NASHVILLE,
Tenn. (February 2015) – Award-winning actor/playwright/director Tom Dolan and author/musician/educator Debbie Mathis Watts will present excerpts from their play, "The
Ryman Diaries", during a special
"River Talks" presentation from noon-1 p.m. March 12 (Thursday) at The Bridge
Building (Cumberland River Center), 2 Victory Ave. in downtown Nashville.
Dolan
and Watts portray Music City legends Captain Tom Ryman and Bettie Baugh Ryman
in the multi-media musical stage play. "River Talks: Travelers on the
Cumberland" is an educational series sponsored by the Cumberland River
Compact. Admission to the "River Talks" presentation of "The
Ryman Diaries" is free with an optional lunch available for $8 per person.
To RSVP to the event, call (615) 837-1151, send an e-mail inquiry to
info@cumberlandrivercompact.org, or visit
https://crc.kindful.com/register/the-ryman-diaries-a-theatre-production-2015 .
Described as a 19th Century love story, "The
Ryman Diaries" is a historical drama that depicts the life and times of
Cumberland riverboat Captain Tom Ryman as told through the eyes of his wife,
Bettie Baugh Ryman. The story covers 70 years of the couple's lives through
film media, stage acting, and original musical numbers. It tells of their
unlikely romance, marriage, entrepreneurship, raising seven children on a
riverboat, ultimate success, Christian conversion at a tent meeting, and the
building of the Union Gospel Tabernacle.
The play is based on Watts' book, with
additional dialog from Dolan. The actors penned seven original songs for the
production. Film clips feature flashbacks of young Bettie and historical stills
provided by the Metro Archives.
"Both Bettie and Tom had the hearts of
musicians, so it was totally fitting that they would play and sing," said
Watts. "They were true romantics who laid the musical foundation for Middle
Tennessee."
A veteran educator, professional pianist-vocalist, and author,
Watts' theatrical roles include Mollie in "Mousetrap" and Agnes in
"I Do, I Do". Dolan has received national acclaim starring as Elwood
P. Dowd in "Harvey", Dr. Albert Schweitzer in "Memoirs from
Africa", and Sam Clemens in "Mark Twain Live".
For booking
inquiries, call (615) 824-1096 or send an e-mail message to wattsd2@att.net. (Photo by Chuck Whiting)
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