Center Stage Community Theatre is kicking off its production of “Senior Follies” by Billy Wayne St. John on Friday, Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. at 604 Powell St. in Lebanon for three weekends of hilarity at Pleasant Valley Retirement Home.
“Senior Follies” acts as the first production of 2024 for Center Stage with Richelle Lutz directing once again. Lutz recently directed and starred in the Center Stage production of “A Nice Family Christmas,” which kicked off the season for the theater.
“Senior Follies” details the antics of a married couple who pose as residents of the Pleasant Valley Retirement Home with intentions of coaxing two residents into purchasing shares of their company, a scam set to make the duo $500,000. As the duo’s antics continue, the residents of the retirement home harness their investigation skills to uncover the true plan of the newest residents.
“This is an up-scale senior living–it’s not a full upscale living facility,” Lutz said. “Lowell and Sybil have been going all over the United States checking into these places and pretending they’re brother and sister. She seeks out an old guy, and he seeks out an old woman, and they milk them out of as much money as they can.”
According to Lutz, Lowell and Sybil Thackery selected their targets strategically with Sybil taking the reins for the operation alongside her shy spinster of a husband, Lowell, who acts as her brother. As Howard Phelps and Iris Cunningham fall into the arms of the duo, Mildred Rice and Sarah Jane Dinsmore work alongside Bernice and Douglas Thompson to uncover the scam that has entered the Pleasant Valley walls.
“Howard is the nursing home lich, and Iris is the nursing home slob–nobody wants anything to do with her and she’s never been married, and she has a lot of money,” Lutz said. “Howard has a lot of money because him and his wife made a lot of money. (Lowell and Sybil) scam to come into half a million dollars.”
Throughout the first act, hilarity ensues as the zany cast of characters establishes their friendships and uncovers secrets, many of which are against their own will, such as the intimate adventures of Bernice and Douglas in the facility’s hot tub. As Bernice and Douglas muster the courage to show their faces once more to the other residents, they join forces with Mildred and Sarah Jane, who have been becoming increasingly suspicious of the newest residents as they become closer to Howard and Iris.
While Howard and Iris are coaxed into maintaining the secret of the “business venture” with Sybil and Lowell, the other residents remain determined to uncover the truth, leading into the second act of the play where further antics ensue, and one character is pushed beyond her comfort zone as secrets are revealed in the endless search that leads to the missing piece of the puzzle–literally.
“They come in here and check in, and they have to get everybody to believe they are who they are, and these old people figure them out,” Lutz said. “The second act is hilarious.”
Lutz commented that “Senior Follies” has been a joyous production for everyone involved, and the cast has quickly become one of her favorite casts to work with at Center Stage. With new adornments around the stage, such as a new curtain, and a remodeled set from previous shows involving retirement homes, including “Four Old Broads,” which rounded out Center Stage’s last season, Lutz expressed that audiences will be immersed in a story that truly feels at home.
“I think this is the prettiest set I’ve had,” Lutz said. “I love this set. I just think it’s homey looking. It looks like a senior living center.”
Lutz continued to state that the cast has nearly perfected the production through their dedication to the script and their characters, beginning the journey to opening night long before the first read-through of the play.
“It’s really been an easier show because they really started working on it right away,” Lutz said. “Of course, I always give scripts out early–a month early–so when we get together for the first read-through, they’ve had that script in hand for a month. I think that helps.”
As with all Center Stage productions, the 50-seat theater comes alive as the lights dim and the curtain rises for “Senior Follies.” With dynamic performances, unexpected twists and turns, subtle foreshadowing and relatable backstories, the production leaves audiences with a connection to the characters that will last far beyond when the curtain falls.
“Senior Follies” will set the stage this Friday, Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. and will run every Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. through March 10. Tickets are available by calling the box office at 765-894-5587 or by visiting MainGate to purchase tickets online.