MPT favorite Trevor Bass returns to the stage for his 16th MPT show! Trevor plays Leo Frank, a Jewish man accused of murder in pre-WWI Georgia. Read on to learn more about Trevor and his thoughts about Parade.
Are you a Madison native? If not, what brought you to the area?
Yes, I was born in Madison and have lived in the area all my life. I love it here!
Have you done a show with Middleton Players before? If so, which ones?
I have been in MPT shows every summer since 2013. At the end of this summer I will have been in 16 MPT productions! I keep coming back because I love the people.
How do you prepare for auditions? What did you sing to audition for MPT’s 2019 season?
I look at what the audition requires, and try to pick music that best presents my talents for the roles I’m interested in. Then I practice the songs as much as I can so I project confidence when it's time to audition. This year, I sang “What More Can I Say” from Falsettos, and “Tonight at Eight” from She Loves Me.
What was your first stage show and who did you play?
My first time onstage was Fiddler on the Roof in 1995, when I was 5 years old. I was a citizen of Anatevka.
What was your strangest experience in theatre?
I’d say it would be my high school freshman performance of Holes, the stage play based on the popular book. I fell asleep on a couch backstage, and woke up just in time for one of my entrances!
What is your favorite theatre memory?
There are too many to count, but performing Anything Goes at the WI State Theatre Festival in high school was pretty great.
What musical theatre song do you shamelessly belt in the shower or in your car?
My brother and I do a solid rendition of Defying Gravity from WICKED.
What do you enjoy about your character Leo Frank? In what ways are you similar or dissimilar?
One thing I like about Leo is his honesty. One thing I’d say we have in common is a reluctance to let other people do important, personal tasks for me, for fear that they might make a mistake or misrepresent my feelings/thoughts.
What are people going to think about as they drive home from the show?
This is a pretty emotionally taxing show. For me, reaching the end of the story brings me mostly anger, because Parade reveals in stark terms how little progress society has made, in certain respects, in 100 years. The fear and hate that can manipulate a group of people into believing things that aren’t true, just because they need a convenient place to put their vengeance. The terribly sad but true idea that the media only takes notice of injustices and violence when the victim is white. All in all, I hope audiences leave the theatre with the hope and desire to be better as a society.
Do you have any special/hidden talents, or other fun facts?
I can dislocate my shoulder at will!
Where can people go to learn more about you and your projects?
I don’t have a website, but I usually work with MPT for most summers, so middletonplayers.com!
Come see Trevor on stage in Parade this weekend only! Tickets are on sale now at www.middletonplayers.com/tickets.