Down Right Theatre Resurfaces 34 Years After Founding in Duluth
Thirty-four years after its founding in a defunct Gwinnett County hardware store, Down Right Theatre has staged a theatrical comeback with a new family-led cast, ArtsATL reported. The revived troupe, now branded as Down Right 2.0, produced three plays this year at Merely Players Theatre in Doraville following a nearly two-decade hiatus. The original company, launched by Scott Ross, his brother Sam, and their father Ray, operated out of Duluth from 1993 until its closure in 1998.
From a 1993 Hardware Store Stage to a Revival
The company’s origins trace back to an afternoon audition in 1993 for a production of Bus Stop directed by Ray Ross. Eileen Land auditioned for the show, meeting Scott Ross for the first time. The two married in 1995 after Scott proposed on stage following a performance of Italian American Reconciliation. After the original Down Right Theatre disbanded in 1998, the couple produced a dark comedy gangster film titled The Grue Crew, which won an award at the New York Independent Film Festival in 2000. Following a single 2007 revival of It Had to Be You at Duluth’s Red Clay Theatre, the company remained dark for 18 years.
Staging Modern Productions With a New Generation
This past January, Down Right 2.0 brought back the family theater company with a production of Doubt: A Parable at Merely Players Theatre in Doraville. The cast featured Scott and Eileen alongside their children in their 20s, Spencer and Madeleine. Madeleine Ross played Sister James, Spencer Ross played Father Flynn, and Eileen Land starred as Sister Aloysius Beauvier, while Scott Ross directed and managed the booth. The troupe followed the January production with stagings of It Had to Be You in July and Italian American Reconciliation in September at the same Doraville venue.
Plans for a Permanent Gwinnett County Venue
Scott Ross and Eileen Land are currently looking for a permanent home for the theater company outside of temporary venue rentals. The founders have set their sights on Braselton to build a new performance space, mirroring the way the original Ross trio converted an empty hardware store into Gwinnett County’s first theater in the 1990s. For their next production, the company aims to stage Agnes of God, a play Down Right first produced in 1994, with Land transitioning to the role of the psychiatrist and her daughter starring as Agnes.
Frequently Asked Questions About Down Right Theatre
Where are Down Right Theatre 2.0 productions being staged?
The revived company staged its productions—including Doubt: A Parable, It Had to Be You, and Italian American Reconciliation—at Merely Players Theatre in Doraville.
Who are the members of Down Right 2.0?
The current iteration of the theater company features Scott Ross and Eileen Land alongside two of their adult children, Spencer Ross and Madeleine Ross.
When was the original Down Right Theatre founded?
Scott, Sam, and Ray Ross established the original company in 1993 inside a converted hardware store in Duluth, operating the community theater until it disbanded in 1998.