NASHVILLE THEATER 101: Brooke Leigh Davis & Robert Coles

It's a question asked of theater artisans forever, it seems: Why do you do theater? Plain and simple, to be sure, but clearly it's a query filled with portent and gravitas. Is applause enough to keep longtime actors on the job? In fact, is it enough to persuade a neophyte to seek a career onstage?

Why do you do theater? We've been putting that question to members of the Nashville theater famiy for the past month to find out what it is that motivates creative types to pursue an illusory and challenging career, while for others the theater gives them a creative avocation that helps keep them sane. Today, in our latest installment of Nashville Theater 101, we introduce two more members of our wildly divergent, almost prototypically dysfunctional theater family: Brooke Leigh Davis and Robert Coles.

Our questions: Why do you do theater? And why, for the love of God, do you do it in Nashville, the city most widely known as Music City USA?

Brooke Leigh Davis most recently stopped the show during Circle Players' recent production of Ragtime, playing Sarah's friend. Among her best-known roles include the lead in Street Theatre Company's Caroline, or Change, for which she was justifiably and critically lauded. Further, she was named the winner of the First Night Award for Outstanding Leading Actress in a musical for that performance.

Theater is something I sort of fell into quite by accident. I started out as a pit singer in community productions for a local children and youth program. At the request of my voice teacher I auditioned for an onstage role as some of their productions at times needed an adult. Eventually, I got to a point where I couldn't stay away from the stage.

Standing on stage to share a story is a powerful feeling. As a singer, I find that theater is a new way for me to tell a story and I love it! You never know the lives you touch. Also, I find there is a lot of great talent in Nashville. Theater has put me in place to help encourage others to step out and realize their dreams.

I moved to Nashville about 25 years ago to study music and I love it here. I believe there is a real appreciation for excellence in the arts in Nashville. I've seen wonderful productions here and really want to be a part of that.

I've been hiding in the background and under the radar for about 10 years. I sing a lot in a variety of different places and I have for many years. It wasn't until I met Street Theatre Company in 2012 that I thought I should really give theater a try. I haven't been able to stop...as long as there is a stage that will have me I will be there!

Robert Coles has been part of the Nashville theater scene for several years now, but in 2014 made a bigger splash in the local talent pool when he created the Imaginary Theatre Company, which has a big 2015 season in the works.

I can't describe the love I have for the performing arts. It started for me at a very young age. I used to sit at my mom's school and watch her direct plays in the afternoons with her high school students. I loved watching everything come together. There's something about taking a group of people, learning what their talents are, and bringing them all into a collaborative effort to produce one final product. From the director to the costumer to the performers on-stage, I'm in awe of the total production. To have a small part in that, whether it be onstage or offstage, is a great feeling.

Nashville is, and always will be, home for me. I grew up here, in many ways. Nashville has an electric energy about it when it comes to the performing arts. Sure, we're Music City, but we're so much more than that. The proof is in how many different productions are running at the same time. I often have to pick and choose what shows I'm going to go see because there's always something playing somewhere, and that's amazing. This city supports the arts so well. I think when I was trying to decide if Imaginary Theatre Company was a viable idea or not I looked at all the different theatre companies in town and tried to figure out if I had something different to offer. At the end of the day I decided that there are groups that will come and go, but we're all here for one purpose: to produce great live theatre events for our diverse Nashville audiences. I wanted to be a part of that, and I've made it my goal for the last year and a half to keep that going. Nashville is a great city!

I've been here my whole life. I've gotten serious about performing and directing over the last six years and I'm excited to see where things go with Nashville's theatre scene.

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