Center Stage Community Theatre presents “The Sweet Delilah Swim Club” by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten beginning tonight, Nov. 22 for audiences to laugh, relax and enjoy a night with five new friends on center stage.
Center Stage Community Theatre will present “The Sweet Delilah Swim Club” beginning tonight, Friday, Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the theatre at 604 Powell St. in Lebanon. The shows will continue with Friday and Saturday showings at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 23, Nov. 24, Nov. 29, Nov. 30, Dec. 1, Dec. 6, Dec. 7 and Dec. 8.
“The Sweet Delilah Swim Club” follows five southern women whose friendship began many years ago on their college swim team as they continue to meet together for a girls’ weekend on the same weekend in August as a means of remaining connected with each other and recharging their relationship. Free from husbands, kids and jobs, the women meet at the same beach cottage, known as the “Sweet Delilah” on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, to catch up, laugh and meddle in each other’s lives.
The production focuses on four of the weekends, spanning over 33 years throughout four scenes split between two acts. Audiences will be thrown into the conversation over two decades after the women began their annual tradition as the hijinks never cease between the cast. With scenes jumping five years, and eventually almost 20 more, audiences will gain an understanding of the ever-evolving friendship and lives of the five women that star in the production. Director Doug Davis commented about the breakdown of the show, which stands as a fairly unique take on a production for Jones, Hope and Wooten.
“It’s two acts, two scenes in the first act, there will be a 15 minute intermission, and then, there is two more scenes and that will be the end of the show,” Davis said. “There’s a total of four scenes.”
The play revolves around Sheree Hollinger, portrayed by Shannon Roberts, Lexie Richards, portrayed by Marie McNelis, Dinah Grayson, portrayed by Elane Johnson, Vernadette Simms, portrayed by Kim Nylin, and Jeri Neal McFeeley, portrayed by Emma Rice.
Sheree stands as the spunky team captain who strives to maintain her organized and “perfect” life as she continues leading the group through their weekends, commonly becoming the subject of jokes by the other women due to her healthy, yet rancid culinary creations.
Lexie acts as a pampered and outspoken women who remains determined to hold onto her looks and youth as long as possible. She may not be humble, and she knows it as she ensures that everyone understands that she stands as the biggest “catch” on the Outer Banks despite her inability to maintain a marriage longer than a few years.
Dinah portrays herself as a wisecracking overachiever with an illustrious career, but her victories in the courtroom do not compare to the frustrations of her personal life as she continuously tips her glass for another drop regardless of the time of day.
Vernadette acts as a fly on the wall for most of the drama befalling her lifelong friends and acts as a self-deprecating and acerbic woman, acutely aware of the dark cloud that hovers over her life as she abandons the fight and plays into the chaos that surrounds her.
Lastly, the innocent, caring Jeri Neal takes the first scene by storm as she reveals a revelation in her life the other four women could have never expected. As she prepares to leave the convent for which she has become ingrained, she spirals the 22-year reunion between the friends into utter “Nun-sense.”
As their lives unfold and the years pass, the women increasingly rely on one another for advice and entertainment as they face challenges from men, intimacy, marriage, parenting, divorce and aging that continues to afflict them. As fate threatens to derail one of their lives in the second act, the friends continue to endure the unknown by embracing the power of “teamwork” to rally around and uplift each other, taking the comedy in a poignant and surprising direction.
Davis commented about the playwrights behind the comedy, bringing to the forefront that even in loss, the group remains strong in appreciating the art that was produced while they remained together.
“Jones, Hope and Wooten are a delightful trio of playwrights,” Davis said. “We recently lost one of the three, but we still have two of them left, and they are wonderful with writing comedy.”
Davis expressed that while the play may burst into dramatic moments with disagreements, betrayals and shocking confessions, the women always find a way to laugh with each other and mend any rips in the fabric of their friendship.
“This is mostly comedy, but if you’ve seen Steel Magnolias or On Golden Pond, there’s a lot of comedy in both those shows, but there’s just a little touch of drama here and there on it,” Davis said. “The majority of it is comedy.”
“The Sweet Delilah Swim Club” debuts tonight, Friday, Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the theatre at 604 Powell St. in Lebanon. The shows will continue with Friday and Saturday showings at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 23, Nov. 24, Nov. 29, Nov. 30, Dec. 1, Dec. 6, Dec. 7 and Dec. 8. Tickets may be purchased online at centerstagecommunitytheatre.com or by calling the box office at 765-894-5587. Tickets are $18 for adults and $15 for seniors and students.
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