From the Director’s Desk: Diane Challis Davy
I was recently asked by someone, “What is new in the Pageant this summer?”
Of course our veteran narrator Richard Doyle will return as our storyteller-in-chief, but this time he is joined by the voices of over a dozen professional actors who are cast as the “G.O.A.T.s” of the Pageant’s Greatest of All Time production. I personally have had a great time choosing the right person to play each role. I’ll also admit to a bit of “stunt casting!” (One of our board members will take a turn as the voice of Winslow Homer.) Scriptwriter Dan Duling and I have selected real quotable quotes from the masters of art, such as Leonardo, Michelangelo, Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, as well as more modern icons like Picasso, Andy Warhol and David Hockney.
Using the power of theatre, imagination and a bit of artistic license, I hope these little audible vignettes will make the art more relatable and more accessible to the audience. The actors’ authentic and heartfelt interpretations will add the secret sauce to the Pageant. So in 2026 the art and the artists will come to life!