NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Sofia Tosches is an ambitious 26-year-old. After receiving a degree in theatre at Belmont in 2018 and working in the food industry for about five years, she found the inspiration to write, produce and direct her first play — a show written by a millennial, for millennials.
The play is called "White Elephant," and its world premiere is November 17 at the Darkhorse Theatre in Nashville. It's billed as "a comedy until it's not."
Going into the process, Tosches always knew she wanted to write. When the inspiration for this show hit, she said there was no going back.
"This is the play for sure," she said.
The premise? Friends — or, at least a group of so-called friends — getting together for a gift exchange. The inspiration? Lack of representation in modern art.
"I don't feel, personally, that there's enough plays about the millennial experience," Tosches explained.
The path to creating the show has not been easy, but the motivation has never ebbed. It's a true passion project for Tosches, who utilized the connections she's built in Nashville's food scene to create another original concept: a secret drink menu custom-made for audience members who purchase tickets to the show.
The local restaurants that have partnered to support White Elephant are E3 Chophouse Nashville, Fable Lounge, and Love & Exile. The variety of the venues allows patrons to choose the kind of experience and atmosphere they'd prefer — or they can visit all three. All customers have to do to access more details is buy a ticket. The confirmation email will provide a code that unlocks the drinks, costs, location and duration of the deals.
The bonus cocktail crawl is not just born of years of making connections in the food service industry; it also has direct ties to the show's characters.
Tosches asked her actors to decide what each of their characters' signature drinks would be. The choices ranged from the traditional to the unique.
"Mileah's drink is called 'Sprite wine,'" Tosches laughed, referring to one of her actors' choices. "It's exactly what it sounds like."
Involving the actors in the process has been extremely important to Tosches, herself a veteran of the stage. Everything from TikTok posts in character to discussions about the characters' zodiac signs has been part of it all.
Regarding those zodiac discussions, Tosches knows it may sound like a silly detail to talk about, but she said it makes her characters feel more real. It's a reminder that all of them have birthdays and that they each approach life from varied perspectives. Having archetypes to refer to can also help enrich discussion and inform acting choices.
Enriching the production is something her actors surely have done, she said.
"Even after three years of working on the script, I was discovering things that I hadn't noticed. Maybe they were always there," she remarked.
And that's been one of the most exciting parts of this process, a dream that began in an apartment in Florida in 2019. The show has undergone four or five rewrites, but the plot has never changed, and its writer has never lost faith in her vision.
It hasn't been easy, either. Because she self-produced this project, Tosches does not have the umbrella of a previously established company to help bolster and promote the show. But she has had an incredible outpouring of support from friends and family.
The show was completely backed through GoFundMe donations, and the restaurants that will be partnering for the cocktail menus are all sponsors who bought ads to support the production.
Other special features: the products of other local artists, like Candle with a Handle, will be available for purchase in the lobby. Three exclusive scents were made specifically for White Elephant's debut: Christmas Tree, Candy Cane, and Gregg's Marmalade.
"I just feel so lucky. I truly attribute my experience post-grad to my college and my Nashville arts community," Tosches said. "Artists supporting artists is very important."
Once the show debuts, it can finally be published. Tosches hopes this means it can reach communities in places she's never heard of or visited.
"I want to change lives through storytelling. And I can do it anywhere. Sometimes, small towns need it more," Tosches said. "I don't need to reach Broadway. I need to reach Podunk, Oklahoma."
Tickets to White Elephant are available for purchase now. The show runs November 17, 18, 19, 25 and 26 at 7:30 p.m., and November 19 and 26 at 2 p.m. at the Darkhorse Theatre on Charlotte Avenue.
Both Friday shows will include "talkbacks," which is an opportunity for anyone who wishes to stay after the show to ask the cast and crew questions about the production and how it all came together.
Left to right: Leslie Marberry, Molly Brown, Delaney Amatrudo, Kristen Fields, and AJ Shoemaker
This ensemble cast features Kristen Fields, AJ Shoemaker, Mileah Milstead, Dustin LaFleur, Delaney Amatrudo, Leslie Marberry, Molly Brown, and J.R. Knowles.
More information is also available on the White Elephant Instagram and TikTok pages.
