Category: Play
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, December 2–4 at 7pm, December 5 at 2pm Live At the #HHSPAC!
The Harrison High School
Theatre Department,
ITS Troupe 2715,
and the
Ozark Arts Council
present:
The Best
Christmas Pageant
Ever!
Thursday–Saturday, December 2–4, 7:00PM
Sunday, December 5, 2:00PM
Harrison High School Theatre Department presents The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at the HHS PAC on December 2, 3, 4 at 7:00pm and December 5 at 2:00pm. Tickets are available through HHSPAC.org with Advance Tickets priced at $8 children, $10 seniors, $12 adults. Ticket prices at the door will be $11 children, $13 seniors, $15 adults. All performances will be held at the Harrison High School Performing Arts Center (HHS PAC).
Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is speeding merrily closer! What better way to get in the holiday mood than by going to a performance of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever?
In this hilarious Christmas classic, a mother (Faith Nix) struggles to put on a church Christmas pageant with her husband’s (Joseph Claus) help, but is faced with casting the Herdman kids—probably the most inventively awful kids in history (Cookie Simpson, Jude Bilbee, Donovan Walters, Rilee Young, Lily Brockelman, Addie Jones), as well as wrangling her own unenthusiastic children Beth (Lilly Mangrum) and Charlie (Zachary Jimerson) into assisting.
When you add an unwilling menagerie of kids of all ages into the mix (Ricky Bates, Brinkley Brewer, Maci Bright, Mysteri Cotton, Liam Dupre, Victoria Hudson, Caden Lambert, Ethan Rouse), as well as some nosy busybodies who can’t wait to see it all crash and burn (Mandy Prpich, Jennafer Wilson, Iria Delgado, Camron Edwards, Laken Steiner, Elijah Ford), you’re in for one wild sleigh ride! You won’t believe the mayhem—and the fun—when the Herdmans collide with the Christmas story head on!
This delightful comedy is adapted from the best-selling Young Adult book by Barbara Robinson, and will certainly put you in the mood to sing a carol, drink some hot chocolate, and pull your loved ones in close.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever will be performed at the HHS PAC on December 2, 3, 4 at 7:00pm, December 5 at 2:00pm. Tickets available at HHSPAC.org and TheLyric.org (please note: all performances of this play will be at the HHS PAC; the ticket selection page will indicate accessible seating options).
Donations are also being accepted for Children’s Charity Ministry at each performance. If you would like to donate, please bring your donations to the play and put them in front of the tree at the entrance to the PAC.
The following are the items we need donated; please stick to this list, as it is what CCM is equipped to use:
- Single-serve mac and cheese
- Single-serve cereal
- Single-serve oatmeal
- Fruit/applesauce/jello/pudding cups
- Granola bars
- Beanie weenies
- Vienna sausage
- Ramen noodles
- Snack cracker packs
- Pull-tab Chef Boyardee pasta
- Pull-tab soups
Hey, Herdmans…it’s a BOOK, too!
As with any adaptation of a book to a live performance—and our season is full of them this year!—we suggest a (re-) reading of the book both before and after the performance. We suggest this because it both prolongs the entertainment and makes the experience more enriching. By reading the book before and after, you are able to engage your own imagination of the characters and scenery, etc., or even of the nuances of the plot, then gain insight into the playwright’s imagination of the same, and then deepen and broaden your own imagination through the post-performance reading. You may agree or disagree with any playwright’s choices in an adaptation…and, maybe, if you disagree enough, another playwright will have been created!
To read Barbara Robinson’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (and the other two volumes of her series with the Herdman kids!), visit the Boone County Public Library or a library near you…or buy it online for under $6! A version to read on tablets (or with the Kindle app for Chromebooks and MacOS, Windows, and Linux computers) is available for FREE in the same place! If you follow our links to buy the book, you’ll notice that where ‘www’ normally is, it says ‘smile’, which means you can designate the OAC/Lyric to receive a portion of what you pay for the book (it won’t increase your price or take money away from creators or producers of a product, but comes out of Amazon’s profit).
Join us at The Harrison High School Performing Arts Center for a literary classic brought to life! Tickets for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, December 2–5 Live At The #HHSPAC, are available now through HHSPAC.org or here at TheLyric.org by clicking any “Get Tickets” link, or calling the OAC office at (870) 391-3504 (please leave a detailed message if you get our voicemail).
Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, November 17–20 at 7pm, November 21 at 2pm #LiveAtTheLyric!
Northark Drama and
the Ozark Arts Council present Rudyard Kipling’s:
The Jungle Book
Thursday-Saturday, November 17–20, 7:00PM
Sunday, November 21, 2:00PM
Northark Drama and The Ozark Arts Council, will present Vera Morris’s beloved adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book #LiveAtTheLyric Wednesday–Saturday, November 17–20, 2021 at 7:00pm and Sunday, November 21 at 2:00pm. Tickets are available through TheLyric.org with Advance Tickets priced at $8 children, $10 seniors, $12 adults. Ticket prices at the door will be $11 children, $13 seniors, $15 adults.
Come hear the incredible tale of Mowgli (Landon Clements), a young boy raised by wolves. With the help of his friends—the bear Baloo (Dante Lowe), the panther Bagheera (Wyatt Mahoney) and the python Kaa (Brinkley Brewer)—Mowgli learns the ways of the jungle. Some of the jungle boy’s adventures are gripping, like the time he encounters the hooded cobra (Michael Amburn) who guards the treasure vault in the Deserted City. Others, like the coconut-tossing monkeys (Landon Kirkpatrick, Maegen Sterling, Lexi Knight, Macy Middleton, Zachary Linn, Emma Pruitt, Chasity Price, Lexi Poor) who take him prisoner, are hysterical. But the jungle is also dangerous, for it is the home of Shere Khan (Andrew Coble), the man-eating tiger who has vowed to destroy Mowgli. With his fawning jackal follower (Jude Bilbee), Shere Khan plots to take control of the jungle. Mowgli must use all his strength and courage, and the help of his friends to stop Shere Khan before it is too late.
With a stellar cast including Danielle Devito, Maci Bright, Wynn Mahoney, Caleb Lord, Michele Reynolds, William Dorsey, Valeria Carbajal, Elise Halsted, Lily Brockelman, Jacob Cothran, Laura Bracken, Jennafer Wilson, Skyler Grebe, Emily Perkins, Jerome Sweatman), this adaptation will enchant you and have you cheering when Mowgli declares, “I am Mowgli, Keeper of the Law and Guardian of the Jungle!”
Please Note: Along with Disney, we acknowledge that this play includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and they are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together. The producers of this play believe that, perhaps in spite of Kipling’s or the playwright’s own understanding of the these issues, the search and struggle for belonging presented in Mowgli’s story is the very key to understanding the struggles that are even more magnified among us today.
As with any adaptation of a book to a live performance—and our season is full of them this year!—we suggest a (re-) reading of the book both before and after the performance. We suggest this because it both prolongs the entertainment and makes the experience more enriching. By reading the book before and after, you are able to engage your own imagination of the characters and scenery, etc., or even of the nuances of the plot, then gain insight into the playwright’s imagination of the same, and then deepen and broaden your own imagination through the post-performance reading. You may agree or disagree with any playwright’s choices in an adaptation…and, maybe, if you disagree enough, another playwright will have been created!
To read Kipling’s collection of short stories, visit the Boone County Public Library or a library near you…or buy it online. A version to read on tablets is available for under two dollars and is available in the same place. If you follow our links to buy the book, you’ll notice that where ‘www’ normally is, it says ‘smile’, which means you can designate the OAC/Lyric to receive a portion of what you pay for the book (it won’t increase your price or take money away from creators or producers of a product, but comes out of Amazon’s profit).
Join us at The Lyric for a literary classic brought to life! Tickets for The Jungle Book, November 17–21 #LiveAtTheLyric, are available now here at TheLyric.org by clicking any “Get Tickets” link, or calling the OAC office at (870) 391-3504 (please leave a detailed message if you get our voicemail).
Pride and Prejudice, September 2–4 at 7pm, 5 at 2pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!
The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and
the Ozark Arts Council Present a
World Premiere Adaptation of
Jane Austen’s Classic Novel:
Pride and Prejudice
Thursday-Saturday, September 2–4, 7:00PM
Sunday, September 5, 2:00PM
The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and The Ozark Arts Council, will present Pride and Prejudice #LiveAtTheLyric the first weekend of September, 2021 (September 2–5). Tickets are available through TheLyric.org with Advance Tickets priced at $8 children, $10 seniors, $12 adults. Ticket prices at the door will be $11 children, $13 seniors, $15 adults.
