New local premiere explores friendship, grief and small‑town ingenuity
Theatre audiences in Columbia this month have the opportunity to see a new, original work that grew from a radio story into a full‑length musical. "Lemonade: A Fresh Pressed Musical," written by Jesse Corbin, opened in a world premiere run at Trustus Theatre and will play in Columbia through Aug. 30.
Corbin’s story follows two best friends, Timmy and Squeeze, whose annual lemonade stand becomes the emotional and entrepreneurial anchor as they prepare to enter high school. The stand is both a tribute to Timmy’s late father and a vehicle for a potentially transformative contest — until a rival business across the street, run by an emergent "it girl" named Caitey, complicates everything.
“And I remember just being in the car alone and turning the radio off and sitting there thinking, 'There's something here,’”
The idea for the show originated, Corbin says, after hearing an NPR segment about children across the country being fined for operating lemonade stands without permits. He set the first draft on paper during the COVID‑19 pandemic and refined the piece with director Marlo Hunter over the past two years. The result is Corbin’s first musical, though not his first time working with words and song; he has a background in creative writing and songwriting.
Local production brings rising artists to Columbia stage
Trustus Theatre mounted the premiere with a cast that includes Markia Nicole Smith, Jonah Gavi Schwartz and Mia McManamy in the central roles of Squeeze, Timmy and Caitey, respectively. Marlo Hunter, whose résumé includes film, television and theater credits as a director and choreographer, directed the production.
Corbin temporarily stepped away from a national tour of the stage adaptation of The Notebook to oversee the world premiere in Columbia, underscoring the personal investment behind the staging. He worked closely with Hunter to shape the show from its pandemic draft into the current production.
- Playwright: Jesse Corbin
- Director: Marlo Hunter
- Lead cast: Markia Nicole Smith, Jonah Gavi Schwartz, Mia McManamy
- Venue: Trustus Theatre, Columbia
- Run: through Aug. 30
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Title | Lemonade: A Fresh Pressed Musical |
| World premiere | Trustus Theatre, Columbia |
| Dates | Now through Aug. 30 |
Why the show matters to Columbia
Trustus Theatre’s decision to host a world premiere highlights the company’s role as a creative incubator in Columbia. Staging an original musical is a resource‑intensive undertaking that brings attention to local stages and draws theatregoers who want to witness new work in development. For audiences, the show offers familiar coming‑of‑age beats — friendship, rivalries, family grief — wrapped in a distinctly contemporary, small‑business setting.
Local artists, technicians and audiences will see the immediate effects of producing new work: opportunities for emerging actors to originate roles, for directors and designers to realize fresh visions, and for Columbia to add a world premiere to its cultural calendar. The production’s themes — youth entrepreneurship, family memory and community competition — resonate with downtown neighborhoods where small businesses and creative ventures are central to civic life.
For now, Trustus audiences can experience Corbin’s blend of humor and heart on stage. Whether the musical will travel beyond Columbia after its Trustus run is not yet known. For theatre patrons who want to see a premiere in its earliest public form, the current run presents the rare chance to witness a show at the very beginning of its life.
