July 25, 2024
By Standard Staff
Following five unforgettable women whose friendship began many years ago while on their college swim team as Lighthouse Festival presents “The Sweet Delilah Swim Club” next month in Port Colborne.
The play, which runs Aug. 14 to 25 at Roselawn Centre’s theatre, 296 Fielden Ave., was written by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten and has been performed worldwide.
Spanning several decades, the play showcases the women’s bond and the trials and tribulations they face together, said a release from Lighthouse Festival.
“It’s a poignant testament to sisterhood and female empowerment, filled with laughter, tears and a lot of heart.”
The show is directed by incoming Lighthouse Festival artistic director Jane Spence. The cast features Debra Hale, Andrea Risk, Susan Henley, Susan JohnstonCollins and Jane Miller.
Hale, who plays Sheree, said she’s “jazzed about working with the director and cast on this show and the entire team.”
She has previously worked with three of the four actors.
“They were all fantastic experiences. I hadn’t worked with one but had seen her work, she’s awesome on stage and off,” Hale said in the release.
Risk portrays Vernadette.
“I love the opportunity to play a character who ages over the course of the show as well as the chance to do an accent,” she said.
Taking on the role of Lexie, Henley said her character’s personality is self-centred, but has no idea she is.
JohnstonCollins, who plays Dinah, said there’s lots to love about her character.
“It’s so much fun to explore her intelligence, grace, secret generosity, dry and cynical sense of humour and huge heart, which she seldom reveals. Trying to harness all those facets is a tremendous and welcome challenge,” she said in the release.
Playing Jeri Neal, Miller said her character allows her to lean into her heart.
“She lets me indulge in what it might be like to be, as they refer to her, the least judgmental person they know. It’s a beautiful way to see the world and I get to explore that perspective in this role,” said Miller.
Spence said the play is more than a comedy.
“It’s an empowering tale of resilience and enduring friendship. Each character’s journey is a testament to the support, love and encouragement that women provide to one another, creating a tapestry of experiences that is both relatable and inspiring.”
Tickets for “The Sweet Delilah Swim Club” are available at lighthousetheatre.com/event/sweet-delilah-swim-club or by calling 1-888-779-7703.