The FRIDAY FIVE: TRAILER TRASH HOUSEWIFE's Arnold & Strong

Inspired by BroadwayWorld.com's Friday Six, welcome to BroadwayWorld Nashville's latest installment of The Friday Five: five questions designed to help you learn more about the talented people you'll find onstage throughout the Volunteer state. There's only so much time before the holiday weekend kicks off in earnest and we have a couple more talented people we want to introduce to you before you've made all your 4th of July entertainment choices.

Today, we focus our spotlight on Andrew Strong and Cat Arnold, stars of KB Productions' staging of Del Shores' The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, opening tonight at Nashville's iconic Darkhorse Theater for a six performance run over the next two weekends. Directed by the First Night Star Award winning director/actor/producer Clay Hillwig, the latest from Shores promises to pack an emotional wallop, judging from everything we've heard during the run-up to opening night.

May we politely suggest that you read today's Friday Five, featuring the aforementioned Strong and Arnold, then quickly make your way to the communications device and secure your tickets to the show before they're all gone. Seriously, you might want to order tickets like RIGHT NOW! Then read...

Andrew Strong

What was your first "live onstage" taste of theater? In seventh grade, my friend and I performed Monty Python's "Parrot Shop" sketch in front of several hundred people. We brought the house down, and I've loved acting ever since.

What is your favorite pre-show ritual? I don't have enough experience to have a ritual. But if I did it would probably involve a cigarette and running over my lines.

What's your most memorable "the show must go on" moment? In high school I played Peter Pan. When Tinkerbell got poisoned I was filled with anguish and yelled angrily into the heavens. One night I caught the girl playing Tinkerbell off guard. My scream scared her and she yelped loud enough for everyone to hear her. The audience lost it and so did I. The dramatic death scene of a beloved character turned into a riot. It took a lot of effort to pull it together after that. But the show must go on, right?

What's your dream role? I would love to play Cyrano de Bergerac.

Who's your theatrical crush? Harriet Jones. She's what little boys' dreams are made of...

Bonus Question: Tell me something about yourself that would surprise most people. People would be surprised to know that I've written several musicals, and they've been seen by over a million people worldwide. I know it surprises me anyway.

Cat Arnold

What was your first "live onstage" taste of theater? I know that my mom had us in a few plays at the junior high where she taught when I was a toddler, and I know they took us to some ballet when I was younger, but my strongest memory is as a teenager in July, 1986. I bought myself a ticket to see Peter Reckell in Pirates of Penzance at Music Circus in Sacramento. I was a huge fan of Days of Our Lives and that was really the main reason I wanted to go, because it was Bo Brady. Something about the experience really got under my skin (in a good way). I was blown away, and not only did I ask for season tickets for my high school graduation present (and then went on to buy them for myself for the next few years before I started working in the box office and could go for free), but within six months of that production, I was on stage for the first time ever in Wizard of Oz put on by Sacramento Community Actors Theatre at my high school.

What is your favorite pre-show ritual? It changes for each show. In Picnic, it was having Austin put on my vintage watch. In this show, it will involve Andrew Strong, but I can't really say in a public forum what it will be.

What's your most memorable "the show must go on" moment? When I was in Godspell at Boiler Room Theatre in Franklin, one of the actors passed out right at curtain, the woman running the box office was a nurse and said he needed to go to the ER. We all got around the script, passed out lines quickly, cut his song, went up 20 minutes after curtain, and most of the audience had no idea anyone was missing.

What's your dream role? Well, the last time I participated in the Friday Five, I didn't even know this role existed, but when the rights are available, I want to play Annie Wilkes in Stephen King's Misery. Hopefully, they will come out before I get too old!

Who's your theatrical crush? This almost goes without saying, but it would have to be my husband, David Arnold. I love being on stage with him, but I also love being able to watch him perform. I can't wait to see him in Myth as Zeus!

BONUS: Tell me something about yourself that would surprise people. Some folks already know this, but I am a survivor of domestic abuse. I am an ACA. My father was a violent and mean drunk and took it out mostly on my mother, but sometimes on me and my sister. I then went on to marry an abusive man, but had enough support from my best friend and my friends in the theatre community, even back then, to get out of it safely. I even dated some really verbally and emotionally abusive men after that, but finally I broke the cycle and am now in a very safe and happy marriage. I hope that our performances and this script might touch the lives of women who come to see it who are living in an unsafe environment and encourage them to reach out and get help. Or if someone who sees the play knows anyone in a bad situation and can be encouraged to guide them toward the light, then, in addition to just sharing quality theatre, we have performed a special service.

ABOUT THE SHOW: Looking for a theatrical way to kick off your holiday weekend? The fine folks at Nashville's KB Productions - notably LT Kirk and Donald Powell, the producers - have a great idea: Come see The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Park Housewife (starring some of Music City's favorite actors under the direction of one of the city's favorite directors) and meet the celebrated playwright, Del Shores, during the starry opening night festivities!

It's just the latest in KB Productions' theatrical legacy: Mr. Producers Kirk and Powell are proud to present another play by the estimable Mr. Shores, this one starring Cat Arnold, Andrew Strong, LaQuita James, Beth Henderson, LaToya Gardner and John Todd, directed by Clay Hillwig. And, after the opening night performance, you can hang out at the Darkhorse Theatre to meet Del Shores.

There are only six performances - and tickets are available via http://kb-productions.eventbrite.com/. Then, on Sunday night, you can return to the Darkhorse to see Shores in his new show SINgularly Sordid at 8 p.m. For details about tickets, go to https://www.facebook.com/events/1638895752999745/. Performances of The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Park Housewife are slated for Friday, July 3, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, July 4, at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, July 5, at 5 p.m.; Thursday, July 9, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, July 10, at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, July 11, at 7:30 p.m.

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