THOMASVILLE — Local talent will grace the Storefront Theater stage at Thomasville on Stage and Company this weekend when actors from Tallahassee, Thomasville, and surrounding communities present “The Last Nashville Storyteller,” an original production written by local playwright Robin Branda and directed by Gary Brame.

Brame is no stranger to the stage, having directed for nearly 45 years at local community theaters, however, this will be his first time directing an original script.

Both an exciting and challenging endeavor, Brame has studied Branda’s words and has a vision he hopes to bring to life come Friday night.

The play follows an aging Nashville songwriter, who lived in Music City alongside the days of Kris Kristofferson and Tom T. Hall, contrasted with an upcoming, young female songstress who is more apt to today’s country music.

The story is loosely based on Branda’s life experience.

“He’s taken some of his personal experiences and dialed them into this play that contrasts old Nashville with new Nashville,” Brame said.

Branda was a songwriter who moved to Nashville for seven years and had a lot of success in the 80s, rubbing elbows with some of the most famous country artists, including Garth Brooks and Charlie Daniels. However, his biggest hit came after he took a break from songwriting. He moved back to Nashville in ’98 and, a few years later, wrote a song called Daddy Won’t Sell the Farm on the debut album of Montgomery Gentry. The album went platinum and was heard by millions.

Having that backstory provided a depth in character that Brame had not seen in quite some time directing. However, it was truly appreciated as it allowed the actors to dive into their roles and flesh out the compelling narrative.

“I thought Robin had a really interesting story to tell about what people are willing to sacrifice to make it big,” Brame said. “It appealed to me and I found a cast of people, but it took a little while.”

Brame wanted to ensure the cast encapsulated Branda’s story and was willing to take a chance on a lesser-known production.

“It’s a tight cast of five people and they’ve done a great job,” Brame said.

When Brame and the cast were handed the script, they were given full discretion to make Branda’s words come to life on the stage.

“That’s just part of the process in the theater,” Brame said. “Once you hand it over to the creative team, it’s out of the writer’s hands, but I hope he trusts me to do the right thing.”

Brame explained he has had several conversations with Branda throughout the course of rehearsals, sharing with him the play is nearly just as he imagined with the exception of a few jokes that Brame was unsure of.

“The story overall was absolutely there though,” Brame said. “I put a lot into being a director for writers. I love writing and reading, and I want, to the best of my ability, put on that stage what the playwright wrote.”

Brame believes he and his creative team have succeeded and this production will be a moment Branda can remember.

“I will have succeeded if people don’t see me in the play,” he said. “There’s a very minimal amount of scenery because I wanted to put the emphasis on Robin’s script and the acting because this will be the first time he gets to hear his play. I didn’t want to hide the words.”

Brame hopes the public will come out and enjoy the show and see the promising talent of Branda and the performance by local artists.

Opening night will be on Friday, May 9 at 8 p.m. followed by performances on Friday, May 16th at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 10 and 17th at 8 p.m., and Sunday, May 11th and 18th at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for students and $20 for adults.