In the rural countryside of England live Mr. Bennet (Michael Amburn) and Mrs. Bennet (Elizabeth Lambert)—who is fixed on her 5 daughters getting married off quickly (and preferably to rich men!). Fortunately, a man of great wealth, Mr. Bingley (Jude Bilbee), has just moved to the neighborhood, and has set his sight on their eldest daughter, Jane (Bri Coleman). Unfortunately, he has brought along his arrogant friend, Mr. Darcy (Caleb Lord), who insults not only the Bennetts, whom he sees as far beneath him, but their second eldest, Elizabeth (Brinkley Brewer), initiating Elizabeth’s hatred for the prideful man. If Mr. Darcy’s attitude weren’t enough, Elizabeth meets many more people who add fuel to the flames in her heart toward him—such as Mr. Wickham (Joe Claus), who has known Mr. Darcy since infancy and is more than happy to enlighten Elizabeth with tales of his past.
As with any adaptation of a book to a live performance—and our season is full of them this year!—we suggest a (re-)reading of the book both before and after the performance. We suggest this because it both prolongs the entertainment and makes the experience more enriching. By reading the book before and after, you are able to engage your own imagination of the characters and scenery, etc., or even of the nuances of the plot, then gain insight into the playwright’s imagination of the same, and then deepen and broaden your own imagination through the post-performance reading. You may agree or disagree with any playwright’s choices in an adaptation…and, maybe, if you disagree enough, another playwright will have been created!
To read Jane Austen’s novel, visit the Boone County Public Library or a library near you…or buy it online. If print size can cause you difficulty, a large print, unabridged hardback is linked in the image to the right, below, and a version to read on tablets is available for under a dollar and is linked in the image on the left! If you follow our links to buy the book, you’ll notice that where ‘www’ normally is, it says ‘smile’, which means you can designate the OAC/Lyric to receive a portion of what you pay for the book (it won’t increase your price or take money away from creators or producers of a product, but comes out of Amazon’s profit).
This play is a world premiere, adapted by the director, Michele Reynolds, from Jane Austen’s classic novel to bring out more of the nuances of the book—both the comedic elements and the reasons behind some of the animosity between characters—and includes a large and talented ensemble, including Andrew Jackson, Addie Jones, Ella Domino, Faith Nix, Chasity Price, Rilee Young, Preston Garrison, Candace Lambert, Tracy Elledge, Cassandra Elledge, Emily Perkins, Alexis Poor, Caden Lambert, AJ Womack, Julie Sooter, Lily Aronson, Owen Elledge, Vive Allen, Jimmy Elledge, Laura Bracken, Lenora Domino, Emily Still.
Join us at The Lyric for a literary classic brought to life! Tickets for Pride and Prejudice, September 2–5 #LiveAtTheLyric, are available now here at TheLyric.org by clicking any “Get Tickets” link, or calling the OAC office at (870) 391-3504 (please leave a detailed message if you get our voicemail).
HHS@TheLyric: Tuck Everlasting, September 30–October 2 at 6pm, as well as Oct. 2 at 1pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!
The Ozark Arts Council proudly presents
the first-ever entirely student-driven
production by HHS Theatre at the Lyric:
🌲 Tuck Everlasting ❤️
Thursday–Saturday, Sept. 30–Oct. 2, 6:00PM
Saturday, October 3, 1:00PM
HHS•Theatre@TheLyric and The Ozark Arts Council will bring a beloved book to the Lyric stage with a most intriguing cast and crew: Mrs. Hamblin is turning her veteran youth loose on the community to treat us to all of the energy—and all of the angst—that Tuck Everlasting deserves, with Harrison High School’s first student-led (from director to actors to tech!) production. Performed #LiveAtTheLyric September 30–October 2 (with two performances on Saturday), tickets are available through The Lyric’s ticketing page with Advance Tickets priced at $8 children, $10 seniors, $12 adults. Ticket prices at the door will be $11 children, $13 seniors, $15 adults. Face coverings for disease transmission are no longer required by the state, but no one will object if you still wish to wear one.
