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; Enjoy dinner and a show'Grace and Glorie' offers unique dinner theater fareBY RONALD BENNETTSpecial to Ihf* Odessa AmericanQuestion: How many of you dear readers enjoyed attending the productions at the Mansion /Country Squire dinner theater when it was in operation?Ho you miss being able to attend a production at a locaJ dinner theater?If the answer to the last question is “ Yes” then youP,ck up thc Ph(’ne NOW and make reservations at the Permian Playhouse to see “Grace and Glorie” playing at the Barn floor’s South Forty banquet * room.Though certainly notdesired as a theater, it provided a venue that made tor a pleasant dining/theater experience. It was reminiscent of the times spent at the Mansion. People leftwith the same smiles on their faces.This being said I must warn you that this play is much more profound than thedinner theater fare. While it is extremely funny it also brings up some powerful emotions that keep the two characters and the audience on an emotional roller coaster. Tom Zeigler has written a Play that contrasts the new with the old, the strong with the weak, the sophisticated with die plain and chronicles the changes that occur in relationships between the generations and in marriages.” PWY REVIEWGrace Stiles (Rhonda Romine) is a 90-year-old country woman who lives alone 20 miles up a remote road in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and is dying of cancer.When we first meet her she is singing along with a gospel quartet she is listening to on a Walkman. She is an curmudgeonly character, speaking with the abandon that those who have lived long or are in poor health or both can afford to use. Her outbursts provide much of the laughter of the evening.Gloria Whitmore (Kelly Koepp), nicknamed “Glorie” by Grace, is a fish-out-of-water character who hasrecently moved to the areawhen her husband accepted a lob with a local law firm. She has been an extremely successful business woman in cw Vork and is feeling the pangs of withdrawal into wing ** just a housewife” and has learned that the wives of thc wealthier members of the community volunteer their time to charity. She has chosen to be a volunteer for the local hospice association.. thc P,ay we witnessthe difference of opinions between the two on how they approach life’s problems. In the course of the play we learn that these two diverse women have forged a bond that transcends their differences.Phe playwright has skillfully constructed a play that adds depth to the characters, making them believably real and a tour de force for the two actresses who are constantly on stage for the two acts.Romine plays Grace to the curmudgeonly hilt. Her makeup is effective as far as it goes. She makes us ache as she gets out of bed, leaning on her cane. filter on she has made great improvement since she obviously doen’t need the cane.) She projects a depth of characterization that shows she has pulled from many life experiences to create this role. The audience was the better for it.Koepp was tentative at first but relaxed and played Glorie” with a sympathetic moving portrayal. It is a strong performance.ITie director was Tony Prather, who was successful in understanding the various nuances of the script and bringing them to life. He was also the set designer and construction crew. (Let’s make that door frame sturdier, however) \d”he quartet was Scott lt;Tomlinson, Tony Prather, fJerry Sauls and Josh Rimer. II ne Dj was nonc other fhan vthe famous Bill Myrick. (For a return to the “ Let’s- sgo-to-dinner-and-see-a-play” vevening it provided a uunique opportunity for the 01residents of the Permian *1Basin ^Seating is limited so, as I arsaid before, make your fareservations NOW! ofIt is well worth the money thland the time. m
Newspaper Details
Odessa American
Odessa, Texas, US
Fri, May 19, 2006
Page 16
Full Page
Clipped by
Tony P.
USA 13 Dec 2023
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