Hope Springs Eternal

Contributed

Dan Winston, left, and Hayes Moses play the iconic characters of Andy Dufresne and Red respectively in the upcoming Erie Playhouse production of The Shawshank Redemption, directed by recent 40 Under 40 inductee Brendan Daugherty.

PREMIERES FRIDAY, SEPT. 13

Arguably, one of the most memorable lines in The Shawshank Redemption is: "Remember, Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." Brendan Daugherty agrees. Daugherty is directing the stage adaptation of the Oscar-nominated film based on Stephen King's novella, Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption, for the Erie Playhouse.

"This stage adaptation is a little different from both of those, but it still has some of the iconic scenes that you know from the movie, as well as the same message and beautiful ending," he says. "I love the overall message that the story centers on, which is hope," the director adds.

Daugherty, a 2024 40 Under 40 inductee, has been involved in Erie theater since he was young. He says he was inspired by his father, who recently passed away. "He used to do shows here back in the '70s and '80s and I developed a love for theater and music from him. He's why I decided to get involved myself, when I could," he recalls.

Daugherty was cast for his first show 12 years ago and has been involved in various productions, in various ways, at multiple venues ever since. He is co-directing this show with Erie theater veteran Kate Thiem. "She and I are close friends and have shared the stage together several times, and also are now co-workers."

The cast of 12 actors include some who are making their debut at Erie Playhouse. They include Ryan Sanders, Ron Williams, Tristan Howells, and Dan Winston as lead character Andy Dufresne. "He is doing an absolutely perfect job portraying the character of Andy," says Daugherty. "I'm excited for our audiences to get to see him and the very talented Hayes Moses who is playing Red," he adds. Red is Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding, the character famously portrayed by Morgan Freeman in the film.

This is a well-known story but Daugherty promises some surprises. "I wanted to throw in something a little different than typical shows do and people will have to come see it to know what that is all about. Just know when the lights come up for intermission, things might not be as you expect."

Fridays and Saturdays, Sept. 13 through 28 at 7:30 p.m., Sundays Sept. 22 and 29 at 2 p.m. // Thursday Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m. // $15.88 - $21.40 // Erie Playhouse, 13 W. 10th St. // For info and tickets visit erieplayhouse.org