Violet with music by Jeanine Tesori and Lyrics and book by Brian Crawley is being performed at the Garden Theater (160 Plant Street Winter Garden FL) through February 9, 2020. The show is based on The Ugliest Pilgrim by Doris Betts. Violet (Holli Trisler) is plagued by the question, “What do you see when you look at me?” At 13 years of age she was struck inn the face by her father’s axe blade that came unhinged from it’s blade. The play opened with Violet getting on a bus from her hometown in the mountains of North Carolina heading to Tulsa Oklahoma where she hoped a televangelist might heal her scar to make her beautiful.
The primary theme of the play is that beauty is not skin deep. At a rest stop on the trip She played poker with a paratrooper, Monty (Brian Zealand) and black sergeant, Flick (Raleigh Mosley II) who are stunned by her talent playing poker. The three become quick friends. A server at a restaurant offered a racial slur when dealing with Flick and Violet stood up for him based on his character rather than the color of his skin. A deep friendship developed between them since they both saw each other for who they were. Monty on the other hand was looking for a possible one night stand.
When Violet finds the televangelist he turns out to be a jerk much like Oz, in the Wizard of Oz. Despite him Violets faith and beauty shine. The idea of commercialized beauty idealized by Hollywood female stars should not the the ideal any young woman should have to aspire to. From my seat in the audience I never could see Violets scar. She tended to try and hide it behind her long hair. The face is we all carry scars and they add character and beauty to each of us.
This show was an unexpected treat. The music was uplifting and downright inspired in the case of the televangelists chorus. The glorious “Bring Me to Light” sung at the end affirmed that Violet would no longer hide her beauty or talents because of a single scar.
Tickets are $25 to $37.
Wednesday, February 5, 2020 – 7:30 PM
Thursday, February 6, 2020 – 2:00 PM
Thursday, February 6, 2020 – 7:30 PM – ASL Performance
Friday, February 7, 2020 – 7:30 PM
Saturday, February 8, 2020 – 2:00 PM
Saturday, February 8, 2020 – 7:30 PM
Sunday, February 9, 2020 – 2:00 PM