Getting to Know...JEFF SWAFFORD of Woodland Entertainment

Writer/producer/director Jeff Swafford debuts Crazy All These Years, the stage version of his screenplay which he made into a film last year, at Nashville's Darkhorse Theatre next week for an April 13-22 run. Starring Cinda McCain, Michael Adcock, Jennifer Richmond and Daniel Hackman, Swafford's play is one of Spring 2017's most eagerly anticipated productions.

An alumnus of Middle Tennessee State University - he and CATY producer (and fellow MTSU alum) Derek Whittaker go way back, as it were - and a native of Crossville, Swafford's returned home to Tennessee is order to pursue his art while being close to his family and friends. With his play, which is described as very personal and moving in tone, making its premiere in Music City under the aegis of his Woodland Entertainment, it seems apropos that the theater community get to know more about Swafford in anticipation

Welcome to our most recent edition of Getting to Know... this time with the spotlight focused on Jeff Swafford:

What is Crazy All These Years about? Crazy All These Years centers on Ben as he returns home to the small Tennessee town that he escaped from years ago to take care of his cantankerous mother who only has days to live. Their reunion quickly spirals into a battle of wills as they struggle to understand the life that each other have chosen to live. Ben also finds he must face up to past relationships and the broken hearts he left in his wake.

Why should people come see Crazy All These Years? The play packs an emotional wallop and I'm anxious to see the audience's reaction to this powerful cast. There are also several interesting dynamics happening throughout the play. We have a caretaker and patient that don't get along, a complicated triad relationship between Ben and the brother and sister that lived next door to him growing up, and the exploration of the long reach of family and whether or not you can truly escape it.

Where are you from/where did you go to school? I grew up in Crossville and did several shows at the Cumberland County Playhouse when I was in high school. I loved doing shows there. I then went to MTSU where I studied Broadcast Production with a minor in theater. But I ended up gravitating more toward the theater department and that is where most my friends were and where I spent most of my time.

What brought you to Nashville again more recently? I was working for Arianna Huffington at the Huffington Post in Los Angeles and she relocated to New York. So, I started working from home and soon realized I could do my job from anywhere. I loved living in Los Angeles but I had been there for two decades and it was time for a change and I wanted to be closer to family in Tennessee.

What's been your biggest challenge of producing Crazy All These Years at The Darkhorse? Making sure that the intimacy of the scenes remains intact while still translating to the back of the house. I enjoy creating quiet moments and it's much easier to capture on film because you have more control. But working with seasoned stage actors has made it easier and I'm very pleased with the result.

What has been your initial impression of the Nashville theater community? Before I left for LA, I saw many shows in Nashville from the old Actor's Playhouse, Circle Players, Nashville Rep and Nashville Shakespeare. What struck me most when I moved back to Nashville is how the community has grown and the amount of shows that are now produced. It's nice to see such a vibrant theater scene.

Theatrically speaking, what sets Nashville apart from other cities you have lived and worked? I wasn't really immersed in the theater scene in Los Angeles. I went to theater, both large and small shows, but since I was in the film industry, that is where I concentrated most of my energy.

How do you hope audiences respond to CATY? I hope the audience finds the humor in the play. Obviously, it's a very emotional subject and not one usually set up for humor, but the cast delivers some wonderful moments of levity that cuts nicely through the more dramatic moments that I hope will elicit a few tears. As Dolly Parton's character says in Steel Magnolias, "Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion."

What was your first introduction to live theater? Cats at TPAC. Loved it. Ah...to be that young and innocent again.

What are your favorite shows? Book of Mormon, Sweeney Todd, Once, Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman

Who would you like to play you in the onstage version of your life? James Van Der Beek - I was always told I looked like him when I was younger. We both have long, oval faces and a similar smile. Although as I get older, James is leaving me behind and I'm moving more toward Michael Chiklis.

