Behind The Musical: DARLIN' CORY

Phillip DePoy
Playwright, Librettist & Co-Lyricist

Phillip DePoy (Playwright, Librettist & Co-Lyricist) is the author of 22 novels (the latest, SAMMY TWO SHOES, comes out in October 2021) and 45 plays. An internationally reviewed performance artist, he was writer in residence for the Georgia Council for the Arts and Composer in Residence for the Academy Theatre in the 1980s. In the 1990s he was the Artistic Director of Theatrical Outfit and composed music for 17 Alliance Theatre productions (Angels in America, The Seagull, Man for All Seasons, et al). Since then, he served as the director of several university theatre programs. He was awarded Georgia Author of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. Notable theatrical work includes the 1993 New York production of LAMB ON FIRE, the 2002 Edgar Award winning mystery play Easy, also in New York, and for the Alliance Theatre, the Suzi award-winning Edward Foote. His Appalachian Christmas Homecoming has been produced over 30 times nationally since 1994. Phillip DePoy also holds an undergraduate degree in English literature and folklore, and a graduate degree in performance art. His greatest achievement, however, is having been married to playwright Lee Nowell for over twenty-two years.

Kristian Bush
Composer & Co-Lyricist

Kristian Bush (Composer, Co-Lyricist) is a Grammy Award-winning recording artist who has been leaving his mark on music for more than two decades. The singer, songwriter, producer and multi- instrumentalist started his career with the folk-rock duo Billy Pilgrim in the early 1990s. In 2004, he exploded onto the country music scene with Sugarland, surpassing sales of more than 22 million albums worldwide, achieving  five No. 1 singles and winning numerous awards, including Grammys, AMAs, ACMs, CMT Music Awards and CMAs. In 2014, Bush made his solo debut with Top 20 hit “Trailer Hitch,” featured on his critically acclaimed album Southern Gravity, named the “feel-good album of the year” by Country Music Weekly and named one of the Top 10 country albums of 2015 by Rolling Stone. He recently wrote and performed “Forever Now,” the theme song to the TLC reality series “Say Yes to the Dress.” Troubadour was his first musical.

Susan V. Booth
Director

Susan V. Booth (Jennings Hertz Artistic Director) joined the Alliance Theatre in 2001 and has initiated the Palefsky Collision Project for teens, the Alliance/ Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition, the Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab and commercial partnerships on such projects as The Prom; Tuck Everlasting; Ghost Brothers of Darkland County; The Color Purple; Bring It On: The Musical; Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly Away; Sister Act: The Musical; Bring in ’da Noise, Bring in ’da Funk; and Jesus Christ Superstar GOSPEL. She has directed nationally at the Goodman Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, New York Stage and Film, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Northlight Theatre, Victory Gardens, Court Theatre and many others. She holds degrees from Denison and Northwestern universities and was a fellow of the National Critics Institute and the Kemper Foundation. She has held teaching positions at Northwestern, DePaul and Emory universities and is a past President of the board of directors for the Theatre Communications Group, the national service organization for the field. Booth’s leadership is underwritten by the BOLD Theater Women’s Leadership Circle, an initiative to support and promote women’s theater leadership funded by The Helen Gurley Brown Foundation. She is married to Max Leventhal and is the proud mother of Moira Rose Leventhal.

Mara Davis
Atlanta's Media Maven and Host

Mara Davis (Host of Vote Her and Sounds Delicious podcasts, Atlanta's Media Maven) On radio, on TV, on stage, online and in line – usually at the grocery store, like twice a day, Mara Davis seems to be everywhere. And that’s exactly how she likes it. Mara is one of the most well known media personalities in Atlanta. Among her many jobs, Mara reports for WABE – Atlanta’s NPR station – with “Mara’s Music Mix”, a weekly round up of the city’s best concerts. She also hosts a regular restaurant review segment on the “The Bert Show”. On TV, Mara is co-host of the Emmy award winning program, Atlanta Eats.On stage, Davis is a skilled and experienced moderator and emcee. She has interviewed best selling authors like Emily Giffin or Liane Moriarty and A-list celebs including John Cusask, Bradley Cooper, Queen Latifah, and Adele. Her emcee gigs include the 30A Songwriters Festival, the Atlanta Film Festival and the Atlanta Jewish Book Festival. Davis was the host of the popular “Radio Free Lunch” request hour on Dave-FM – and puts that musical knowledge and instinct to use every day booking guests for Adult Swim’s streaming shows… including Sting, Billie Eilish, Post Malone, Jason Isbell and many others you will hear about in the years ahead. Mara’s passion for people – and pets – is on display as spokesperson for The Atlanta Humane Society and The Homeless Period Project, which provides feminine hygiene products for women and girls in need. Mara lives in Virginia-Highland with her husband Mike, son Charlie and spoiled dog, Brogie.