The Charlotte Players put comedy center stage when they kick off their 64th season in September. The comedic romp, “Always a Bridesmaid,” opens September 12 in the intimate, 102-seat Langdon Playhouse, followed a day later by “Comedy for a Cause” at The Twisted Fork.
Charlotte Players General Manager Jeanne DeYoung described the latter event this way, “’Comedy for a Cause’ is a improv comedy event where we bring together 10 leaders within Charlotte County in the community who are coming together to learn improv techniques and put on a comedy show.”
Now in its 12th year, “Comedy for a Cause” is such a good time that it’s drawn crowds of 400 and 500 at previous venues.
“It’s lots of laughs,” said DeYoung. “It’s a good time. And I go every year to rehearsals as well just because I enjoy seeing the cast bond and how much fun they have."
This year’s eclectic group of local celebrities includes Lesley Barton, Sean Burroughs, Jessica Cline, Shawn Gilstad, Aaron Briggs, Brock Reinhardt, Emerson Schoonover, Tobybeth Johnson, Joseph Tiseo and, of course, Twisted Fork owner Bert Parsley.
Tickets are available at CharlottePlayers.org.
IN THE BACKGROUND:
About the Players: The Charlotte Players had its first organizational meeting on October 16, 1961, at the North Port Community Center. Its first production was “Now Is The Time,” which opened at the Charlotte Lanes Bowling Auditorium on May 24, 1962, with two sold-out performances. Since then, the community theater has logged over 300 productions totaling more than 2,200 individual performances.
In addition, Charlotte Players have contracted national talent for almost 100 different entertainment productions over the past 12 years, conducts acting classes for adults, provides “Kids Onstage” summer camps for children and through its partnership with Dolly Parton’s Tennessee-based Imagination Library in 2012, has given over 125,000 free books to registered preschool children in Charlotte County.
About the show: "Always a Bridesmaid" follows four female friends who swore on the night of their senior prom to be in each other’s weddings … no matter what.
More than 30 years later, these Southern friends-for-life are still making “the long walk” for each other, determined to honor that vow.
Libby Ruth, the hopeful romantic with the perfect marriage, believes—in spite of all evidence to the contrary—that her friends can find the very same happiness.
Headstrong Deedra’s “rock-solid” union hangs by a thread when she discovers her husband of many years not only has a wandering eye, but also the hands to match.
Monette, flashy, high-spirited and self-involved, continues to test her friends’ love and patience with all-too-frequent trips down the aisle.
And salt-of-the-earth, tree-hugging Charlie discovers—the hard way—that marital bliss is not the end of her rainbow and panics in outrageous style when the opportunity presents itself.
The play was written by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten – the same playwriting team that brought theater-goers “The Dixie Swim Club" and “Savannah Sipping Society.” And that means that Southern sensibilities and a womanly perspective on life and love can be counted on to render the sublime ridiculous and the ridiculous funny.
Most “Comedy for a Cause” attendees combine the performance with dinner. And for this occasion, The Twisted Fork offers “Absurdly Amusing Appetizers,” “Merry Mirthful Mains,” “Side-Splitting Sides” and Spontaneously Slapstick Sweets.”
To read more stories about the arts in Southwest Florida visit Tom Hall's website: SWFL Art in the News.