Previews: GHOST STORIES FROM YELLOWSTONE at The Off-Central Players

Now through October 15, The Off-Central Players is debuting "Ghost Stories From Yellowstone," a collaborative production with the renowned playwright William Leavengood.

Written and directed by Leavengood, the play centers around Malcolm (Mal) Lindelie, portrayed by the artistic director, Ward Smith. Mal is the patriarch of a family grappling with the consequences of their poor decisions, a situation that threatens to tear them apart.

Joining the Off-Central Players for the first time are Kiara Dorothea as Mal's anguished daughter, Olivia; Dominic Reatini as the unpredictable and volatile son, Trip; and Margaret Murphy as the family's matriarch, Cassandra. Mackenzie Aaryn takes on the role of the free-spirited friend, Rhiannon. Together, they bring to life a story that explores the challenges of dealing with each other's complex personalities and personal demons, all while using humor and tolerance as their guiding lights.

"Ghost Stories From Yellowstone" has already garnered attention, with public readings in Los Angeles at the Moving Arts Theatre and a workshop/staged reading in New York at The Playroom Theater. It was even recognized as a semi-finalist for the National Playwright's Conference in 2016. Leavengood, a distinguished alumnus of Circle Repertory, boasts a prolific portfolio of over 50 plays, screenplays, and books for musicals, many of which have been performed both regionally and in New York, including Primary Stages and Circle Repertory. Locally, he is celebrated for his works such as "Webb's City The Musical," and more recently, his contributions to Off-Central's productions like "The Sister-Mothers of Gulfport" and "The Azure Sky in Oz."

Ward Smith, the artistic director and actor in the production, provided insights into how the cast worked together to portray the complexity of family relationships on stage. He stated, "From an actors' point of view, we all bring our family experiences with us, and that's what makes this piece resonate, is that every family can identify with strife, stress, and struggle if not the same issues."

When asked about the challenges and rewards of playing Mal, Smith explained, "Well, as the head of production, running the company, and managing the building, I'm similar to Mal in that it's always a challenge keeping it all together, and that it could all collapse any minute. In the story, he believes in his family no matter how fractured; he holds out hope. I'm very lucky that in the short time, we've been in operation, we've built a great team here at The Off-Central that helps hold it all together. The admin and production duties are laid out so that I can step quite literally into the role of the 'actor.' I'm slowly developing the ability to split my brain without losing my mind. The rewards, of course, are when you have original material and a fine cast and crew dig in with a shared passion to make art. I can't speak for others, but despite the exhaustion, the overall healing benefits are tremendous."

Aaryn shared her thoughts on what initially drew her to the role of Rhiannon and how she prepared for it. She explained, "The initial aspect that drew me into this play was the theme of addiction throughout and how a family moves through processing their relationship with a family member affected by addiction. Addiction is something that I have dealt with personally in my own family, so when I read the story, I actually strongly resonated with Olivia, and that's what I first came prepared to audition for. It wasn't until Bill saw a different side to me in the audition room that Rhiannon came into my view. She's very different from me in many ways, but the connection to loss and family struggle was still very prevalent to me, so I was very eager and excited to get the chance to tell the story. It was very important to me to understand the differences in body language, voice, and inner dialogue for this character to make her stand out in the awkward way necessary."

She further delved into the dynamics of the family relationships portrayed in the play, stating, "The relationships in this play are very combative, yet there is this deep underlying need in all of these characters to find a connection or a reason to keep going. While it all seems very tense, there is so much love throughout. There was a lot of talking about the complexities of the emotions of these characters and how they involve each other. As we got to know more about Bill through his own personal stories and how it affected this play, we were able to build those connections through the text. We would all take time to share a little bit about our personal lives, and even my mother's own addiction from the past was used to help the cast understand how things work in that realm. Thankfully, my mother is 4 years sober and doing great, so I'm really excited for her to see this show and to see how much her own story has inspired the cast as a whole."

Aaryn concluded by expressing her reasons for returning to the Off-Central Players for this project, saying, "What draws me back into the Off-Central is how local-oriented it is and how intimate the space is to work in. The stage is close to the audience, so you get to act on a very genuine level, and people get to experience it up close. It's really important to me to tell stories of REAL people living REAL circumstances and have the chance to reach people who might need to hear that story. The Off Central really provides a space for that, and I'm so grateful to be a part of this company!"

"Ghost Stories From Yellowstone" runs through October 15 at 2260 1st Avenue South, Saint Petersburg. Learn more and get tickets at https://theoffcentral.com/tickets

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