About Crazy All These Years Woodland Entertainment founder Jeff Swafford will bring his new play Crazy All These Years from the screen to the stage of Nashville's iconic Darkhorse Theater April 13-22.

Originally shot as a film featuring local actress Cinda McCain, Crazy All These Years is a poignant yet humorous look at life, death and the damage caused by running away from the past. This new drama, described as "quiet and compelling," focuses on Ben, a gay man who returns to his small Tennessee hometown to care for his cantankerous dying mother. As they struggle to understand one another, Ben must also examine his previous relationships and the broken hearts left in his wake.

"The idea for this story started out as a play," says Swafford, a stage actor during his early career. I've always wanted to see it on stage because I believe the emotional impact of the story lends itself well to live theater and I'm excited to see it in front of an audience." Swafford helms the world premiere production of the stage presentation, having served as writer/director of the film version of Crazy All These Years, as well as the web series Three.

After graduating from Murfreesboro's Middle Tennessee State University, Swafford moved to Los Angeles and worked in the film industry for 15 years, most notably with director Quentin Tarantino and producer Lawrence Bender. His credits include such films as Jackie Brown, Kill Bill (Vols. 1 & 2) and Good Will Hunting.

The Nashville premiere of Crazy All These Years marks the first theatrical production of Swafford's company, Woodland Entertainment.

The cast of Crazy All These Years includes local favorites Cinda McCain (as Martha), Michael Adcock (as Ben), Jennifer Richmond (as Lori) and Daniel Hackman (as Joe).

When and Where Woodland Entertainment's Crazy All These Years runs select dates April 13-22 at Darkhorse Theatre, 4610 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, April 13-15 and 20-22.

Tickets Tickets are $15 and are available online at www.ticketsnashville.com or at the door 30 minutes prior to show time. Seating is limited. A portion of each ticket sold benefits the Tennessee Equality Project.

Who's Who - Cast and Crew

Cinda McCain (Martha), a Nashville resident since 1988, has an extensive resume, with numerous stage, film and television credits including her portrayal of the foul-mouthed trailer park owner Loretta Jenkins in the hit web series "How I Seize It." Stage credits include Southern Baptist Sissies (Odette), The Glass Menagerie (Amanda) and her First Night Award-winning portrayal of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire.

Michael Adcock (Ben) is a native Tennessean with numerous stage credits including local productions of Peter and the Starcatcher (Black Stache), Floyd Collins (Skeets), The Miss Firecracker Contest (Delmount) and Memphis, The Musical (Huey.) He has also appeared in several stand-up comedy showcases, including Zanies' "Best of Nashville."

Jennifer Richmond (Lori) has extensive local credits, including work with Nashville Children's Theatre, Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Actors Bridge, Street Theatre Company and Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, to name but a few. Previous shows include Cabaret (Sally Bowles) Avenue Q (Kate/Lucy) and Long Way Down (Maybelline), a new work by local playwright Nate Eppler for which she was awarded a First Night Award for Best Actress.

Daniel Hackman (Joe) makes his welcome return to the Nashville theatre scene after a brief residency in L.A. During his time there, he performed in shows at the Hollywood Fringe Festival and in the short film Before I Met You (Downtown LA Film Festival), along with a handful of other shorts and viral videos. A Belmont graduate, his local credits include work with Blackbird Theatre, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, People's Branch and Open Stage.

The production team includes Jeff Swafford (Playwright and Director), Derek Whittaker (Producer), Katie Gant (Lighting Designer), Emily Sue Laird (Scenic Designer) and Jennifer Whitmore (Stage Manager)

Woodland Entertainment is a Nashville-based Production Company, founded and operated by Jeff Swafford, and dedicated to excellence in film, music video and theatrical productions. For more information, please visit www.woodlandentertainment.net

Tennessee Equality Project Foundation was founded in 2005 to provide educational programs to advance the values of equality and inclusion for LGBT peoples. For more information, please visit www.tnep.nationbuilder.com

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