From the Henderson County Performing Arts Newsletter
Because of some casting and licensing issues, the Henderson County Performing Arts Center is unable to present “Rabbit Hole,” the play originally slated for this time period. In its place, you will enjoy three new comedies by one of our favorite Texas playwrights, Carl L. Williams. You may remember “When Bullfrogs Sing Opera” and “A Thirties Affair,” both Williams plays which HCPAC produced a few years ago. The format is new, too. We are doing these plays as staged readings.
What does that mean?
Well, the actors will be fully invested in their characters, as always, but there will be no set, no costumes and they will not move around on the stage. Instead, they will read their parts from the script while seated on a stool.
This is not a new thing in the theatrical world, just new to HCPAC. New plays are often done in this format to see if a theatre would like to do a full production. Maybe after hearing these plays you might want us to do full productions in the future. This style of presentation also gives an opportunity to actors and directors who might not be able to invest the demanding eight-week commitment to a full-blown rehearsal and performance schedule.
We have two brand new directors and several actors who have never appeared on our stage before or have been away for a long time.
The schedule of the shows is as follows:
September 11 and 20: “A Little Off the Top”
With the help of a toupee salesman, Steve and Jerry, two lonely balding bachelors, find a perfect toupee with which to attract women. The only problem is that they don’t have enough money to buy it. Desperate for hair, they purchase a used toupee that was “repossessed” from a dead man and decide to time-share the toupee by taking turns wearing it. The new toupee gives Steve and Jerry a confidence boost, and they soon meet two lovely ladies. Romance is in the air until both girlfriends show up at Jerry and Steve’s house at the same time. With two bald men and just one toupee, things get a bit hairy for Steve and Jerry.
Cast: John and Garrett Smith, George Guillot, Ashley King, Gordon Mayhall, Kelly Driskell, Shirley Niswonger.
September 12, 14 and 18: “The Widow in Mink”
A recent widow discovers she is wealthy and tries to adjust to her new life. She joins a widows’ club but finds herself pursued by her late husband’s greedy business partner. Her worried niece seeks to protect her while stalling her own relationship with the rich young man who keeps proposing. Wealth and wisdom clash in a search for common ground and common sense.
Cast: Mary McCreary, Toni Clay, Roy Clay, Fran Bardwell, Wanda Kinney, Anita Joblin, George Guillot.
September 13 19: “Coming Back to Jersey”
Howard, a middle-aged tailor, indulges in daydreams to escape his humdrum existence. Norma, his suspicious wife, believes he is fantasizing about Dorothy, a sexy widow friend, so she comes up with a scheme to have Dorothy passionately flirt with Howard to test his fidelity. But Norma’s plan backfires when Howard retaliates by conniving with Dorothy to turn the trick around.
Soon Norma is threatening divorce and conspiring with a widower in a romantic charade to make Howard jealous. When the mixed-up couples are spotted having intimate dinners for two by Howard and Norma’s increasingly scandalized daughter and her straight-arrow boyfriend, it all leads to over-the-top assumptions and comedic accusations. Will the couples manage to sort themselves out? Will Howard and Norma ever get back to being the couple they used to be?
Cast: Robert Sullivan, Rae Priestly, Savannah Joblin, James Robertson, Cassandra Schwantes, Dustin Bartee.
For those who have season tickets, you may come to all three shows and use only one of your flex tickets. That’s three shows for one ticket! Just make your reservations, as usual, by giving us a call. We will take care of the rest.
If you are not a Season Ticket holder, you may reserve one ticket for one show at the regular price and attend two of the other shows for $8.50 each. That is three shows for the price of two!
We want you to see all three of these fabulous comedies. They are just too, too funny!