Alexander Stuart

Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department alumnus Alexander Stuart ’17 — a graduate of the Theatre Department’s BA Program in Acting with a Minor in Stage Combat — stars in the world premiere of Paralyzed, running March 29-April 21 at the Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota, Florida. It’s a return to Florida for Chicago-based actor Stuart, who – as previously reported in this blog – starred in FST’s production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in 2019.

Paralyzed was originally intended for a March 2020 premiere, until the COVID-19 pandemic forced the theatre world into shutdown. The postponed premiere marks Stuart’s return to the stage following the pandemic shutdown. An article in BroadwayWorld.com quotes Stuart saying: “After living my whole life without being off of the stage for even close to a year, returning to it after three whole years makes me feel like I’ve set course for my home planet. This play, which is about the loss of connection with self and world alike, feels far more relevant now than it ever could have been during its original March 2020 inception.”

Stuart and costar Rachel Moulton play Lee and Leigh, two strangers who have little in common besides their names—she is a Type A statistician and he is an aggressive former athlete. But the discovery of a mysterious suicide note in a hotel bathroom sets their lives on unexpected paths that go anywhere but according to plan. Paralyzed, by Etan Frankel, tells a striking story of guilt, personal responsibility, and the power of forgiveness.