10-year-old Winnie Foster, trapped by the rules imposed by her strait-laced family, runs away and discovers the humble Tucks who had accidentally stumbled upon a spring long ago that gave them eternal life. Winnie promises to keep their dangerous secret but then a sinister stranger in a yellow suit arrives at their door with intentions to steal the immortal water for himself. Ultimately Winnie must choose whether or not to drink the immortal water and join them in an everlasting adventure—or live on in a natural way, living a life full of the ordinary beauty of growth and change.
Directed by Khloe Shorb, the Tuck Everlasting cast includes:
Winnie Foster: Faith Nix
Angus Tuck: Zach Jimerson
Mae Tuck: Mysteri Cotton
Jesse Tuck: Tori Hudson
Miles Tuck: Joe Claus
Stranger: Jude Bilbee
Constable: Charlie Knieff
Granny Foster: Sara Sims
Voices: Kaci Flower, Donovan Walters, Mandy Prpich, Rilee Young, Jenna Wilson, Addie Jones
Join us at The Lyric for Tuck Everlasting! Tickets are available now here at TheLyric.org by clicking any “Get Tickets” link or by calling (870) 391-3504 (please leave a detailed message if you get our voicemail).
Get your tickets now, but keep checking back here for updates from the director, cast, and crew!
The cast and crew were so excited to have the Lyric open after nine months being dark that they had their read-through already in May!
And for our next act…The One Where the Lyric Recovers!
Click/Tap the poster above to donate. Thank you!
And…if you can’t be with us at the Lyric for the FREE Live Entertainment, tune in on your radio, because it’s also an Old-Fashioned Radiothon
presented by The Original KHOZ!
An Evening with Carol Burnett and Friends, June 11–12 at 7pm, 13 at 2pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!
The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and
the Ozark Arts Council Present a
Sketch Comedy Cavalcade in Tribute to:
The Carol Burnett Show
Friday–Saturday, June 11–12, 7:00PM
Sunday, June 13, 2:00PM
The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and The Ozark Arts Council will present a tribute to a wonderful lady and the glorious sketch comedy and variety she shared with us through her weekly CBS TV series—a tribute to The Carol Burnett Show, performed #LiveAtTheLyric June 11–13! Tickets are available through The Lyric’s ticketing page with Advance Tickets priced at $8 children, $10 seniors, $12 adults. Ticket prices at the door will be $11 children, $13 seniors, $15 adults. Face coverings for disease transmission are not required, but no one will object if you still wish to wear one.
Eight comedy sketches from Carol Burnett’s televised shows will be performed, including such favorites as “The Old Folks,” the deadbeat “Fusco” family, and a parody of Bonnie and Clyde. Cherished memories of Carol, Harvey, Tim, and the gang are sure to flood back for you, just as they have for the cast.
But that’s not all…
The show is nonstop with entertainment between the sketches, as well, and a half time intermission. Concessions will, of course, be available in the lobby and libations up upstairs.
The Theatre Company is sponsoring this event as a fundraiser for the Lyric to help pay for repairs from water damage sustained during the winter storm. We will also gladly accept donations (see the potty in the lobby!).
The cast and crew are so excited to have the Lyric open after nine months being dark.
Harrison, welcome back to the Lyric!
Join us at The Lyric for some of the greatest comedy sketches in TV history, for the first time ever #LiveAtTheLyric! Performances will be June 11–13. Tickets for our Tribute to Carol Burnett are available now here at TheLyric.org by clicking any “Get Tickets” link or by calling (870) 391-3504 (please leave a detailed message if you get our voicemail).
Farce of Habit, August 14–15 & 21–22 at 7pm, 16 & 23 at 2pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!
The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and
the Ozark Arts Council Present a
Jones Hope Wooten Comedy:
Farce of Habit
Friday–Saturday, August 14–15 & 21–22, 7:00PM
Sunday, August 16 & 23, 2:00PM
The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and The Ozark Arts Council, will present Farce of Habit, a typically raucous Jones Hope Wooten comedy, #LiveAtTheLyric the middle two weekends of August, 2020 (August 14–16 & 21–23)! Tickets are available through The Lyric’s ticketing page with Advance Tickets priced at $8 children, $10 seniors, $12 adults. Ticket prices at the door will be $11 children, $13 seniors, $15 adults.
