In a word, Playgoers of Lethbridge's dinner theatre presentation of the Dixie SwimClub, Oct. 22-25 is “ poignant.”
They have a dedicated cast of five women who play five very different characters who grew up together as members of their college swim team and meet every year to catch up with each other.
“I think the audience will quite enjoy it,” said director Lee Prindle who saw a dinner theatre of the Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jane Wooten penned play in Mesa, Arizona and who decided to bring the play to playgoers of lethbridge.
“There's five women in the play and there's no stars or starlet. They all play very different characters. There's one who’s very organized, one who is self centred, one who is accident prone and a nun who decides to get married,” Prindle described.
“ I think it is a lot like Steel Magnolias. But there's no Dolly Parton,” he continued.
“ There's very few plays that have an all women cast. We did the female version of the Odd Couple last year, but there's guys in that,” he added.
“ It is very poignant. It’s so funny, but it has some serious moments,” he continued.
“I think it’s going to be a hit. I really do.”
The cast includes five very familiar faces with Playgoers of Lethbridge— Donna Galau, Rita Peterson, Jane Meaker, Shelley David and Playgoers President Linda Johnson who makes a rare appearance on stage, though she is a prominent figure backstage.
“It begins when they’re 22 years old at their graduation. Then we see them again at 44 and again at 77,” said Rita Peterson, adding they audience get s to watch women grow and evolve through the years as they cope with all the tribulations of life.
“ It combines comedy with some serious moments,” Peterson described.
“ She’s accident prone. A lot happens to her, but she takes it all in stride,“ she described.
She has a great attitude.
Rita Peterson plays Jeri Neal, who has always wanted to be a mother and finally does later in life.
“She's very sweet and happy,” she said.
Galau said the biggest challenge of the production has been showing how the characters have aged and changed through the years.
“ It’s been a challenge, but we use different hairstyles and makeup and physical characteristics,” she said
Prindle is enjoying directing the play, noting when Playgoers was looking for plays to do, he suggested Dixie Swim club, so president Linda Johnson convinced him to direct it as well.
“ So that’s how I ended up directing,” he said.
Linda Johnson was drawn to Dinah, the high powered, career obsessed lawyer.
“ I am Dinah. I’m a lawyer. I’m very crusty, but she always supported them (her friends),” she said .
“I’ve been involved with Playgoers for 40 years. I’ve been involved in every aspect of the theatre from producer to director,” she said.
“ I’d rather be backstage, but I was thrilled when I read the script,” she said adding not many people made it out to auditions so she decided to take an onstage role.
“ And in real life I work with lawyers ,” she said.
“ It’s a gentle comedy kind of like the Golden Girls,” she described.
“I love its gentleness and poignancy. I’m enjoying playing the characters in the past, present and future,” she continued.
“ I prefer being behind the scenes but it has been so much fun getting to know and working with these people. It’s incredible, so I am a enjoying it,” she said.
“ There's poignancy throughout and there's a message in it, but I don’t expect people to focus on that I just want people to come out and have a good time,” Prindle said adding tickets are going fast. There are 80 tickets sold for the first night already.
The Dixie Swim Club runs Oct. 22-25 at Country Kitchen Catering
1715 Mayor Magrath Drive, Lower Level, Tickets cost $45 at CASA (230 8th Street South, Lethbridge, Alberta)
(403) 329-CASA. Cocktails are at 6 p.m., dinner follows at 6:30 p.m. with the play to follow.
