As Shucked comes to close in Dallas this Sunday, Dec. 15, actor Tyler Joseph Ellis talked a bit about his experience both in town and with this touring production.
The gay actor plays Storyteller No. 2 who helps narrate the musical’s story. He discussed how he helped fashion his own character and the payoff moment he and his fellow storyteller share.
But first, the actor never thought that “corn” would be so much a part of his life. Shucked, written by Robert Horn with music and lyrics by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, centers on a small town that’s isolated due to its tall thriving crops of corn.
But when the corn begins to die, one has to leave the confines – cornfines? – of the town of Cob County to find help. So it’s no surprise that the veggie is front and center in Ellis’ life at the moment. “More than I ever thought it would in my life,” he said. “For my non-theater friends, it’s just general confusion because they think of oysters first.