Auditions for the musical, “Smoke on the Mountain,” will be held at the Episcopal Parish House on Sunday afternoon, July 10, at 3:00 o’clock and on Thursday evening, July 14, at 7:00 o’clock. The play will be presented October 14, 15, 16, 21, and 22.
The cast includes a mother, father, teenage boy and girl (can be older), older daughter (the only non-singing part), nephew, and preacher. The Wilkes Strings and Nora Dukes will accompany.
The musical takes place in a church in North Carolina during the late 1930s and the plot weaves around a Saturday night “Singing” featuring the Sanders Family Singers.
Gospel music, testimonies and humorous family situations promise a fun filled evening for everyone.
For more information call Jo Randall (678-2083) who is directing the show.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Dearly Departed rehearsing for short run at Little Theater Playhouse on July 15-17
Junior (Billy Creel, right) threatens his wife Suzanne (Sarah Peacock) with a gun in one of the scenes from Dearly Departed, the uproariously funny summer production of the Washington Little Theater Company schueduled for July 15-17.
Dearly Departed, the Washington Little Theater’s July production, “is drop dead funny,” according to The New York Daily News. It has to do with the conflicts and revelations of a pretty unusual family, the Turpins, when having to deal with the departure (permanent) of the head of the family.
Play dates are shortened from the usual two-weekend run and only three performances are scheduled at The Playhouse on North Alexander Avenue: Friday and Saturday, July 15 and 16, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, July 17, at 3 p.m. The director, Bolton Lunceford, calls patrons’ attention to this curtailing of the number of performances and urges that reservations be made by calling 6789582.
Bill Bufford, of Lincolnton, is Bud Turpin, head of the clan; Jerry Ray Denard is his sister, Marguerite; Jeanie Collins is Raynelle Turpin, Bud’s wife; and Rick Hawes, of Thomson, is Ray-Bud, their older son. His wife, Lucille, is Rose Bennett. Billy Creel is Junior, Ray-Bud’s sorry brother, and his wife is Sarah Peacock, doing the unforgettable Suzanne up brown.
Rounding out the family handsomely are Tony Macchia as Royce, Marguerite’s son ( to her sorrow); and Michelle Landry, of Atlanta, as Delightful, a surprise for Ray and Raynelle late in life.
Outside the family, the Rev. Beverly Hooker and Clyde, owner of Clyde’s Auto Repair and Body Shop, are both vividly portrayed by
Bruce Beggs, of Lincolnton. Joan
Baker brings back the incomparable
Veda, and Bill Bufford is her medical miracle husband. Paying condolence calls are Yam Queen Juanita,
played by Jennifer Landry, of Atlanta, and Carol Boyle, the softhearted Nadine.
“Dearly Departed is full of characters brought to remarkable life,” says Lunceford. “That this area can keep turning up talent like this is some sort of miracle. Come have fun!”
2005: Talented cast of "Dearly Departed" keeps audience in stitches
By DONNA HARRINGTON
Washington theater buffs had a special treat this past weekend with three performances of “Dearly Departed,” the Washington Little Theater Co.’s July production.
Although the play centers on the death and funereal of Bud, the head of the Turpin clan, the tone is anything but somber.
Before the play began, Director Bolton Lunceford warned those in the audience that if they were not moved to laughter, perhaps it was because they themselves were among the “Dearly Departed.” Obviously no one in the audience was in that condition because the talented group of actors kept everyone in stitches throughout the show.
The entire cast did a wonderful job of portraying the Turpin family and their friends in this very funny play. The comic timing was excellent and the characters were unique and truly memorable.
Jerry Ray Denard gave a flawless and hilarious performance as Bud’s loud and bossy sister, Marguerite. The interactions between Marguerite and her son, Royce, played by Tony Macchia, were priceless. The Bible-quoting, longsuffering Mama provided pure torment for easy-going offspring. Tony is maturing into a fine actor. His portrayal of the laid-back Royce was excellent.
Billy Creel as Junior and Sarah Peacock as Suzanne were a great couple. The pair’s opening scene in the car was really funny. Suzanne’s level of high drama was excellent and it was perfectly balanced by Billy’s reactions and retaliation. Suzanne’s musical talent was evident in her beautiful rendition of the lovely hymn, “In the Sweet By and By.
Rose Bennett was perfect as Lucille, the sweet and everplacating wife of Ray-Bud. Rick Hawes as Ray-Bud had his finest moments in the scenes with his brother Junior. Either fighting or quietly connecting, both actors were able to give their characters depth and humor.
Jeanie Collins, as Bud’s wife, Raynelle, gave a fine performance. Her calm presence was a good contrast with the near chaos of the rest of her family.
Two actors played double roles in the production. Bill Bufford, who had no intelligible lines, as either Bud or Norval, drew the first laughs of the play. His expressions for both characters were really comical.
Bruce Beggs as Rev. Beverly Hooker and the beer-drinking, good ole boy Clyde, brought to life two very disparate characters. Rev. Hooker’s radio talk was great, but he really shone in his good buddy role as Clyde.
There were several cameo roles in this comedy, but each actor gave a solid performance. Michelle Landry as Delightful, Bud and Raynell’s daughter, was very credible as the teenager who didn’t quite live up to her name.
Jennifer Landry played the wonderfully snooty Yam Queen, Juanita. She was able to show us the woman we all love to hate and then let us see her vulnerable and kind side, also.
Talented veteran, Joan Baker, as Veda, gave an excellent and professional performance. Carol Boyle’s interpretation of Nadine, the mother of many children, brought many laughs.
As always, the production staff provided the backbone of the performance and they are to be commended for their fine efforts. The many scene changes were handled quickly and efficiently and the lights and sound were without a flaw.
