Stage West Theatre Brings Founding Fathers and Mothers to Brooksville Stage

Lynda Dilts-Benson spent 17 years in Stage West's wings before returning to "1776" as its director, and the Spring Hill community theatre's production of the Tony Award-winning musical treats the women of the founding era with a seriousness the history books rarely match. With just one weekend remaining, the show closes April 5 at Stage West Playhouse.

When "1776" last played at Stage West, Dilts-Benson ran the sound effects and dressed the set. Now she directs. "I have loved '1776' since the first time we did it 17 years ago," she said. "I know it so well that the only challenge was to find enough talented men to fill the roles." Her husband, Dalton Benson, is one of them, reprising his role as Benjamin Franklin from the original production. Zachary Smith, 23, of Wesley Chapel, plays Thomas Jefferson. Paul Wade of Spring Hill takes the role of South Carolina delegate Edward Rutledge. The full ensemble includes Brian Brijbag as Dr. Lyman Hall, Daniel Brijbag as Andrew McNair, Dan Hagan as Samuel Chase, Mitchell Gonzalez as Richard Henry Lee, Mathew Root as Dr. Josiah Bartlett, Sam Petricone as Stephen Hopkins, and Peter Pius as Lewis Morris.

What separates this production from a standard civics exercise is what the creative team does with the two women in the script. Bella, who plays Martha Jefferson, auditioned specifically for the role and spent rehearsals researching the character before stepping onstage. "Martha's husband, Thomas Jefferson, is larger than life, yet she is a footnote in history," she said. That research uncovered Martha's passion for music and the depth of her romance with Jefferson, threads the play weaves directly into its scenes involving the couple. "Being able to perform in a pivotal and patriotic musical is rewarding," she added. "Portraying Jefferson's wife, who deeply supports her husband's goals and inspires him to succeed, has been uplifting to me." Jessica Haberland plays Abigail Adams, bringing a theatrical biography that began when she was five years old.

Stage West timed "1776" as the capstone of its Americana Season, a deliberate choice in the year the country marks its 250th anniversary of independence. The season opened with "Annie Get Your Gun," then moved through "Wait Until Dark," "White Christmas," the dark ensemble piece "Assassins," and the media satire "The Front Page" before arriving at independence itself. Music direction is by Carol Ballard, with choreography by Toni Dwyer, a longtime Stage West staff member.

Stage West Playhouse is at 8390 Forest Oaks Blvd. in Spring Hill. Remaining performances run through April 5, with tickets and box office hours listed at stagewestflorida.com.