Just when you thought it was safe to fish in the Ozarks…
Comic fireworks explode in Farce of Habit (the sequel to 2016’s Farce of Nature), an absurdly funny Southern-fried romp that takes us back to the Reel ’Em Inn, the finest little fishing lodge in the Ozarks. The proprietor, D. Gene Wilburn (Preston Garrison), is looking forward to a peaceful weekend on the lake. But there are only two chances of that happening: slim and none!
Why, for example, has his wife, Wanelle (Michelle Dees), picked these three days to white-knuckle her way through caffeine withdrawal? Why is his son Ty’s (Shade Roberts) marriage to Jenna (Shelby Waters) falling apart so fast? Could it have something to do with the French can-can costume Ty is wearing? How on earth would D. Gene’s feisty sister, Maxie (Kay Arthur), allow herself to get caught up in such a bizarre undercover police assignment?
And that’s just his family. If this isn’t enough to thwart D. Gene’s weekend plans, he’s got a gaggle of nuns who’ve converged on the Inn, hell-bent on experiencing a nature retreat—which might be tolerable if D. Gene didn’t have a chronic fear of anything in a habit. Add to this the presence of Jock McNair (Carl Palmer), a nationally known relationship guru whose colossal ego threatens everyone’s sanity; a shy retiree, Huddle Fisk (Joseph Cotton), anxious to cut loose and embrace his “inner caveman,” and a couple of wild women, Barb Stratton (Emily Still) and Sister Myrtle Agnes (Emily Perkins), who may or may not be who they claim to be. Throw in the storm of the century that’s fast bearing down on Mayhew, Arkansas, and D. Gene has no prayer of baiting a hook any time soon. Oh, and did we mention there’s an ax murderer on the loose?
If you enjoy gloriously preposterous hilarity, then laughing your way through the take-no-prisoners lunacy of a Jones Hope Wooten comedy is one habit you’ll never want to break! Tickets on sale right here on our website…and don’t forget to check out our new Theatre Company Season Passes! When you become an Ozark Arts Council member, you become eligible for these exclusive passes, which will save you money on our upcoming season, including Farce of Habit, Nunsense II, Freaky Friday, and…Arsenic and Old Lace! Visit the ticketing page or call 870-391-3504 for more info!
In trying times, what could be better than a healthy dose of Jones Hope Wooten comedy? Three of the most popular and widely-produced playwrights in the country, with Broadway, film, and TV credits (e.g., The Golden Girls and Disney’s Teacher’s Pet), Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten specialize in laugh-out-loud comedies, and this will be a great one!
Please Note for Your Safety and Comfort: We have our patrons’ health and well-being first and foremost in our minds as the Covid-19 numbers rise but we’re all learning to work around it, so please make sure you read the guidelines below that we have put into place (per the Arkansas Department of Health’s directives) to keep you protected. Please read carefully, as we are required to abide strictly by these guidelines—and please note that, as we’ve seen these past several months, these guidelines may change at any moment. If they do, we will be sure to update you. We are doing everything we can in our cleaning procedures and following of the ADH guidelines to keep you safe, and we appreciate your doing the same for our volunteers and performers.
The ADH Requirements
- Patrons must be required to wear a mask if over 10 years of age.
- Every patron’s temperature must be checked upon entrance and will be asked several questions pertaining to travel and health. Patrons will not be able to enter if:
- They have fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell.
- They have had known exposure to someone with Covid-19 in the past 14 days.
- A 6-foot gap must be maintained between patrons who do not “shelter together,” so only groups with family members should get tickets with adjoining seats. If you plan on going with anyone who does not live in the same household with you, please call 870-391-3504 for our help on getting you seats as close together as possible, while still allowing for the “social distancing” regulations.
- We are allowed to serve refreshments, so our concession stand and the upstairs Immortal BarD will be open. However, we will have signs posted reminding patrons to keep a 6 foot distance, and we will not be able to accommodate clustering of groups at the counters.
- Though it is a tradition at the Lyric to allow audience members to come up and greet the cast at the end of plays, we will forego this for now to keep the required 12 feet of distance between those on stage and those in the audience. If you wish to tell the cast “good job!” you can leave comments right here on this page!
