During the February opening of “Medea” at the Main Street Players, Sara Jarrell was quick to answer a passersby’s question about Euripedes’ classic work, which she adapted and directed for the Miami Lakes theater. She was happy to promote the play while on the street because she wants to see the theater grow and to attract more people to its productions.
Jarrell, 29, of Hialeah, is the new artistic director for the theater.
“I watch over all these wonderful, beautiful creatives,” Jarrell said about the actors, writers and production team. Her job has several components: Backstage mediator while a play is in production; writing contracts; securing the rights to works; promoting the theater; holding auditions and finding writers and directors and expanding education programs.
Occasionally, as an opening night approaches, she has to step in when egos get too big or tensions run high.
Former Artistic Director Angelina Esposito was one of Jarrell’s professors at the New World School of the Arts at Miami Dade College.
Jarrell graduated in 2019 and headed to New York to pursue a career in theater.
After COVID struck and Jarrell returned home to Florida, Esposito suggested that she join the Main Street Players.
Jarrell was unsure about how to express herself creatively.
“In my journey of ‘I don’t want to do theater anymore, I don’t want to act anymore, I just want to be this background person,’ Angie was like, ‘You’re super talented,’” Jarrell said. “[She told me], ‘If you want a safe place to discover and have fun again … just come by, you’re going to be auditioning for me.’”
With Esposito’s support, Jarrell began acting again with the Main Street Players. Then Esposito suggested she try directing.
“Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson, Apt. 2B,” written by Katie Hamill, is the first show Jarrell directed, in 2024. That was followed by Samantha Hurley’s comedy “I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire” at the playhouse, with her husband Brayan Quevedo in the lead role.
It’s about a super fan who who kidnaps the “Spider-Man” actor at the height of his career.
Esposito also encouraged her to join the theater’s board, Jarrell said.
“I’ve known her a long time, since she was student at New World,” Esposito said.
Esposito was stepping away from the Players to focus on her teaching job at New World School of the Arts at Miami Dade College and encouraged Jarrell to replace her as artistic director.
“Her goals for Main Street Players align with the direction we were already taking the theater,” Esposito said. The goals include growing the audience.
Esposito called Jarrell a theater artist because not only is she an actress, she is also a writer and director.
Jarrell also teaches theater, at South Miami K-8 Center and at Encore Academy of the Arts.
As the Players’ artistic director, she has been working to expand children’s programming.
There is a summer camp coming soon, with two sessions. The kids will produce “The Wizard of Oz.”
There is also an after-school program that includes writing an original play, and acting in shows.
Last winter’s children’s production was “Annie Jr.”
“We’re bringing on more with the kids, because we realize they are the future,” Jarrell said.
Jarrell is hoping to get more adult Miami Lakers to come to the theater. She also wants to encourage more actresses and women playwrights to work there.
Main Street Players is at 6812 Main St. Performances of “Kevin and the River Flan,” by Brandon Urrutia will begin in May.
For information and tickets go to MainStreetPlayers.com.