Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Jason Q. Brookins, who grew up in Monticello, is directing a musical play he wrote that features selected songs from The Blasting Company's album, “A History of Public Relations Dilemmae.” Tickets for the show, which has its final weekend at the Monticello Opera House (MOH) Nov. 21, 22 and 23, are available at www.monticellooperahouse.org, by calling 850-997-4242 or at the door.
Set in an early-20th-century American tavern, the show follows two brothers, Alexander and Abernathy Petrojvic, who attempt to help the bar's patrons, one after the other, with their various “public relations” problems by giving voice to their stories through song. When a mysterious stranger enters the plot, however, their game is up. The songs by The Blasting Company have been arranged into musical numbers for the play by Conner McKenna. A nine-piece live orchestra accompanies a talented cast who delivers them well.
Brookins started becoming involved in kids shows at MOH around age 9 or 10 but says that his interest in theatre really sparked when he was cast in MOH's production of “A Diary of Anne Frank" in 2023.
“That is when I met many of my theatre friends and really began to see it as a legitimate outlet for my writing passion,” he told the Monticello News. “Since then, I have performed in comedies, murder mysteries, musicals and have even co-directed a few shows myself.”
Brookins has written parts of plays designed to support already existing scripts, but “A History of Public Relations Dilemmae” is by far his most ambitious project. This show also marks his debut as a solo director.
“The eponymous album made by the Blasting Company is what inspired me from the beginning,” he explains when asked about his creative process. “I had been a fan of theirs for a good bit when I stumbled upon it (it was/is a lesser-known collection of theirs), and just listening to it sparked my imagination. From the first song to the last, I imagined how it might look on stage, how the songs could be connected into a cohesive story, and what the setting might look like, many of those ideas being realized in the final product. When the Blasting Company gave me their blessing to use their music, I was ecstatic. I practically wrote the entire first act that same week!”
Brookins reports that he is pleased with how the first weekend of the show went.
“More than anything, I think I am really proud of my cast,” he adds. “These are people who have given up months of their lives for what essentially amounts to a vanity project, some having worked on this project since February. There have been challenges, conflicts and disagreements, of course, but I could not have asked for a better, more talented group of people. We have a variety of talent ranging from those who were classically trained to those who have not been on stage practically ever, but they all play off each other, support each other, and come together to make the scenes work, even at times when the script makes that difficult.”
The cast aside, Brookins of course is deeply indebted to the musicians who created the album “A History of Public Relations Dilemmae” and allowed him to use it.
“Josh and Justin of the Blasting Company … have taken time out of their lives to take a chance on some nobody in the middle of Nowhere, North Florida, all because he asked nicely,” Brookins shares. “And better yet, they said they were honored by it. None of this would be possible without them, and their actions speak volumes toward their philosophy of sharing art and letting it build into something greater than one person or group. I think back to what they told me when we first met to discuss details. They said that to have their work be the launching point for another artist is an honor they could not easily put into words, and when asked about licensing or legalities, they said the songs were thank you notes to people who showed them grace and hospitality in their early careers as musicians, that they did not think of them as 'theirs,' but rather, as gifts meant to be given. I only hope I have done my part to further spread that message of hospitality, love and sharing, and I fully intend to pay this kindness forward, should the opportunity present itself to me.”
Brookins earned his high school diploma simultaneously with an associates degree in 2023 and graduated from Florida State University in 2025. He's just bought his first home (in Greenville) and is working to support his writing while also considering graduate school sometime in the future, when the time is right.
IN THE FEATURED PHOTO: The cast of “A History of Public Relations Dilemmae” includes (pictured, left to right) Madalyn "Mars" Steward (as Abernathy Petrojvic), Colton Stacy (as Alexander Petrojvic), Lilianah Gray (as Andy), Abraham Islas (as George), Kit Nelson (as Crew), Rachel Hyman (as Avi Colon), Martha Winters (as Madame Selma); (not pictured) Harrison Reid Brookins (as Simon) and Cory Marsh (as Death).
Crew includes Jason Q. Brookins (director), Conner McKenna (music director), Desiree Young (choreographer), Aiko Ausin (set builder), Suzanna Arnold (costumer) and Jason Trudeau and Tanner Platt (follow spot).
The live orchestra includes Dawson Huynh (clarinet), Brian Ratledge (trumpet), Vincent Tozzi (trombone), Melanie Mays (accordion), Ethan Brink (drums) Jonathan Taylor (viola) Abbey Fernandez de Castro (violoncello) and Jason Brookins (contrabass).