(Posted April 14, 2005)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Forrest Gump, take note: People's Branch Theatre is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you may get.

You just know that it will never be what you'll get from other Music City theater troupes.

Their newest production, Erin Cressida Wilson's Cross-Dressing in the Depression, adds to the eclectic mix of shows they've presented this season. And while it packs quite a lot into its 90-minute run time, this is the kind of play that makes after-show discussions with friends and family transcend the merely interesting.

The play is based on the true-life story of Wilder Jessup, a teenager forced to live in a bordello after 1930s economic woes break his family apart. Wilder (Matt Mellon) meets Melora (Anitra Brumagen) there and the oddly matched twosome reach out to each other - or do they? Tying these mystical moments together is the elderly Wilder (Matthew B. Carlton), who keeps us wondering what is real and what is not in this tale of loss and love.

Mellon, Brumagen and Carlton take us gently along for the emotional exploration of the play's characters and themes. They have each contributed winning performances for People's Branch and other Nashville theaters before, so it's no surprise that they find the right touch for these roles.

Director Matt Chiorini has paced the show so that it flows quickly but still allows the nuances of Wilson's script to live. Misty Lewis' costumes, Pete Vann's scenic design, Mellon's lighting and Chiorini's sound aid instead of intruding on this very personal tale.

Cross-Dressing in the Depression adds to the wonderfully wild variety that PBT audiences have come to expect this season. They keep serving up surprises, which is what good art should do. This isn't your daddy's museum-piece theater, and for that Nashville should be truly thankful.

To See The Show…

Cross-Dressing in the Depression concluded its run at the Belcourt Theatre on April 14.