The Octette Bridge Club by P.J. Barry, is a delightful, sentimental
comedy about American life in the 30's and 40's. On alternate Friday evenings,
eight sisters meet to play bridge, gossip and generally entertain themselves.
They are a group portrait right out of Norman Rockwell Americana! The first act
takes place in 1934. The second act takes place 10 years later. This is an
insightful look at an American family in an era far more innocent and naive
than ours has become.
I would borrow a line from an old theatre poem called, "The Director's Notes" ...
Ah, here come the actresses,
Humm, there they go.
This one wants to hide upstage,
That one will steal the show.
This production is blessed with eight ladies who each could "steal" the show. Instead, their ensemble work in rehearsal and performance is so wonderfully adroit and spider web woven that it could stand as an examplary training exercise for any acting school. Their energy and passion for theatre and this play makes each of them glow and, together, all of them star bright. My profound admiration for:
Mary: forever young and full of spirit,
Lynne: the sweet, gentle one with hidden strength,
Adele: my base of unflappable professionalism,
Dani: the wild one who loves rehearsals and mosquitoes,
Susan P: the intense one of deep thoughts and drama,
Patti: the pert and coquettish one who saved our butts,
Nancy: my beautuful one, an Actress for all seasons,
and my buddy, Cary, who made the 180-degree transition from his boisterous role in London Suite to the more demure Robert.
For the cast and myself, our thanks and appreciation to the BCT group and the Bowie Playhouse staff (Garrett, Pete, and Duane) who paved the ropad so smoothly. And especially the producer, Lin Mascia, who is the single most together, organized person I've ever met. She could run logistics for Navy from her dining room table.
