BETHEL — Senior College Players are gearing up for an evening of fun and surprises as they present their fall performances at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17, and Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Gould Academy Trustees Auditorium, Church Street.
Six one-act comedies will be performed under the leadership of facilitator, Jack Kuchta. Kuchta said, “This year’s plays illustrate how we gain maturity as we age. Wisdom and sensibility is a natural product of growing older. Thus, this year’s performance is entitled, ‘Antiques are old, I’m Mature,’ and that’s where the fun begins.”
Three comedies take place at the Chatterton Country Club, a 55+ retirement community, by Annette Trigham. The intertwining stories explore the crazy cast of characters and themes that make senior communal living so entertaining.
“It’s Your Move,” the first comedy, finds Jim McLean, as Joe, and Bill Schuellein, as Bob, friends and next door neighbors for 23 years, sharing their weekly game of checkers. It’s all guy talk until Bob reveals a secret about Joe’s wife.
“With Friends like You,” features Pat McCartney as Margaret and Barb Dion as Arlene at a weekly “stretch-ercize” class. They show us what happens when adults play post office in a close-knit community.
“If You Can’t Beat ‘Em,” the third comedy in this series, finds Judy Crayton, played by Lorrie Hoeh, determined to form her own group because she has been kicked out of her book club. She will call her group the Chatterton Civilian Rules Administration Police (C.C.R.A.P.) because she is tired of people who get away with breaking the association covenants. She has invited three of her misfit neighbors, Rosabelle Tifft as Mavis, Eunice Ruby as Gretchen, and Mariann Goff as Winny, to join her in an anonymous letter writing campaign to bust the villains. Their boozy potluck luncheon is filled with twists, turns and revelations, which ultimately change the course of their mission.
Tineke Ouwinga, the office administrator, tries to keep order.
Another comedy monologue is entitled “Kindness of Strangers,” by Jim Gordon. A con man’s once-in-a-lifetime opportunity turns into a nightmare when a little old lady, played by Lorrie Hoeh, gives him a lesson in “Chinese water torture.”
“Coconut Crème Pie” by John Clifford, finds Tim LeConey on his first day delivering pies for his son-in-law’s business. Everything goes wrong, wrong address and a dropped pie, until a customer, played by Barb Dion, comes to his aid.
“Dinner Plans,” by Vicki Bartholomew, the final comedy, features five women, retired sisters Pat McCartney as Marilyn, and Mariann Goff as Betty,who get together for coffee and recipe exchange with their three friends, Barb Dion as Cora, Lorrie Hoeh as Peggy, and Eunice Ruby as Alice. They discover, to their amazement and chagrin, that they have all been cooking for the same lovely man. The resolution to this dilemma is clever and charming.
Western Mountains Senior College offers Senior College Players as a course, open to anyone age 50 and over. Now in its eleventh year, many players are veteran thespians who have been with the troupe for years and are able to assist in production.
Admission to the performance is free. However, donations will be appreciated to offset royalties.
FMI: 207-364-3137.
Western Mountains Senior College Players cast. Seated from left are Pat McCartney, Bill Schuellein, Lorrie Hoeh and Tim LeConey. Standing are Eunice Ruby, Barb Dion, Jim McLean, Tineke Ouwinga, Mariann Goff and Rosabelle Tifft.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
