May 22, 2008

I'm delighted to be involved with DEARLY BELOVED and DEARLY DEPARTED - two plays that I've been looking forward to working on for some time now.

While perusing a stack of potential scripts, I began to skim DEARLY BELOVED and was immediately captivated by its wonderful humor.  Several other area theatres were obviously doing the same thing because their productions prevented us from placing both plays on our season lineup until this year.

As it turns out, I think the timing is right.  I believe our audiences are ready to laugh these days.  I think they're getting enough heavy drama on the news.  With gas prices soaring, area theatres are being paid a high compliment when people come out to attend any area production.  I simply feel that the inducement to laugh and have an uplifting time is the least we owe them for the effort.

The playwrights have obviously found a winning combination with the characters and situations in DEARLY BELOVED and DEARLY DEPARTED.  I, like so many who've seen or read these plays, feel that some of these characters were patterned on some of my own relatives - which reveals a great deal about my obviously warped sense of humor.

The characters, in many ways, are reminiscent of the wonderful Carol Burnett sketches that featured "Eunice," "Mama," and a slew of other hysterical misfits who still managed to put a great deal of FUN into dysFUNctional.  The humor so abundant in the DEARLY scripts also reminds me of GREATER TUNA.  (Incidentally, the DEARLY stories also take place in Texas.)

The DEARLY plays deal with the two greatest themes:  LOVE and DEATH.  They do so, however, in a way that is joyously funny and gleefully entertaining.  Without realizing it, the audiences come away from the experience with a bit more information regarding how we all can find our various ways through our own watershed events.

The challenges of doing comedy are obvious ... or at least they should be.  Comedy can't be faked.  It either IS funny or it isn't.  You either get laughs or you don't.  You can fake tears and dramatic situations - but you simply can't fake comedy.  It therefore helps if your comedic theme is universal.  After all, comedy is about what we know.  Death is not intrinsically funny - and yet you laugh at DEARLY DEPARTED which is all about a family funeral.

Having a topnotch cast certainly helps when you're taking on two shows at once.  In this case, we've succeeded extraordinarily well.

DEARLY BELOVED

Miss Geneva Musgrave.................Frances Stanley

Tina Jo/Gina Jo Dubberly............Kelly McConkey

Honey Raye Futrelle....................Gilly Conklin

Frankie Futrelle..........................Heather Shinpaugh

Dub Dubberly.............................JK Ferrell

Twink Futrelle............................Leanne Norton-Heintz

Nelda Lightfoot...........................Sandi Sullivan

Justin Waverly..........................Thomas Porter

John Curtis Buntner...................James Hampton Rowe

Wiley Hicks................................Larry Evans

Patsy Price.................................Susannah Hough

DEARLY DEPARTED

Raynelle..................Janis Coville

Ray Bud...................Phil Crone

Lucille......................Meg Deitrich

Junior......................Larry Evans

Suzanne...................Leanne Norton-Heintz

Marguerite...............Frances Stanley

Royce.......................Jeffrey Nugent

Delightful.................Kelly McConkey

Reverend Hooker.......Bob Harris

Veda........................Margo Schuler

Steve Larson and Jeff Nugent have provided us with a wonderfully flexible multipurpose set.  Shawn Stewart-Larson is amplifying the various personalities with incredible costume choices.  Will Mikes is providing the hilarious soundtrack for both shows.

The delightful thing is that the actors and actresses are having great fun during rehearsals.  Both shows are incredibly funny to US and that's a fine beginning.  If WE laugh, we know the audience will too.

We invite you to join us at Theatre In The Park for the very best in theatre!

Ira David Wood III
Executive Director, Theatre In The Park

Don't miss Ira David Wood III as Captain Hook

North Carolina Theatre's production of "Peter Pan"!

October 6-14, 2007 at Raleigh's Memorial Auditorium. 

Click here for tickets.