If it was a novel, it would be on a Best Sellers’ list for the perfect summer read!
July 25, 2024
By Donna McMillan
The Sweet Delilah Swim Club, now playing on the Lighthouse Festival Stage in Port Dover, takes the audience to a cottage on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. There, five women, who first met on their College Swim Team, gather every August over a period of 33 years for a weekend to catch up on everything from marriage and divorce(s) to sex and “staying on top of gravity.” Friendships are tested. Lives move in different directions and people change.
But, above all, the women show the steadfastness and endurance of a team that swims together wins. Written by the playwright collective of “Jones Hope Wooten”, it is no surprise that Jamie Wooten was a regular writer on television’s The Golden Girls. The quick-witted repartee and deprecating observations throughout kept the opening night audience laughing and captivated by the heartwarming and hilarious time travelling journey they were taken on by the five characters.
Directed by Incoming Artistic Director Jane Spence, the cast comprises Debra Hale as Sheree, Susan Henley as Lexie, Susan Johnston Collins at Dinah, Jane Miller as Jeri Neal and Andrea Rish as Vernadette. All, excellent actors with numerous credits to their names, performed their roles superbly.
Sheree was the Team Captain of the Swim Club and continued to organize to the nth degree, ensuring everyone kept to the rules of a “no men, no kids, no work” weekend.
Lexie was a genteel, self – centered southern belle who chased men and thought nothing of being “sucked, tucked and lasered” to stay young. There were times her friends thought they should have drowned her in the deep end of the pool.
Dinah was a hard drinking, successful overachiever lawyer with an acerbic tongue who appeared to have no personal life.
Jeri Neal was the pregnant nun! You will have to see the play to learn how and why!
And last, but not least, Vernadette lived a tough, down on your luck existence. Her life was described as one endless country song. And yes, she would have children again….just not the same ones.
Written by Jessie Jones, Jamie Wooten and Nicholas Hope, The Sweet Delilah Swim Club premiered in North Carolina in 2007 and has been performed worldwide with great success ever since.
As always, kudos to the Creative Team of Beckie Morris (Set Designer) who created an authentic looking cottage living room, Chris Malkowski (Lighting Designer), Laura Grandfield (Stage Designer), Alex Amini (Costume Designer) and Katherine Hunter (Apprentice Stage Manager). The Production Team comprises Alice Barnett, Hailey Parker, Colin Mahon, Kassidy Sharp, Hussein Esmail, Nolan Cortes, Stephen English, James McCoy, Wyatt Hoskin, Aidan Bridge, Clare Padgett and Andy Dominick.
The Sweet Delilah Swim Club will be on stage in Port Dover from July 28 to August 10. For tickets, contact the Lighthouse Theatre Box Office at 247 Main St. Port Dover, call 519 583 – 2221 or visit www.lighthousetheatre.com Don’t miss it.