked up some flowers from Bella’s Flower Truck and began our journey to the Promised Land of Memphis, TN!
Memphis, TN
Population: 652,236
Home again! It was so nice to be back in town, this time with some lovely friends. Emily, Deidre, Hugh and I stayed in an Airbnb in Midtown, right off of Young Ave. We ate dinner with Deidre’s family out in Eads and with my parents in Midtown. We played a board game with my sister, Rae, and Gabe. While there, we snuggled with Woolf as he yelled in all of our faces. He has been pretty moody since his mom abandoned him for the year (go figure, huh?)
Deidre took us all to a Grizzlies game, and WE ACTUALLY WON!!! I guess Emily and Hugh are our lucky charms! It was a great game, and the Grizzlies had a ten-point lead over the Pelicans in the fourth quarter. Talk about an exciting SPORTS!
After the game, we headed to the Sheraton downtown for drinks with two incredibly lovely human beings—Jenna Duncan and Rachel Grandizio. They were in town, casting for the National Players at UPTA’s (the Unified Professional Theatre Auditions). It was pretty amazing to be in the same exact hotel I was a year ago. Back then, I was preparing for my National Players callback. I went into the room with JKJ and Jenna and said, “Not to be weird, but I’m only here for the National Players. So let’s do this.” A year later, surrounded by all the preening musical theatre kids, I cannot believe that I actually booked this gig. It feels good to be doing the thing I love.
We got to go see my dad perform in a production of Lynn Nottage’s Sweat at Circuit Playhouse while in town. Let me tell you. That show is INCREDIBLE. The script alone is a masterpiece. Nottage takes a look at displaced factory workers in 2008 in Redding, PA. The show is an eerie look at the evolution of the Americans who would eventually become Trump supporters. The performance was incredible, particularly the performances of Kim Sanders, Jai Johnson, and (of course) Greg Boller!! My dad is incredibly talented. His performance brought me to tears, and I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of him. He completely transformed. My pals and I talked and debated about the content of the show for the rest of the night. Emily said, “I can’t believe I saw a show that made me empathize with a Trump voter.” Memphis, you’ve got some amazing theatre happening.
Paducah, KY
Population: 24, 941
Paducah, Kentucky reminds me a lot of where I grew up—the little suburb of Collierville, TN. (Except downtown Paducah is a lot cuter). We performed at The Carson Center, one of the most beautiful touring houses I have ever seen. It looks a lot like the Orpheum in Memphis, where we are headed next! Working and performing here was an absolute dream. The audience was appreciative, and the crew at the theatre was top-notch. We drank locally brewed beer, soaked up some sun by the river, and reveled in the kindness of strangers here in this quaint, quirky town.
As I write this, I am sitting in between Hugh and Deidre, my two Valentines, jamming to The Rolling Stones in the truck. We are on our way to Memphis, and I’m both stoked and sad. I am so excited to show my friends my city and to perform at the theatre I worked for for the past few years. I’m sad that this will be the last time I’m home for a few months. I’m definitely going to make it count.
Your Dear Lady Disdain,
Jamie
pit stops/ /parking lots 