Mrs. Lunceford has once again proven her theatrical talents and abilities with this fine production. She is a treasure to our community and we thank her for her imagination and her dedication to the arts.
One last note: I had a scary thought driving home after seeing the performance . . . several of the characters in the play could have been drawn from a few of my own rather eccentric relatives.
Washington theater buffs had a special treat this past weekend with three performances of “Dearly Departed,” the Washington Little Theater Co.’s July production.
Although the play centers on the death and funereal of Bud, the head of the Turpin clan, the tone is anything but somber.
Before the play began, Director Bolton Lunceford warned those in the audience that if they were not moved to laughter, perhaps it was because they themselves were among the “Dearly Departed.” Obviously no one in the audience was in that condition because the talented group of actors kept everyone in stitches throughout the show.
The entire cast did a wonderful job of portraying the Turpin family and their friends in this very funny play. The comic timing was excellent and the characters were unique and truly memorable.
Jerry Ray Denard gave a flawless and hilarious performance as Bud’s loud and bossy sister, Marguerite. The interactions between Marguerite and her son, Royce, played by Tony Macchia, were priceless. The Bible-quoting, longsuffering Mama provided pure torment for easy-going offspring. Tony is maturing into a fine actor. His portrayal of the laid-back Royce was excellent.
Billy Creel as Junior and Sarah Peacock as Suzanne were a great couple. The pair’s opening scene in the car was really funny. Suzanne’s level of high drama was excellent and it was perfectly balanced by Billy’s reactions and retaliation. Suzanne’s musical talent was evident in her beautiful rendition of the lovely hymn, “In the Sweet By and By.
Rose Bennett was perfect as Lucille, the sweet and everplacating wife of Ray-Bud. Rick Hawes as Ray-Bud had his finest moments in the scenes with his brother Junior. Either fighting or quietly connecting, both actors were able to give their characters depth and humor.
Jeanie Collins, as Bud’s wife, Raynelle, gave a fine performance. Her calm presence was a good contrast with the near chaos of the rest of her family.
Two actors played double roles in the production. Bill Bufford, who had no intelligible lines, as either Bud or Norval, drew the first laughs of the play. His expressions for both characters were really comical.
Bruce Beggs as Rev. Beverly Hooker and the beer-drinking, good ole boy Clyde, brought to life two very disparate characters. Rev. Hooker’s radio talk was great, but he really shone in his good buddy role as Clyde.
There were several cameo roles in this comedy, but each actor gave a solid performance. Michelle Landry as Delightful, Bud and Raynell’s daughter, was very credible as the teenager who didn’t quite live up to her name.
Jennifer Landry played the wonderfully snooty Yam Queen, Juanita. She was able to show us the woman we all love to hate and then let us see her vulnerable and kind side, also.
Talented veteran, Joan Baker, as Veda, gave an excellent and professional performance. Carol Boyle’s interpretation of Nadine, the mother of many children, brought many laughs.
As always, the production staff provided the backbone of the performance and they are to be commended for their fine efforts. The many scene changes were handled quickly and efficiently and the lights and sound were without a flaw.
Mrs. Lunceford has once again proven her theatrical talents and abilities with this fine production. She is a treasure to our community and we thank her for her imagination and her dedication to the arts.
One last note: I had a scary thought driving home after seeing the performance . . . several of the characters in the play could have been drawn from a few of my own rather eccentric relatives.
Dearly Departed opens Friday, July 15, 2005, at The Playhouse
Fists are raised as tempers flare during the wildly funny Dearly Departed, summer production of the Washington Little Theater Company. Pictured above are cast members (from left) Sarah Peacock, Tony Macchia, Rick Hawes, and Billy Creel.
Dearly Departed, the Washington Little Theater's lighthearted summer offering, opens Friday night, July 15, at 8 p.m. Two additional performances follow, one on Saturday at 8 p.m. and the other on Sunday afternoon, the 17th, at 3 p.m. All three will be presented at the Playhouse on North Alexander Avenue in Washington.
Director Bolton Lunceford cautions that since the run of the play is shorter than usual, tickets may be harder to get. "Call 706-678-9582 for reservations," she said, "or take a chance on getting tickets at the door." All seats are $10.
Both of the play's authors - David Dean Bottrell and Jessie Jones - are Kentucky-born actors who wrote Dearly Departed in 1991 to such favorable reviews and widespread productions that they also worked on a movie version which came out ten years later. Their ear for Southernisms is unerring, and their knack for piling comic scenes on top of each other is awesome.
"You have all that plus one of the best casts we have ever put on the stage and you have got yourself a prize," claims Lunceford. "The movie, by the way, came out in 2001 under the name Kingdom Come, and in spite of having an all-star cast headed up by Whoopi Goldberg, got terrible reviews. It turned the play into a farce and missed its poignance entirely."
Major roles in the WLTCo production are being played by Jeanie Collins, Jerry Ray Denard, Tony Macchia, Rick Hawes, Rose Bennett, Sarah Peacock, and Billy Creel. Jeanie Collins may have the most difficult assignment in that she had a major role (Suzanne) in the WLTCo production of 2000, and is now playing a second one as Raynelle, the matriarch of the Turpin clan. "We are lucky in that she is so thoroughly professional in her approach to any role," says Lunceford.
Libby Foster is the all-important stage manager and she is assisted by Debra Wall and Carol Boyle (who also has a part in the play). Lights are being handled by Rachel Maurer, Carol's daughter. James Trimm is in charge of sound, and Joann Baldwin has the box-office chores.
"You've got just this one weekend to see this wonderfully funny show. Don't miss the chance!" urges Lunceford.
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