Theater Spotlight of the Week: James Paul Lemons

by Shawn Parikh

WaterTower Theatre is staging a very different kind of musical with Violet. It's actually a little dark, being about a woman who's been scarred for life from the age of 13. Plus, it even "mixes country, bluegrass and R&B." So this week, it was naturally appropriate to feature Director James Paul Lemons. I interviewed Lemons about two years ago, but it was definitely time to hear from him again.

We begin the interview by discussing what attracted him to Violet and why he chose it for this season. He talks about the story and how the score effectively mixes these different genres of music.

With the weight on lead actress Stacey Oristano's shoulders to carry the show, he discusses his directorial process with her. I ask him what he wants the audience to walk away thinking about.

On another note, with the current economic climate, WaterTower has cut back on performances, so he elaborates on this decision. Also, with his founding of the Discover Series at WaterTower of innovative new work, I ask how audiences have been responding to this venture.

Violet runs from January 15 - February 1. Tickets are available online or by calling the WTT Box Office at 972-450-6232.