AAPEX Founder Jaz Dorsey does Margaret Mitchell this Friday, June 3rd (Atlanta)

Dramaturg Jaz Dorsey will join playwright Melita Easters and actress Kandace Christian this coming Friday evening at The Ansley Park Playhouse after the performance of Easter's MRS: JOHN MARSH - THE WORLD KNEW HER AS MARGARET MITCHELL.

Dorsey is a native of Atlanta, the grandson of Governor Hugh M. Dorsey and a great nephew of Cason Callaway, founder of Callaway Gardens outside of LaGrange, Gerogia. He did his undergraduate work in international studies at Chapel Hill and pioneered the graduate dramaturgy program at Virginia Commonwealth University. After leaving graduate school, he worked briefly as the assistant to the directors at The Alliance Theatre, From 1981 - 1989. Atlanta credits from those years include a "Best Supporting Actor Award" from the AJC, thanks to Director Carey Bynum, designing the set for JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL for Director Greg Abbot at Georgia Tech and producing Strindberg's MISS JULIE in conjunction with the royal visit of the King & Queen of Sweden to Atlanta.

Dorsey is also the author of a collection of musicals set in Atlanta, including CAFE ESCARGOT, MANHATTAN BLUES, ALICE IN AMERICA, BABBLEHAGGLE & VAN DR BICH and DON'T ASK/DON'T TELL, all of which have enjoyed popular cabaret runs in NYC.
ALICE IN AMERICA, which was first produced in conjunction with Geroge Lawes at The Performance Garage, was made into a film by Broadway producer Bonnie Comley. Lawes also starred with Janet Metzger as Grant Park and Tallulah Buckhead in a mid 80's version of MANHATTAN BLUES titled DESTINY CALLS COLLECT.

From 1990 - 1997, Dorsey served as production manager in the New York office of Biggs Rosati Productions, sending out bi-lingual productions of French and Spanish classics to high schools across the United States. He also collaborated as composer and lyricist on several of these bi-lingual shows.

In 1999, NELLIE, a musical about America's first female investigative journalist, was produced at The Lamb's Theatre on Times Square, with book by Bernice Lee, music by Jaz Dorsey and lyrics by Dorsey and Lee.

Since 2000, Dorsey has lived in Nashville, Tennessee and is proud to be a part of one of the most exciting theatre communities in history. He is also the 2011 Director of Education for The Southern Appalachian International Film Festival (www.soapiff. com) which is where he first met Melita Easters and learned of MRS. JOHN MARSH.

He is also the founder/dramatug of The African American Playwrights Exchange. 

Dorsey is excited to be joining the author and the star of MRS. JOHN MARSH to share with everyone our incredible journey on the road to Atlanta, including a year of readings in New York & Nashville and the play's journey to The Margaret Mitchell Symposium at the University of Georgia on May 7 of this year, where an audience full of authors of books about Margaret Mitchell gave Kandace Christian an instant standing ovation for her performance of MRS. JOHN MARSH.