Kelly Davis performs the featured solo from “Seasons of Love” in RENT at Market Theatre n October 2022.
We recently sat down with Kelly Davis, star of Proud Mary Theatre’s THE PINK UNICORN to ask her three questions: (1) Where’s the show now? (2) Where’d the show come from? (3) Where’s the show going?
With these three questions in mind, Kelly took us on the journey of this hilarious and important production, complete with behind-the-scenes happenings and a heartbreaking setback.
Where’s the show now?
Kelly Davis in The Pink Unicorn with Proud Mary Theatre Company.
After appearing in RENT at Market Theatre last October, I am now returning to a role I’ve performed since 2019 in The Pink Unicorn.
Here’s the story: Tricia Lee is a religious, middle-aged widow from the fictional town Sparkton, TX. In the play, she talks about not having a need for anything other than the social norms thrust upon her from an early age. She talks about not having a lot of diversity in her town, not having a lot of opportunity to express herself, and not really noticing any of that until now. Tricia’s daughter Jolene comes out as genderqueer at age 14 and Tricia finds herself at odds with her church, her community, her child’s school, and her own mother. After weighing the options, she decides to stand by her daughter at all costs.
During the play, she describes this journey. The play is lighthearted and comedic, with some poignant moments, with Tricia finally reaching out her hand to the audience and asking them to join her on this journey.
Where’d the show come from?
Well, Proud Mary Theatre Company’s production of The Pink Unicorn began in 2019. In November of that year, I rode with Artistic Director Sandy Staggs to pick up playwright Elise Forier Edie, who had just flown in from California. The three of us drove to Florence to attend the South Carolina Theatre Association’s Annual convention. Elise was the key-note speaker and performed The Pink Unicorn that evening. The play was magical and sparked all kinds of conversation and emotional responses from the audience. On the way home, Elise told me that with a play like this, it was a good idea to run my lines “like every day...” And so it began!
Kelly Davis (left) in Proud Mary Theatre Company’s production of Fun Home (2019).
I started rehearsals with director Anne Tromsness and stage manager Al Chaplin that December. We dissected Tricia as well as the other characters in the play. We mapped out her journey and divided it into 20 chapters. We opened in February 2020 and performed at Coffee Underground and The Artists Collective Spartanburg. We had outstanding feedback and talkbacks with guests from PFLAG, Free Mom Hugs, and The Uplift Outreach Center. We planned to tour about a dozen venues that year…
Needless to say, that tour was cut short. Sandy reached out to me again in November 2022 with dates for the revival of The Pink Unicorn in May and June, 2023. By then, I had joined the Proud Mary board of directors and performed in productions of Stop Kiss, the virtual Laramie Project and A Sordid Tribute to Olivia Newton John and Leslie Jordan.
On February 27, 2023, Sandy passed away suddenly of a heart attack at age 55. It was the Monday night after opening weekend of Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche. The entire theatre community was devastated, not to mention Sandy’s family, the Proud Mary board, and the cast Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche.
I knew this production would be a challenge from the beginning, but I thought it would be more along the lines of memorizing a 33 page script, keeping the audience’s attention for 90 minutes, finding a way to break through the divisive politics of the south, commuting to Spartanburg, etc.
I never imagined this show would span 3.5 years, and I never imagined we would be doing it without Sandy.
Kelly Davis
Where’s the show going?
The show must go on, and Proud Mary is honored to present the revival of The Pink Unicorn. I am so grateful to director Anne Tromsness for helping re-vamp the show and hosting rehearsals, to stage manager David Veatch for coming along for the ride, for all of our venues: Tryon Fine-Arts Center, Coffee Underground, The Artists Collective Spartanburg, Market Theatre Company, and thankful to the Proud Mary Board, Chapman Cultural Arts Center, Firefly Solar and all of our sponsors for making this show a reality, and telling this beautiful story at a time our community needs comfort the most.
Market Theatre is proud to present this performance and we know that wherever this show might go next, its mark is indelible and its continuance of the legacy of our dear friend Sandy Staggs is remarkable. Special thanks to Kelly Davis for her words above and for being the driving force behind this performance.
