April 09, 2008
CUMMING - The Rosewater Theatre presents the smash hit comedy "Dearly Departed," which premiers May 2 at the Cumming Playhouse.
"Dearly Departed," by David Bottrell and Jesse Jones, will be The Rosewater Theatre's 18th professional quality production at the Cumming Playhouse.
Following the premier, performances are slated for every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m., through May 24.
Somewhere south of the Mason-Dixie line, the beleaguered Turpin family proves that living and dying in the South are seldom tidy and always hilarious. Despite their earnest efforts to pull themselves together for their father's funeral, the Turpin's other problems keep overshadowing the solemn occasion: Firstborn Ray-Bud drinks himself silly as the funeral bills mount; Junior, the younger son, is juggling financial ruin, a pack of no-neck monster kids, and a wife who suspects him of infidelity in the family car; their sister, Delightful, copes with death as she does life, by devouring junk food; and all the neighbors add more than two cents.
As the situation becomes fraught with mishap, Ray-Bud says to his long-suffering wife, "When I die, don't tell nobody. Just bury me in the backyard and tell everybody I left you."
Amidst the chaos, the Turpins turn for comfort to their friends and neighbors, an eccentric community of misfits who just manage to pull together and help each other through their hours of need, and finally, the funeral.
"We are thrilled to be bringing this show back to the Cumming Playhouse," said G. Scott Riley, Artistic Director and co-owner of The Rosewater Theatre. "We performed it a couple of years ago and every show sold out so due to public demand we brought it back."
The production stars a superb ensemble of surrounding area professional and seasoned actors and is being directed by local resident Don Hawkins who heads up the drama ministry department at First Christian Church in Cumming.
"It's been a lot of fun and a pleasure to direct this wonderful and talented cast," said Don Hawkins. "The actors have done a phenomenal job and have worked extremely hard."
Rosewater works to provide a wide variety of productions.
"We always like to cater to all patrons young, old and in between," states Lisa Sherouse Riley, Managing Director and co-owner of The Rosewater Theatre. "We have done many shows at the playhouse since it opened and although we have opened our own theatre in Roswell, we aim to continue providing professional quality theatre to our patrons at the Cumming Playhouse for as long as we are welcome."
Tickets for "Dearly Departed" are $16 and $18. All seats are reserved seating.
Tickets can be purchased at the Cumming Playhouse, or online at www.playhousecumming.com or by calling ahead to the Cumming Playhouse Office at 770-781-9178.
The Cumming Playhouse, located at 101 School Street is easily accessible from Ga. 400. Parking is free.
For more information, www.rosewatertheatre.com or www.playhousecumming.com.
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