If you have any questions about how we are protecting our volunteers, or about any of the guidelines, please don’t hesitate to call 870-391-3504 or send an email here.
Join us at The Lyric for great southern comedy August 14–16 & 21–23. Tickets for Farce of Habit are available now here at TheLyric.org by clicking any “Get Tickets” link or by calling (870) 391-3504 (please leave a detailed message if you get our voicemail).
Always a Bridesmaid, June 25-27 at 7pm, 28 at 2pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!
The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and
the Ozark Arts Council Present a
Jones Hope Wooten Comedy:
Always a Bridesmaid
Thursday-Saturday, June 25–27, 7:00PM
Sunday, June 28, 2:00PM
The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and The Ozark Arts Council, will present Always a Bridesmaid #LiveAtTheLyric the last weekend of June, 2020 (June 25–28)! Tickets are available through TheLyric.org with Advance Tickets priced at $8 children, $10 seniors, $12 adults. Ticket prices at the door will be $11 children, $13 seniors, $15 adults.
In trying times, what could be better than a healthy does of Jones Hope Wooten comedy? Three of the most popular and widely-produced playwrights in the country, with Broadway, film, and TV credits (e.g., The Golden Girls and Disney’s Teacher’s Pet), Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten specialize in laugh-out-loud comedies, and this will be a great one!
Please Note for Your Safety and Comfort: We have our patrons’ health and well-being first and foremost in our minds as the Covid-19 numbers rise but we’re all learning to work around it, so please make sure you read the guidelines below that we have put into place (per the Arkansas Department of Health’s directives) to keep you protected. Please read carefully, as we are required to abide strictly by these guidelines—and please note that, because the play is still a month away, these guidelines may change. If they do, we will be sure to update you. We are doing everything we can in our cleaning procedures and following of the ADH guidelines to keep you safe, and we appreciate your doing the same for our volunteers and performers.
Wedding Season is just around the corner…
…and we can’t wait to see our darling Southern Belles marry their soulmates this month (June 25-27 at 7:00pm and June 28 at 2:00pm) at our own beautiful and historic “wedding venue,” The Lyric Theater! More about the story will follow the ADH guidelines for attending plays this Summer.
The ADH Requirements
- Patrons must be required to wear a mask if over 10 years of age.
- Every patron’s temperature must be checked upon entrance and will be asked several questions pertaining to travel and health. Patrons will not be able to enter if:
- They have fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell.
- They have had known exposure to someone with Covid-19 in the past 14 days.
- A 6-foot gap must be maintained between patrons who do not “shelter together,” so only groups with family members should get tickets with adjoining seats. If you plan on going with anyone who does not live in the same household with you, please call 870-391-3504 for our help on getting you seats as close together as possible, while still allowing for the “social distancing” regulations.
- We are allowed to serve refreshments, so our concession stand and the upstairs Immortal BarD will be open. However, we will have signs posted reminding patrons to keep a 6 foot distance, and we will not be able to accommodate clustering of groups at the counters.
- Though it is a tradition at the Lyric to allow audience members to come up and greet the cast at the end of plays, we will forego this for now to keep the required 12 feet of distance between those on stage and those in the audience. If you wish to tell the cast “good job!” we will have a digital guestbook set up where you can leave your well wishes!
If you have any questions about how we are protecting our volunteers, or about any of the guidelines, please don’t hesitate to call 870-391-3504 or send an email here.
The Story
Always a Bridesmaid is a Jones Hope Wooten Southern Comedy.
If you’ve ever elbowed a stranger out of the way to catch a brideís bouquet, seriously questioned the mental stability of the duo saying “I do” or been forced to wear the world’s ugliest bridesmaid dress, this deliriously funny Jones Hope Wooten comedy is definitely for you—and your dearly beloved!
