River City Players to present 'A Bench in the Sun'

The excitement was infectious in the upstairs dining hall theater at Port Cape Girardeau on a Tuesday night.

There were still 30 minutes before rehearsal, but members of the River City Players already were in costume and trying out their new bench for the first time. It was two weeks before opening night, and the actors were getting the full experience for the first time.

The River City Players began with Ann Abbott in the late 1960s. The group's original name was Acts I, II, and III, and it performed in what is now the River Heritage Museum. Since then, the name has changed, and so has the location multiple times.

The Players are collaborating with Doc Cain, owner of Port Cape, to perform in his upstairs dining area about four times a year.

When choosing "A Bench in the Sun" as their summer production, director Brenda Ferguson was dubious of its potential.

"I researched several shows. I read two or three plays, and I had read it first and thought, 'No, all they do is sit on a bench,'" Ferguson said with a slight smile.

But she read a few more scripts and after being disappointed with those, returned to the original, saying the second time she picked up the subtle undertones in the piece she missed the first time.

"The two men are almost like 'The Odd Couple' or 'Grumpy Old Men.' Burt is kind of a crusty old accountant, and he's just grumpy, doesn't care how he looks, is just sloppy, and then Harold, he's coming into retirement with failed businesses, failed marriages but he always dresses nice and tries to look at the bright side of life," Ferguson said. "And they have been friends for 42 years, and you can just kind of pick up a little hint of animosity, and that's what I missed in the beginning."

The production revolves around Burt and Harold's lives at the retirement community. It's a comedy, but with a few twists thrown in.

The cast consists of four main actors: Lloyd Williams playing Harold, Larry Reiminger playing Burt, Claudette Hency playing love interest Adrienne and Susie Ryan as the activities director.

Ferguson said choosing the cast wasn't hard, which is a rarity.

"It really wasn't a hard decision because you almost just knew when they read their parts who needed to be which character," she said.

The three main characters have known each other for a long time, Ferguson said. They're friends, neighbors, and with the actors' mix of experience in theater, she believes it will be a strong show.

This production is a dinner theater, meaning participants pay one price to experience the show and receive a dinner or a dessert buffet. Ferguson says it is best to call Port Cape and make a reservation because seating is limited.

A dessert buffet show is being offered at 6:30 p.m. July 10 with the show beginning at 7 p.m. Dinner shows serve meals at 7 p.m., with the show beginning at 8 p.m. July 11 and 12. The final dessert show will be at 1:30 p.m. July 13, with the play beginning at 2 p.m.

Dessert shows are $20, and the dinner shows are $35. Reservations may be made by calling Port Cape at 334-0954.

smaue@semissourian.com

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