Pictured: James Evans as Kenneth McCallister in A Night in November. Photo by John Jones.

The concept of a one person show is part of what makes a night at the theater so unique. To see an actor inhabit a slew of characters, all with their own quirks and personalities, en route to telling a compelling story is something to be savored. It’s a form of storytelling as old as time itself and an act that one would be hard pressed to find in any other artistic medium. This unique approach is explored in Florida Studio Theatre’s A Night in November, the current production in the company’s Stage III Series.

The play, a heartfelt comedy written by Marie Jones, originally premiered in 1994 in the midst of the ethno-political strife of “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland. A Night in November follows Kenneth McCallister, a Northern Irish Protestant loyalist who begins to question himself and his own identity after witnessing the intense hatred toward Catholic supporters of the Republic of Ireland in a World Cup qualifying match between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. “The story at its core is about a man who is going on a personal journey of discovery and reconciliation with his past. He lives in Belfast and one night while attending a soccer match, he is confronted with the bigotry and hatred that exists in his community of Protestants versus Catholics,” says director Kristin Clippard. “After being confronted with that at the football match, he is driven to look deep into how he was raised and goes on a journey to examine what he believes and why he has those beliefs.”

Kenneth–and some 22 other characters–are all portrayed by James Evans, who is making his FST debut. As daunting a task as playing nearly two dozen different roles may seem, Evans has embraced the challenge head on. “The challenge to do a one person show is such a rare opportunity and a privilege to do. I think we have 23 characters in total,” says Evans. “They vary from substantial supporting characters with many lines that come up in many scenes and are really well fleshed out in the text and then some characters who just have a couple of lines and are in the background. I think that’s the joy of seeing a one person show–seeing that one person command the stage and build up the world around them just using their own body and voice.”

February 21 to March 15, Florida Studio Theatre’s Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First Street, Sarasota.

Pictured: James Evans as Kenneth McCallister in A Night in November. Photo by John Jones.