Interview: Todd Mills of THE OUTSIDER at The Barn Theater

The Barn Theater presents THE OUTSIDER written by Paul Slade Smith. I had a chance to interview the director of the production, Todd Mills.

Please tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Todd Mills. I am a married 55 year old carpenter with 4 kids. Yup 4. I run an internet radio station, HomeGrownRadioNJ, out of Boonton NJ. Started the station in 2004 after leaving WNTI in Hacketstown NJ. Always been a huge music fan.

Please tell us about your involvement in theater.

My father was a huge influence in my life when it comes to theater I began my theater life onstage at the age of 7. Spent most of my earlier years as a performer....with a few equity shows as well as a lot of community theatre. I eventually began working backstage on lighting first....then set building as well as design. I've been on and off stage for the last 48 years

What inspired you to direct this piece?

The Barn Theatre came to me and asked me if I would be interested in directing this play. I gave it a read and said yes. It was originally scheduled to be performed in the fall of 2020....but was completely sidetracked by Covid 19. The original thought was to get a political comedy on the stage just prior to the election....but it was not to be.

What do you want your audiences to take away from this show?

I hope the audience has a good laugh first and foremost. It's a very funny show and very timely with the subject matter. There's no red or blue in this show there's just politics. I hope people listen carefully and recognize some of the realities of today's political world wrapped up in this comedy. It would be nice if people would garner a little more respect for those around them when it comes to political choices. I also hope people take away the ability to recognize people that don't belong in politics and are only in it for their own ambition and not for the good of the public. Government has the potential to do a lot of good if it's guided by people who truly have other people's interests at heart.

Anything additional you would like to add?

So if you're looking for a good giggle and maybe a little escape for the night I think this show just might be for you. It's been a pleasure working with such a talented cast. They've all worked very hard along with the crew to put together a fun night at the theatre So I hope you'll take a chance and come on down to see what we've got cooking.

THE OUTSIDER tells the story of Ned Newley who doesn't even want to be governor. He's terrified of public speaking; his poll numbers are impressively bad. To his ever-supportive Chief of Staff, Ned seems destined to fail. But political consultant Arthur Vance sees things differently: Ned might be the worst candidate to ever run for office. Unless the public is looking for... the worst candidate to ever run for office. A timely and hilarious comedy that skewers politics and celebrates democracy.

Performances are:
4/1/2022 @ 8:00 PM, 4/2/2022 @ 8:00 PM
4/3/2022 @ 2:00 PM, 4/8/2022 @ 8:00 PM, 4/9/2022 @ 8:00 PM
4/10/2022 @ 2:00 PM

All tickets are $23.

The cast includes Brad Bebout, J. Brian, Bridget Burke Weiss, Shawna Lagan, Cheryl Marocco Bookstaver, Jonathan Rudolph and Erika Wynzel.

For more information, please visit: https://www.barntheatre.org/show.asp?showid=689

Photo credit: The Barn Theater

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