Before the last night: What you need to know about “The Last Night of Ballyhoo” from director Josh Scott
Trinity Adams, Staff Writer
To further the excitement surrounding the opening of NGU’s fall play “The Last Night of Ballyhoo,” director Josh Scott shared all you need to know before you see the show.
Scott is an assistant professor of theater at NGU. He also shared what drives him in directing and what it means to him.
“I have been blessed with the opportunity to professionally direct plays for over 23 years. As a lifelong learner and artist, I am mission-driven to truthfully tell stories and guide actors as they faithfully represent the characters of said stories on stage,” he said. “Good men do bad things. Bad men have moral attributes. If we truly desire to tell the truth on stage, to even go so far as to suggest what that truth entails, we must also be insistent upon showing the entire gamut of our humanity. Without honoring the differences, we neglect humanity.”
“The Last Night of Ballyhoo” was written by Alfred Urhy in 1996 and debuted on Broadway on Feb. 7, 1997. It takes place in Atlanta, Georgia, and follows the life of the Freitag-Levy family during the events of World War II.
The Freutag-Levy family is a wealthy Jewish family who assimilated into the South and owns a large bedding company. Throughout the play, they face challenges with their religious identity, love and the effects of World War II.
NGU’s theater department had many plays to choose from. Scott shared what led to the selection of “The Last Night of Ballyhoo.”
He said, “The selection of Alfred Uhry’s ‘The Last Night of Ballyhoo’ for NGU theater was a result of a deliberate process undertaken by the theater faculty in the spring of the previous year. The objective was to curate a production season that would engage and enthrall our audience while offering valuable educational opportunities for our students.“
Scott then went on to explain what makes this Tony award-winning play different from the other plays that NGU has done in the past years.
“During the 2023-24 academic year, all four of the mainstage productions being produced at NGU share central themes of family, faith, friendship and forgiveness. Among the four productions, Alfred Uhry’s script for ‘The Last Night of Ballyhoo’ stands out as an exceptionally realistic portrayal of everyday life,” he said.
He went on: “Furthermore, I have a deep admiration for the play’s 1930s setting, including the meticulously crafted costumes, set design, and the practical lighting elements we incorporate on stage. The collective effect is a captivating and enjoyable journey into an idyllic bygone era.”
“The Last Night of Ballyhoo” opens on November 9. Show dates run from November 9-11 and November 16-18. Scott shared some insight into what the audience can look forward to during the show.
He said, “The audience can anticipate an engaging blend of humor interwoven within the story. The Last Night of Ballyhoo offers numerous moments of genuine laughter, skillfully offsetting the play’s dramatic aspects. It’s a narrative that delves into the themes of family and faith, and it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if patrons find elements of relatability–perhaps recognizing aspects of themselves or their own family members within the characters on stage.”
