New theater troupe sings an original ‘Ballad of Old Manatee’ in debut show

Jay Handelman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Updated ·3 min read

A new theater company with a unique mission in the Sarasota area makes its debut with the premiere of an original play with music about a slice of Manatee County history.

The Hat Theater Collective was created by Danae DeShazer, a marketing professional who has performed and directed on many area stages, to create site-specific theater, meaning shows tailored for bars, restaurants, outdoors or other venues appropriate for the particular story being told.

The company’s debut show, “The Ballad of Manatee,” will be staged outdoors at the Manatee Village Historical Park, where audience members will be led around the site by cast members to watch different scenes.

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The main cast of “The Ballad of Old Manatee” features, from left, Alexander Zickafoose, Ashley Figlow, Donna DeFant, Grace Wolfe and Lee Gundersheimer.
The main cast of “The Ballad of Old Manatee” features, from left, Alexander Zickafoose, Ashley Figlow, Donna DeFant, Grace Wolfe and Lee Gundersheimer.

DeShazer is directing the show that was written and composed by her partner, playwright-in-residence Derek Brookens, about the story of the Lonesome Grave. It involves the romance and marriage of James Vanderipe and Sarah Lee, and apparent family drama between Vanderipe and Sarah’s parents, the Rev. Edmund Lee and Electa Lee, who was the county’s first school teacher.

A plaque erected by the Manatee County Historical Commission near the site of the Lee family grave states that Rev. Lee refused to bury Vanderipe “in the family cemetery due to an argument between the two men.”

Brookens said records show that Sarah and James died about six years after their marriage in 1871. “Rev. Lee outlived them and decided where both of them should be buried. We know from Lee’s will that James was buried separately from the family because he had bad debts.”

The Hat collaborated on this show with the Manatee County Historic Commission, which has previously explored local history in a show called “Spirit Voices.”

“Derek and I took some time to research early stories of Manatee County settlers and people in the burial grounds and those buried elsewhere,” DeShazer said, and they agreed on the Lonesome Grave story because it has some familiarity, romance and mystery.

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An historic image of James C. Vanderipe, a 19th century Manatee County resident who is the subject of the new play with music “The Ballad of Old Manatee.”
An historic image of James C. Vanderipe, a 19th century Manatee County resident who is the subject of the new play with music “The Ballad of Old Manatee.”

DeShazer said Brookens’ title song set a tone for how she saw telling the story. “We hooked onto the love story of James and Sarah, creating this almost Romeo and Juliet story. James had to prove something to her father or he wasn’t considered fit enough for the Lees. It’s almost a star-crossed story,” she said.

Brookens portrays the narrator in a production that features some familiar local performers, including Alexander Zickafoose as James, Ashley Figlow as Sarah, Lee Gundersheimer as the reverend and Donna DeFant as Electa, along with Grace Wolfe, Susie Lowe, Brandy Harlan and Sean Harlan. Jason Ellis will play James at certain performances.

Performances are at 4:15 and 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays April 21-May 6 at the Manatee Village Historical Park, 1404 Manatee Ave., East, Bradenton. The show runs about 75 minutes with no intermission. Performances must end before sunset, DeShazer said.

Danae DeShazer is the founder and producing artistic director of The Hat Theater Collective.
Danae DeShazer is the founder and producing artistic director of The Hat Theater Collective.

A portion of ticket sales will be donated to the historical commission to help with repairs and maintenance of the 1887 Church, DeShazer said.

The Hat Theatre doesn’t have a planned schedule of future performances. “I am going one show at a time,” DeShazer said. “When the right opportunity comes along, I have lots of ideas. But we’re being cautious and taking it slow.”

DeShazer said she developed the idea for the The Hat during her participation in the Start Up Circle entrepreneur program sponsored by Realize Bradenton and the Manatee Chamber of Commerce.

Tickets are $27 and are available at atthehat.org/tickets

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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New play with music looks at Manatee County history in outdoor program