new in Middle Tennessee:
Introducing Clarksville Community Theatre
He saved up memories of childhood joys at theater camp in Chicago. He saved them through a family move to rural Kentucky, through his teenage years, through his college studies in communication, through an MFA in theater for young audiences, and his doctorate in educational leadership. Now settled into his new role as assistant principal at Clarksville’s Rossview High School, Dr. Riley Braem is creating theater dreams for others in the form of Clarksville Community Theatre (CCT).
For some time, the Roxy Theatre in Clarksville, forty miles from Nashville, has made its regional mark with an appealing blend of traditional and innovative programming, from iconic favorites like A Streetcar Named Desire, recent hits like the Broadway show, Thoughts of a Colored Man, and cult favorites like Rocky Horror Picture Show. And although some local actors are used, the cast is typically seasoned professionals or very nearly so. That left an empty space in this growing community. Braem and the newly formed CCT Board of Directors aim to fill that space.
Starting just a few months ago in December 2025, they announced twin goals of theater opportunities for resident amateurs and summer options for children. An attempt had been made a few years ago with the Clarksville Community Players, but that quickly fizzled. To raise funds for this newest fledgling endeavor, CCT staged “Songs I Could Never Sing,” what they called a “miscast cabaret.” Held at Revels, a local gastropub, the performance generally featured men singing female roles and vice versa. The singers were allowed to choose the songs/characters of their preference. The MCs, whose roles as performers and announcers of real-time events were not always distinguishable, introduced each work.
Supported by the expert musicianship of pianist Debbie Wilson, a music teacher recently retired from the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System, some strong voices and strong theater personalities showed promise for future shows. On the personality side, Natalie Kaszuk opened the show as a bright convincing King George III singing “You’ll Be Back” from Hamilton, while on the vocal side, Zoë Fewox and Nathan Brown sang “What is this Feeling?” from Wicked beautifully as Elphaba and Galinda. Offering the combo platter of attractive singing and appealing personality were Breona Wilson, as Twoey singing a compellingly bluesy “Feed Me” from Little Shop of Horrors and Brown in his solo as Madeleine in “Falling Apart” from Death Becomes Her.
The most imaginative take on the miscasting concept, however, was served up by Mel Hyde who took the stage draped in a Darth Vader-style hooded cape. As she began to sing “Tomorrow” from Annie, she unveiled herself, revealing a goth vampire costume, complete with widow’s peak. Despite some pitch issues, this worked. The specific role as music director would be a positive addition to the CCT staff, helping community singers grow in proficiency.
In addition, by engaging the community at each stage of selection, Braem hopes to test the waters of audience acceptance and avoid issues similar to those surrounding “And Then Came Tango,” a charming play for young people. This play, based on the heartwarming true story of two male penguins who adopted and raised a penguin chick as a family, was canceled in Austin, Texas based on concerns about “age appropriateness” of the subject.
Part of the company’s growth was fostered in a community interest meeting in February, which led to a set of plays nominated for the first full production planned for late summer 2026. Ten-minute snippets of the nominees were performed at Austin Peay State University’s Trahern Theater on May 16, 2026. The Riverkeeper’s Community Preview, this “battle of the plays” included excerpts from youth, classical, comedy, and musical productions. Longterm, like the Nashville Ballet, Clarksville Community Theatre hopes to encourage a thriving theater community, robust childrens’ programs, and support for new works by local artists. They are currently putting together a production of Tina Howe’s Museum, Scheduled for July 31, August 1-2. For more information, their website is here: https://www.clarksvillecommunitytheatre.org/
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Y Kendall is a Stanford-educated musicologist, specializing in dance history who recently earned an MFA in Creative Nonfiction at Columbia University, studying nonfiction writing with Ben Ratliff and Margo Jefferson. Kendall’s diverse works have been published in Alchemy: Journal of Translation, Columbia Journal, Mitos Magazín, The Hunger Mountain Review, and The Salt Collective, among others. Born and raised in Tennessee, Kendall now lives near Nashville, freelancing as a flutist and writer, while caregiving for relatives.
That’s a wonderful story about finding your way back to the stage after all those different experiences. It’s amazing how those early memories can keep inspiring you.