Taking a bite out of the Big Apple

A career that humbly started in Custer as small potatoes has blossomed into the Big Apple.

Neil Fennell, 1997 Custer High School graduate and the son of Gene and Linda Fennell of Custer, is directing “Noah’s Arkansas” at the Wings Theatre on Christopher Street in the West Village of New York City. The show opened April 21 and runs through May 15. It is the official world premiere of “Noah’s Arkansas.”

Fennell’s directing career began in Custer, when he di-rected “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” the year after he graduated from high school. He directed “Grease” in the summer of 2000 and has also directed a one-act play by Jerrod Bogard, the playwright of “Noah’s Arkansas,” while doing other bits of directing since graduating from college. Fennell also spent part of four summers at the Black Hills Playhouse.

Fennell was originally into acting as well, but found as he got older the grind of acting lost its thrill.

“Iâ��get so much more out of shaping a story, helping actors find their character and being part of a fully-realized story arc,”â��he said. “That’s what gets me going.”

That’s not to say directing “Noah’s Arkansas” has not been a lot of work. Fennell was offered the job to direct the show last June and has been living and breathing the script ever since.