Actor Profile & BTS: Derek Barber as Jimmy Hall – MESSENGER, 2026
We are happy to welcome another DSP first-timer to our stage!
A little about Derek Barber:
I love performing as it gives me an opportunity to live different lives.
An important quote of Jimmy Hall, and what it says to Barber about the character:
“We need to get this story out there now and let the public hear the unadulterated truth before the fear mongers and spin artists…”
Derek Barber and Ted Powers
I think this quote shows Jimmy’s feelings about how government works and how important the press is to finding the truth and getting it out to the public.
I empathize with him in that he feels he has a responsibility to society to keep governments in check, although it may mean he has to live a life that he wouldn’t necessarily choose to live.
I like to think I have more loyalty to friends than I feel Jimmy shows in this play!
And Barber touches on this season’s theme of Untangling Love:
I feel Jimmy untangles his need for love. Early on in the play when he is asked if he is married his response is, “Nope. No time for that.”
But at the end of the play Peter says to Jimmy, “You look… better.”
And Jimmy responds, “I am. I’m married. We’ve got a son in University.”
Motivations are messy and muddled things– a journalist may have many intentions in covering a story, in tackling an issue from any angle. There is no such thing as unbiased reporting.
What methods are used to share what message, and to whom, to what end?
Every question is one leaf at the end of one branch down a tree of context.
Thomas Stockman (Powers) and his old friend, Jimmy Hall (Barber) arguing on their approach to get the message to the people.
A tree is not so easy to grow; you must hope it’s planted in the right soil, the season, and sunlight. There’s a lot of guesswork involved!
If the tree could possibly wither, or wildly overgrow, would it be better left unplanted?
Thomas Stockman (Powers) and Jimmy Hall (Barber) once shared their friendship in the business of tree-planting, and you can bet your bottom they both want this story to grow!
We are hoping you will come to learn more about this story as it grows, too!
Joey Dillane and Megan Graichen
Busy at work with us on the Messenger team is Megan Graichen, responsible for much of the Sound Design at DSP in recent years.
She is passionate in this work, bringing all the fun she has developing foley, music, and ambience to brighten a production.
Also pictured is Joey Dillane, sitting in to call lines for actors as they have freed their hands from scripts!
Small tasks like this allow the Director and Stage Manager to focus on their own tasks, following blocking, recording changes, and refining notes for the actors.
The story of Messenger is growing into a big one we can’t wait to share with you.
Our cast and crew have been hard at work: just look at the actors unhindered by scripts in their hands. Chemistry and characters are developing more and more each day.
So, what’s the scoop?
Jimmy Hall (Barber), Kate Stockman (Archambault), and Thomas Stockman (Powers) enjoy the excitement of old friends catching up! Good thing nobody’s going to get ahead of themselves..!