BY JULIA EWOLDT STOOKSBERRY
PHOTOS BY DAN BATTLE

David McCall found his home in local theater, and now he is opening that door to the whole community. The Director of The Ned Ray McWherter West Tennessee Cultural Arts Center described his return as a full circle moment.

“I have skin in that game, and I know what it can do, and it changed the trajectory of my life,” David said.

David grew up in Greenfield, Tennessee, about 45 minutes away from Jackson. When the budget for his school’s arts program was cut, he was left searching for a community. That’s when he learned about the theater program at The Ned in Jackson.

“In 1998, I saw an ad for auditions for the Wizard of Oz down here,” David remembered. “And since there was no hope where I was, my folks were like, ‘Hey, alright, we'll try it. We'll see. We'll see what's going on.’”

While he didn’t walk hand-in-hand with Dorothy as the Lion or Scarecrow, he did land the role of “crow.” That year, the director recognized the “crows” during the awards banquet, and his love for theater grew from there.

“To have this brand new community that valued what I could bring to the table: life changing,” he said.

From there, he attended college at Murray State University, then worked at a theater in Virginia. He was a vocal coach and instructor in New York City for 11 years before moving back home during the pandemic.

And when he got home, returning to The Ned was a “no-brainer.” First, he attended shows and volunteered. The next thing he knew, he agreed to become its next Executive Director.

“This is right,” David remembered thinking. “Let’s go.”

David oversees dozens of productions and performances a year, even directing some (he said that is his favorite role at the moment). While the Ned primarily serves as a venue for other organizations, like the Jackson Theatre Guild and Hub City Theatre Company, it also produces shows of its own.

David and his team’s approach to choosing those shows has received a lot of attention. Their 2023-2024 lineup started with Dreamgirls and will later include shows like Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Julius Caesar, and Cinderella.

He described his organization’s philosophy as “a celebration of what the community has to offer.”

“I think the biggest thing was listening to the community. Mak[ing] sure we're talking to community folks, that it's not a closed door,” David said.

“Dreamgirls came out of a conversation with members of the Black community, who had experience in theater,” David said. “And they said, “We really like to make this dream come true. Wink wink.’ I was like, ‘Let's go. Let's do it.’”

“It's like taking that little spark that people throw out, then letting that compound and seeing what that looks like,” he continued.

Dreamgirls performed to two weekends of sold-out shows. The musical was directed by Monola Patterson, choreographed by Mona Lisa Lanier, and musically directed by James Henning. The captivating show featured a robust cast, a live band, and clean directing.

McCall said he remembers hearing rave reviews from strangers all over town about the show. However, it was the effect the show had on the cast and crew that made him emotional.

“Ms. Monola, who directed Dreamgirls, had a life-changing experience, and you can see that now,” McCall said through tears. “She wasn’t allowed to sit in the bottom floor of the Alamo movie theater as a kid because of the color of her skin. And she went on to direct Dreamgirls to sell out crowds. I can't fix problems, but I can acknowledge folks; I can lift them up with the platform I have.”

Now, David McCall hopes he can continue to share in all of the gifts theater has given him.

“Theater forges a bond that goes so beyond anything outside of our control like skin color, like socioeconomic status,” McCall said. “Suddenly it's a common language.”

Julia Ewoldt Stooksberry is the Community Engagement Manager for Hitachi Energy. She moved to Jackson in 2018 to work in media, and simply never left. She and her husband live in a really old house in Downtown Jackson with their two dogs and cat. When she isn’t working or writing, you’ll probably find her in her garden or at the local brewery

DAN BATTLE graduated from Lane College in 2021 and landed a full-time Digital Media specialist role. He excels in creating promotional content for Lane College athletics, also serving as the lead photographer and graphic designer. In his free time, Dan runs "WeirdLooks," capturing street portraits and interviewing people from diverse backgrounds to understand their perspectives on life.

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