Father and son get chance to work together in theater

Ken Garland and his son, Clay, have a love for theater that sparked a connection that has lasted a lifetime.

Ken performs with the Milledgeville Players. Between seeing his dad on stage and watching plays at home, Clay grew up with an attachment to — and a gift for — acting and directing.

Clay went to Georgia College and majored in theater. He has been directing his first Milledgeville Players production, “Waiting for Godot,” and his dad will be one of the leads.

“We don’t get to spend a lot of time together anymore,” Ken said. “So when he said he wanted to direct it, I said, ‘OK let’s do it.’”

Ken got into theater in college in the 1970s, where “I met up with somebody that was another theater geek and they dragged me into it and that was it,” Ken said.

While Ken does theater for the fun and social aspects — working as a deputy coroner during the day and an actor by night — Clay has made it a part of his career.

“Waiting for Godot” has been postponed until further notice because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but for the Garlands, the experience hasn’t been for naught.

After weeks and weeks of practices, learning lines and blocking, the two have had the chance to work in a setting where they share a passion.

“I was really able to get into theater at a really young age because of my dad, so it’s been really cool to be postgraduate and a professional in the entertainment kind of field and getting to come back and doing another play with him, it’s been really rewarding,” Clay said.

And, one day, the show will go on.