Review: Jackson play finds humor in death ''

Death isn't really supposed to be funny.

Or is it?

Over humanity's long existence, we've commonly dealt with the ultimate end with humor, the best coping mechanism.

And while the Jackson High School Thespians' production of "Dearly Departed" will probably bring back memories of those family funerals we've all endured, it will do so with plenty of humor.

Jackson kicks off the fall high school theater season this week with a play that centers on a funeral, but is really more about life. "Dearly Departed" tells the story of a country family from an undisclosed location. But with names like Raynelle, Ray-Bud, Junior and Marguerite, Texas quickly comes to mind. Of course, so does Southeast Missouri.

The cast plays these quirky characters well: the sensible, no-nonsense old lady Raynelle (Amber Julian); the "everyman" Ray-Bud (Dan Johnson); the faithful housewife Lucille (Whitney Tankersley); the dolt brother and failure of a son Junior (Jesse Eichhorn); his nagging, greedy wife Suzanne (Grace Blades); the hellfire and brimstone spewing holy roller Marguerite (Bethany Elfrink); her party animal, unemployed son Royce (Daniel Hooks); the Neanderthal Delightful (Andy Oxford); the TV-evangelist-inspired Reverend Hooker (Bobby King); and the faded beauty queen Juanita (Bethany Parry).

This is the kind of family that could be put on display in a traveling freak show, and the management would make a killing.

The story begins with the death of the family patriarch Bud, witnessed by his wife Raynelle. From there, this dysfunctional family comes together for Bud's funeral, where they eventually find that for all their difference, love is still the glue that binds them.

Sure, it's a cliche, but it's a cliche for a reason -- these kinds of things do happen in real life, and the pain of death does bring families together. Humor is the primary driver of the story, especially when the big slob Delightful -- a female, played by a male, who constantly eats puffed corn snacks and sugar -- is anywhere on the stage. Keep an eye out.

With all that humor comes a big dose of sentiment, though, the kind that only a robot couldn't feel.

"Dearly Departed" will make you laugh, and it might even bring back some painful memories of loss. But it will also remind you that, through those painful times, you're not alone. We're all human.

What's more effective than a funeral, or a good laugh, in reinforcing that message?