Russellville native to direct UNA summer theater show
There aren’t an overwhelming amount of theatrical opportunities in this area, so lovers of the arts will be pleased to find out a production of Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Death of a Salesman” will be performed next weekend at the University of North Alabama with an all-star cast.
The production is presented by the UNA Summer Theater program and is directed by Myk Watford, a professional actor/director who was a supporting actor in the Academy Award-winning block buster film “No Country for Old Men,” the superhero hit “Spiderman” and has guest starred in several well-known television series including “Private Practice,” “The Closer,” “True Blood,” “Criminal Minds,” “N.C.I.S.,” and “CSI: Miami.” Watford also appeared in the 2003 Tony Award-winning Broadway production of “Take Me Out.”
Many might wonder why someone who has such a long list of accolades would come to Florence to direct a play, but Watford actually calls the area home since he is a native of Franklin County and a Russellville High School graduate.
Watford said he actually got his start in theater in the RHS drama program.
“I played football for Russellville and I loved it, but when I was in the ninth grade, I failed algebra and had to quit the team,” Watford said. “Pretty soon after that, my sister came home with a trophy because she had won the state Trumbauer Competition for dramatic interpretation and I decided I had to see what that was all about.”
Watford said he attended the RHS drama department’s performance of “Fame” and knew he was finally in the right place.
“When I watched them come out on the stage, it was like the sky opened up,” Watford said. “I knew that was what I was supposed to do.”
Watford went on to receive a full scholarship for drama to the University of Utah and earned his Bachelors of Fine Arts before enrolling in New York City’s prestigious Shakespeare Theater, an experience he shared with his best friend and Russellville native, Charlton James, who is now the artistic director at UNA’s Summer Theater program.
“We always talked about bringing something to this area – something with high-caliber actors that would be a life-changing experience for the high school students in the area interested in theater,” Watford said. “When Charlton asked me to come guest direct this production, I booked a plane the next day. I’m just extremely excited to be back in the area.”
“When I was growing up in Russellville, there was just a sense of freedom that I don’t even know if it still exists anymore,” Watford said. “I would come home from school everyday and take off my shoes and go down to the creek to fish till dark.
“I lived in New York for 10 years and I now live in LA, so I can appreciate the value that comes with the easy-going life of a small town. As a kid I probably didn’t appreciate it like I have come to, but I am fiercely loyal to the Southern way of life now.
Other professional actors who will be involved in the production alongside UNA theater students include Paul Hebron, Brian Sloan and Connie Cooper.
“This really is a dream come true to be working with the outstanding actors in the area I grew up in,” Watford said. “The production will be something that those who see it will really remember and it could be life-changing for someone in high school who was like me who just needed to see the right performance to know it was their dream.”
The production of “Death of a Salesman” will be held in Norton Auditorium on the UNA campus on June 23, 24 and 25 at 7:30 p.m., with a Sunday matinee performance at 2:00 p.m. on June 26. Tickets will be $5 for students, $10 for UNA faculty and seniors, and $15 for the general public. Seating is limited for this performance.
For further information please call 256-765-4356.