In this hilarious comedic romp, four friends have sworn to keep the promise they made on the night of their Senior Prom: to be in each other’s weddings—no matter what. More than thirty years later, these Southern friends-for-life are still making “the long walk” for each other, determined to honor that vow. Libby Ruth (Julianna Hamblin), the hopeful romantic with the perfect marriage, believes—in spite of all evidence to the contrary—that her friends can find the very same happiness. Headstrong Deedra’s (Spree Hilliard) “rock-solid” union hangs by a thread when she discovers her husband of many years not only has a wandering eye, but the hands to match. Monette (Kirstyn Walker), flashy, high-spirited and self-involved, continues to test her friends’ love and patience with all-too-frequent trips down the aisle. And salt-of-the-earth, tree-hugging Charlie (Emily Akins) discovers—the hard way—that marital bliss is not the end of her rainbow and panics in outrageous style when the opportunity presents itself.
Narrated hilariously by blushing bride Kari (Callie Johnson) and with energetic life-force Sedalia (Linda Henson) running the show, this is sure to make you believe in what friendship can do. Libby Ruth, Deedra, Monette and Charlie are committed to the notion that careers, waistlines and even marriages may disappear, but real friendships last a lifetime. Forsaking all others, in sickness and in health, they repeatedly struggle to stage the perfect wedding in spite of fistfights at the altar, runaway brides and the mistaken, and unfortunate, release of a flock of white doves on the first day of hunting season.
Hop on this marriage-go-round for a laugh-out-loud journey with these beleaguered bridesmaids as they navigate the choppy waters of love and matrimony. Always a Bridesmaid is the rollicking tale of four loyal and determined women who definitively answer the question, “Just how far are you willing to go to keep a promise to a friend?”
Join us at The Lyric for great southern comedy June 25–28. Tickets for Always a Bridesmaid are available now here at TheLyric.org by clicking any “Get Tickets” link, by stopping by the OAC office at 115 W. Rush Ave. between 9 & 1 Tuesday through Friday, or by calling (870) 391-3504 (please leave a detailed message if you get our voicemail).
Auditions Monday, May 18 and Tuesday May 19 at 7:00pm
Auditions! But carefully…
As we slowly reopen Arkansas, our patrons’ health and well-being is first and foremost on the OAC’s mind. After much discussion, we have come to, what we hope, will be the safest measures for our volunteers and audience, while still bringing you the quality entertainment you deserve. So, to do that, we will be postponing Nunsense II to September (dates to be announced soon!), and moving into some more plays that have fewer cast and crew so that we can continue practicing social distancing. We will have auditions for the first of these shows, Always a Bridesmaid, on Monday, May 18 and Tuesday May 19 at 7:00pm. Please closely read the guidelines below that we have set in place for these auditions and the rehearsals to follow. For more questions, please click to email us or call 870-391-3504.
The Requirements
Doors will open at 6:45pm. Only those auditioning may be present.
The following Social Distancing and sanitation guidelines will be followed at auditions and rehearsals. If you feel sick or have had a fever within the last 24 hours, please do not attend.
- Temperature will be taken of everyone coming to auditions and rehearsals, keeping a log of names and temps, and if anyone has a fever, they must immediately go home; as well as asking the screening questions (have you been out of the state, have you been sick, have you been in contact with anyone who has COVID-19, etc).
- Everyone must wear masks at all times. Please wear your own clean mask.
- Scripts for cold reads will not be shared. Each person auditioning will get a copy of audition material to use and it will be disposed of at the end of evening auditions.
- Everything will be disinfected before and after each night of auditions.
- Everyone must maintain 6 ft distance at all times.
- Only cast and crew may be present during rehearsals. No other family members or children.
- Children under 18 will not be cast and will not be allowed at auditions or rehearsals, in order to adhere to ADH guidelines. Children under 18 will be able to attend the performances.
The Story
Always a Bridesmaid is a Jones Hope Wooten Southern Comedy. Cast is 6 women.
Kari—20s—Kind-hearted Southern charmer
Libby Ruth—-late 40s, hopeless romantic, sweet country woman, plain spoken
Sedalia—60s—- gregarious, energetic hostess of wedding venue
Monette—late 40s—kinda flashy, kinda trashy, voluptuous southern flirt,
Charlie—late 40s—-tree hugging, Birkenstock wearing, Southern free spirit
Deedra—late 40s—headstrong dry wit, no-nonsense Northern transplant attorney
Characters ages are relative—no one under 18 will be cast.
Show dates: June 25-28
Rehearsals begin: May 25–4 days per week
Thank you for supporting the Arts and please be safe and healthy.