Four Old Broads by Leslie Kimbell - 6w, 1m
Retired burlesque queen Beatrice Shelton desperately needs a vacation – and NOT another trip up to Helen, Georgia to see that “precious little German village for the umpteenth time.” A Sassy Seniors Cruise through the Caribbean may be just the ticket if she can just convince her best friend, Eaddy Mae Clayton, to stop praying and go with her. Unfortunately, things have not been very pleasant at Magnolia Place Assisted Living since Nurse Pat Jones began working there. The newest resident, Imogene Fletcher, is suddenly losing her memory. Maude Jenkins is obsessed with her favorite soap opera and planning her own funeral. Sam Smith, retired Elvis impersonator, keeps trying to bed every woman in the building. A mystery unfolds with laughter as the gals try to outsmart the evil Nurse Pat Jones and figure out why so many residents have been moved to “the dark side,” what exactly IS that mysterious pill, and what happened to Doctor Head? Hilarity ensues as Imogene goes undercover and Maude enters the Miss Magnolia Senior Citizen Pageant to throw Pat off their trail. If they can solve the mystery, they may make it to the cruise ship after all.
Labels: comedy
posted by Jim Vogel at 3:31 PM
5 Comments:
I recently saw "Four Old Broads on the High Sea" - a sequel to this play. It was the dumbest and one of the worth productions I have ever seen. In all due respect, i is meant for "community theater" not what TRP is known for. If we are to entertain this series, I highly suggest we reconsider any of the "Jeeves" plays we have not yet done. The writing and humor is so much better than this.
It isn't my type of play, but neither is Jeeves. It might attract those who enjoy Jeeves and Golden Girls. I'm curious to see what others think.
From Melissa - a mostly amusing mix of steel magnolias, golden girls and scooby doo. Set design lends itself to a proscenium box set, but I think it could be done in the round. Tech needs are few. Lights up, lights down and lights dim for a classic breaking into the office with flashlights. It's a yes for me.
I liked the description of this play, but the minute I started reading it I was reminded that plays written for older women can often rub me the wrong way. Usually it's because the playwright turns the characters into caricatures. That's the way this script struck me. I agree with Jean that this is a play that is really meant for a community theater, such as my hometown theater, where everyone in town knows the actors and enjoys seeing them in a variety of roles. I don't think this one is a good fit for TRP.
This is really not my cup-of-tea. The plot is so over the top, the characters are so broadly written, and the humor is more "lowest-common-denominator" than clever. The climax is bizarre, with the mystery being resolved in 3 different ways at the same time. I like that it highlights roles for older actors. It is very light and entertaining, which I think we will need a good dose of laughs next season. From a directing standpoint, there are a lot of visual gags and clues that would be challenging to point focus to in the round with so much activity on stage (not impossible by any means). Would require an intimacy coordinator, there is way more touching than Madeline could handle by herself.
Personally a no, but I could be persuaded.
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