By: Skip Sheffield
The good news is that the Women’s Theatre Project has moved to Boca Raton. The inaugural production, “Delval Divas,” continues through Nov. 15 in the Willow Theatre of Sugar Sand Park.
This bodes well for the theatrical community and actresses in particular. It also enables audiences to experience plays they will see nowhere else.
The not-so-good news is that “Delval Divas,” by Barbara Pease Weber is not a particularly strong play. However, the performances are funny and spirited, by six of some of South Florida’s best actresses.
The setting is Delaware Valley Federal, a minimum-security prison for white-collar criminals.
Stella (Jessica K. Peterson), Linda (Karen Stephenson, Rosemary (Sally Bondi) and Beth (Jacqueline Laggy) have cooked books, skimmed funds, done Ponzi schemes and other such economic crimes. They have used their inherent intelligence and talent to create a pretty sweet setup that is more like a high-end hotel than prison cell.
The ladies are attended to by Lucille (Lela Elam), a young guard who is their liaison to the outside and the good life such as manicures, pedicures, gourmet food and clothes. In turn the women have encouraged Lucille to further her education and shoot for the job of warden, which is conveniently becoming available.
Beth is released on parole, and in her place comes Sharon (Lisa Kertin Braun), a woman accused of the rather serious crime of murdering her husband.
This is a comedy- a situation comedy if you will- and Sharon’s situation involves extenuating circumstances that led law enforcement officials to believe her a cold-blooded killer.
These extenuating circumstances involve certain unseen male characters against whom the women rally, giving the comedy a distinct feminist spin.
Jessica K. Peterson, Karen Stephens, Sally Bondi, Jaqueline Laggy and Lela Elam are all seasoned professionals, along with director. Lisa Kerstin Braun is a relative newcomer is a relative newcomer who shows great promise with her demanding role of Sharon. All the women know how to mine the most comedy out of even the thinnest material. This is not designed to be a serious expose of abuses of privilege in country club prisons, but a light-hearted farce designed to spoof the system.
Tickets are $25. Shows are 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Call 561-347-3948 or visit www.womenstheatreproject.com.
A Million-Dollar Rock ‘n’ Roll Party at Broward Center
They’re having a party at Broward Center through Nov. 18. It’s called “Million Dollar Quartet” and it is a ball.
The show is already a hit on Broadway and in its Miami run. It’s easy to see why: light on plot, the score features some of the timeless greatest hits of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.
The concept by Floyd Mutrux is based on an actual magical night that occurred Dec. 4, 1956 in the Sun Records studios of Sam Phillips (Christopher Ryan Grant) in MemphisTennessee.
All four recording artists were discovered and promoted by Sam Phillips. Elvis Presley (Presley lookalike Cody Slaughter), by far the most popular, had already moved on the RCA Records. According to Phillips RCA is courting him too as Elvis’ producer. Phillips invited Elvis for old times’ sake, and being the Southern gentleman he was, Elvis accepted and brought along his girlfriend Dyanne (Kelly Lamont).
Phillips has a three-year contract in his coat pocket for his next biggest star, Johnny Cash (deep-voiced Scott Moreau), but what he doesn’t know is that Cash has already signed with Columbia Records.
After initial success Carl Perkins (Lee Ferris) has taken a back seat to Elvis, who had a hit with Perkins’ song “Blue Suede Shoes.” Perkins is jealous and resentful, but Lee Ferris is the sparkplug of the live, onstage band, playing a beautiful Les Paul gold top guitar.
Martin Kaye plays up the hillbilly aspect of his Jerry Lee Lewis, dressed garish mismatched clothes with an ego to match. Kaye really does pound his piano (all the actors are skilled musicians) and he is the funniest character of the lot.
Kelly Lamont adds sex appeal in a tight shocking pink dress singing Peggy Lee’s “Fever” and fats Domino’s “I Hear You Knocking,” and she adds tasty high harmonies to the ensemble.
If you love old-time rock ‘n’ played real righteous and real, this is a show for you. Don’t leave early either.
Tickets are $29.50-$109.50. Call 954-462-0222.
“Summer and Smoke” at FAU
FAU’s Department of Theatre and Dance presents Tennessee Williams’ torrid “Summer and Smoke” Nov. 9-18 in the Studio One Theatre. Set in Mississippi in the early 1900s, the story centers on an unmarried minister’s daughter and a romance that almost blooms between her and an undisciplined young doctor who grew up next door.
Tickets are $20 general admission and $12 students, faculty, alumni and children under 12. Call 800-564-9539 or visit www.fauevents.com.
Art of Video Games at Boca RatonMuseum
Following the success of its miniature-golf-as-art exhibit, Boca Raton Museum of Art presents another boundary-stretching show, “The Art on Video Games,” on display through Jan. 13.
Boca Raton is the first traveling stop on an exhibit mounted by the SmithsonianAmericanArt Museum. Curated by Chris Melissinos, the show traces the 40-year history of video games from their crude, rudimentary beginnings to there current high-tech fantasies. The coolest part about the show is that you can actually play five featured machines, one from each era, and vote on the 20 colorful large-scale machines on display.
Admission is $10 adults, $8 seniors, $5 group and students and free for members and children under 12. Call 561-392-2500 or visit www.bocamuseum.org.
Caption: Delva Divas