I had a real treat the other night. Smithfield Little Theater presented The Dixie Swim Club, a recently published play I had never seen and knew little about. This was remarkable in itself: not because I think I’m an authority on new plays but because community theaters too often simply recycle the old and familiar.
But it got better. The play itself is a vastly entertaining comedy with enough poignant truth to make the show a captivating experience, and this production was crafted with such love and care that it absolutely delighted the packed theater. What more can a theater patron ask?
The premise of the play is fairly simple. Five Southern women from the fictitious Pemberton College Swimming Team have remained steadfastly connected for twenty-two years by retreating every August to a cottage on Nags Head. We join them for that twenty-second reunion (set in 1975) and visit them again in 1980, 1985, and finally 2008. Plays that span the years can put a strain on the actors (and the willingness of the audience to suspend its disbelief) but the authors helped matters immensely by starting the action with the characters already in middle age. That choice also provided the characters with ample fodder for discussion and reflection from the opening moments.
As the lights went up, the audience heard beach sounds and saw the interior of a beach cottage that brought back memories of years gone by. Large expanses of wall painted a warm yellow and festooned with “beach” ornaments of all sorts: nets, painted fish, bouys, life rings, fishing poles, and inexpensive-looking pictures - all of the touches that cried “Vacation Rental” circa 1975. The furniture was “beachy” and looked appropriately worn. Topping off this homey creation was the kitchen with its trademark pass-through opening. Although set design was not a credited position in the program, those responsible are to be congratulated for their vision and restraint. It was clearly an instance where less was more.
The first character to take the stage was the organized and orderly Sheree (Gayle Terwilliger), former captain of the swim team. We watched as she moved happily to beach tunes of the era and prepared for the arrival of her friends and former teammates. She was soon joined by the over-achieving attorney, Dinah (Judy Winslow) who entered with much bravado and her trademark cocktail shaker filled with martinis. Then came Lexi (Lois Chapman), a pampered and self-interested vixen intent on preserving her charms despite the passing of years – and husbands; Vernadette (Gina Ippolitto), whose troubled life was likened by one her friends to a country song – (“and the hits keep on coming!”); and Jeri Neal (Sharon Suttle), a nun who surprised one and all by walking in eight months pregnant! The actresses happily stirred this tempting pot of temperaments and viewpoints for the rest of the evening.
Each of the actresses had wonderful moments in this happy journey, but, for me, it was their work as an ensemble that provided the great thrill in this production. Their repartee came across as spontaneous, witty, funny, catty, and intimate, all befitting a group of women who had been friends for over twenty years. Because of their superb efforts, the audience was pulled irresistibly into their world.
As is always the case with such a performance, it was no accident. Director Robert Cox noted in the program that he and co-director Win Winslow “spent a lot of time [with the cast] discussing and developing the characters and relationships” presented in the play. Their vision must have been very clear, and each of the actresses obviously took this process very seriously, because the audience was treated to an ensemble of unique personalities that blended beautifully into this charming and funny performance.
The creativity didn’t stop there, however. A show that makes dramatic shifts in the years requires time for the actors to “age” between scenes. The directors didn’t leave us sitting in the dreaded “black-out”. Instead, we were presented with a stage crew (Kristina Steiger, Steven Kirkbride, Corey Gledhill, Kristan Marchant, and Dan Steiger) playfully moving props and scenery while engaging in a little horseplay. This was all covered by some nice voice-over work by co-director Win Winslow as he re-created the patter of a radio DJ to help make the transition to the next timeframe in the story. A very nice touch.
With The Dixie Swim Club, playwrights Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten are continuing a tradition that came upon
The Dixie Swim Club runs through March 8 at Smithfield Little Theatre. Call 757-357-7338 for ticket information or visit them on the web at www.smithfieldlittletheatre.com/.
Copyright 2009 - David Adams
Originally published March 5, 2009 for Iron Street Productions.
.jpg)