They say it takes a village to raise a child. Birthing a new work of art can be analogous to the process of childbirth, but now the creative artistry and talents of three cities are coming together to produce a new original musical, “Dandelion,” set to open Aug. 9 at Trustus Theatre.
The Vista nonprofit arts venue traditionally reserves this late-summer slot in their season, now in its 40th year, for the premiere of original work. The Midlands’ longest-running professional theater has held its Playwrights’ Festival since the late 1980s, producing each year’s winning script, as well as occasionally commissioning new works from local and regional authors. However, Jessica Francis Fichter, the theater’s Executive Director since early 2022, brought a new proposition to the table: the opportunity to co-produce a new musical that had not only already been developed and workshopped in New York City, but even had partial funding available.
The chain of events that has led to “Dandelion’s” debut might seem random, or could resemble a domino effect, with each inspiring the next. In a former life, Midlands native Fichter taught drama at Dutch Fork High School, before setting out to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree in Directing from the Actors Studio program at Pace University in New York City in 2020. Connections made through school and the NYC theater world led to directing gigs, including new musicals.
“I like really off-the-wall straight plays,” Fichter explain.