Comedy Introduces New Faces to Bradford Little Theatre Audiences

Four of the five actresses cast in the upcoming comedy "The Dixie Swim Club" are new to Bradford Little Theatre -- and three are new to the stage itself.

Taking the boards October 16-18 will be newcomers Karen Jackson of Bradford as Sheree: Kim Parana of Port Allegany as Lexie; Cheryl Bazzoui of Bradford as Dinah; and Julie Murrell of Bradford as Vernadette. Veteran BLT actress and board member Cindy Graham of Bradford will portray Jeri Neal. Only Parana and Graham have acted before, Graham in various BLT shows and Parana as director/performer with Elk County Footlighters for many years.

Director Dick Marcott announced the cast and crew for the two-act show to be performed in the Bromeley Studio Theater at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Writers are Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten, who spent many seasons as writer/producer of the classic TV series The Golden Girls .

BLT president, Marcott has previously directed Seniors at Large, Waiting for MacArthur, Don't Dress for Dinner and God's Favorite. He has also performed with BLT, Kiwanis Kapers, Olean Community Theatre,Sept. 23, 2009 , among many others, and won a Theater Association of New York award for his comedic role as Stefano in The Tempest.

The play follows five Southern women whose friendships began many years ago on their college swim team and who set aside a long weekend every August to recharge those relationships. Free from husbands, kids and jobs, they meet at the same beach cottage on North Carolina's Outer Banks to catch up, laugh and meddle in each other's lives. The play focuses on four of these weekends and spans a period of 33 years.

Spunky team captain Sheree desperately tries to maintain her organized and "perfect" life, and continues to be the group leader. Dinah, the wisecracking overachiever, is a career dynamo whose victories in the courtroom contrast starkly to the frustrations of her personal life. Pampered and outspoken Lexie is determined to hold onto her looks and youth as long as possible; she enjoys being married over and over again. Self-deprecating and acerbic Vernadette, acutely aware of the dark cloud hovering over her life, has decided to just give in and embrace the chaos. Sweet, eager-to-please Jeri Neal rounds out the group.

Over the years, the women increasingly rely on each other to handle the challenges life flings at them, including men, sex, marriage, divorce, parenting and aging. When one of them faces a crisis later in life, the others rally around her, taking the play in a touching direction.

"This play depicts the type of lasting friendship that only women seem to have," said Marcott. "It is both hilarious and poignant."

Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16 and 17, and 2 p.m. Oct. 18. For more information, people may visit the BLT Web site at bradfordlittletheatre.org.

Stage manager will be Cindy Matteson with Carol Marcott as her assistant. On board as well will be Shane Oschman, lighting design; Nanci K. Garris, set dresser; Dave Downs, master carpenter; Marlene Kijowski, costume design; Ron Johnson, sound design; Pam Gaffney, props; Erin Leet, make-up; Kim Graham hair consultant; and Paul Nelson, make-up consultant. Also making up the crew will be Sidra Bange, Kathy Bryant, Dan Zinsner, Sandy Fox, Rheda Freeman and Emily Zinsner.

Pictured, The Dixie Swim Club cast poses during rehearsal for the two-act comedy which opens Bradford Little Theatre's season Oct. 16-18 at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford's Bromeley Studio Theatre. From left are Kim Parana of Port Allegany and Bradford residents Cindy Graham, Karen Jackson, Julie Murrell and Cheryl
Bazzoui.
(Photo courtesy of BLT)