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Sapphire Level Emerald Level

Performance Dates

• Feb 10, 11, 17 and 18 (all 7:30 pm)
• Feb 12 and19 (both 2:00 pm)

Audition Dates

• Dec 12 and 13 (6 PM)

It is not necessary to attend both auditions unless the director requests a call-back.

Audition, Rehearsal and Performance Location

J. Philip Gibbs, Jr., Centre for the Performing Arts
(Old Town Theatre), 1023 12th St., Huntsville, TX

For tickets or more information call 936-291-7933

Synopsis

Comedy. Five Southern women, whose friendships began many years ago on their college swim team, set aside a long weekend every August to recharge those relationships. Free from husbands, kids and jobs, they meet at the same beach cottage on North Carolina's Outer Banks to catch up, laugh and meddle in each other's lives. THE DIXIE SWIM CLUB focuses on four of those weekends and spans a period of thirty-three years. Sheree, the spunky team captain, desperately tries to maintain her organized and "perfect" life, and continues to be the group's leader. Dinah, the wisecracking overachiever, is a career dynamo. But her victories in the courtroom are in stark contrast to the frustrations of her personal life. Lexie, pampered and outspoken, is determined to hold on to her looks and youth as long as possible. She enjoys being married—over and over and over again. The self-deprecating and acerbic Vernadette, acutely aware of the dark cloud that hovers over her life, has decided to just give in and embrace the chaos. And sweet, eager-to-please Jeri Neal experiences a late entry into motherhood that takes them all by surprise. As their lives unfold and the years pass, these women increasingly rely on one another, through advice and raucous repartee, to get through the challenges (men, sex, marriage, parenting, divorce, aging) that life flings at them. And when fate throws a wrench into one of their lives in the second act, these friends, proving the enduring power of "teamwork," rally 'round their own with the strength and love that takes this comedy in a poignant and surprising direction. THE DIXIE SWIM CLUB is the story of these five unforgettable women—a hilarious and touching comedy about friendships that last forever…

About the Director

Sam Weeks (Director). Sam studied Musical Theatre at Sam Houston State University. Huntsville Community Theatre patrons may remember Sam from Greater Tuna, Orville in Daddys Dyin' Whos Got The Will, or Preston in last season's Hate Mail. He was also in a number of SHSU productions. Sam has performed at Stages Repertory Theatre in Houston as well as Unity Theatre. This is Sam's second time to try his hand at directing. Before The Dixie Swim Club he directed a production of Don Nigro's Ardy Fafirsin. He is very excited about this show and to be back at HCT!

 

About the Cast

Melissa M. Miller (Sheree Hollinger) is a graduate of Sam Houston State University; Melissa earned her BFA in Theatre with aspirations of bringing her written works to the stage. With her penchant for Shakespeare to quench, she has been seen upon stages in Long Beach performing such roles as First Witch in Macbeth, Phebe in As You Like It, Kate in The Taming of the Shrew, and both Hipolyta and Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In a production of Dracula, she portrayed a Weird Sister, a real femme fatale, with fangs. On stage at HCT, Melissa may be remembered as Older Melissa in our production of Love Letters.

Patty D. Tally (Lexie Richards) recently moved to the Huntsville area and this is her first performance at HCT. Other stage credits include: Steel Magnolias (M'Lynn), Rumors (Claire), Smoke On the Mountain (Vera), and Pirates of Penzance (Isabelle) at Garland Civic Theatre; Bye Bye Birdie (Mrs. MacAfee) at Irving Theatre; Music Man (Eulalie Shinn) and Annie Get Your Gun (Dolly) at Garland Summer Musicals; Picnic (Rosemary) and Fiddler on the Roof (Golda) at College of the Mainland; Greetings (Emily), Nunsense (Sister Amnesia), Broadway Christmas Carol (Female), and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Domina) at East-End Theatre Company; The Good Woman of Setzuan (Woman) at the University of Houston, directed by Kim Weild (New York-based guest director).

Patty's education and training include: University of Houston, La MaMa Umbria International Symposium in Spoleto, Italy, and David Rainey at Alley Theatre. Thank you Sam Weeks, cast, crew, and HCT Boards of Directors for letting me be part of this Dixie Swim Club journey!

Agnes Holland (Dinah Grayson) is a retired educator and counselor who has lived in Huntsville for over 35 years. She has participated in theatrical productions as a writer, actress, and crew-member at Sam Houston State University and in the community with the 1980's comedy group, Eat More Theatre, as well as with Huntsville Community Theatre since its inception. In past years she performed in HCT productions of Crimes of the Heart (Meg), Steel Magnolias (Clairee), The Odd Couple, Female Version (Florence), and Cry Havoc (Flo). Most recently, she was stage manager and assistant director for the 2011 HCT production of Hate Mail. Agnes has served 2 three-year terms as an HCT board member and would like to thank her wonderful director, Sam Weeks; the fabulous stage manager, Margie Eglsaer, and the best cast ever -- Erin, Lastell, Melissa, and Patty -- for the great experience of playing Dinah in The Dixie Swim Club!

Lastell Mcvey (Vernadette Simms) teaches mathematics at Huntsville High School and sings in many school and local community events. She has performed at the Crockett Civic Center, and is a favorite with Huntsville Community Theatre audiences. She recently played the spunky Mickey, the cop, in Huntsville Community Theatre’s The Odd Couple, Female Version, and has played Louise in several productions of Always…Patsy Cline. She will be reprising her role as Louise at the Crighton Theatre in Conroe this June. Lastell would like to thank her mother, LaVerne, for her endless love and support.

Erin Elizabeth Moerbe (Jeri Neal McFeeley) is an English, Theatre, and Art teacher at Centerville High School. She minored in theatre at Texas Lutheran University where she was involved in numerous productions. Erin has directed 4 UIL One-Act Play 1st place shows, and LOVES working with her students! She is currently directing Centerville High School’s One Act Play, By the Bog of Cats, which will go into competition in March. Her other show credits include: Cinderella (Joy), The Wizard of Oz (Tin Man), She Stoops to Conquer (Mrs. Hardcastle), The Water Engine (Chorus), The Laramie Project (Chorus), The Diary of Adam and Eve (Director), Persephone (Director), The Yellow Boat (Director), The Doctor in Spite of Himself (Director), and Alice in Wonderland (Director), Scapino (Assistant to Director).

This is Erin’s second HCT production, and she is happy to return to the stage. She has enjoyed working with such a talented director, and group of women in DSC, and she thanks them for giving her the opportunity to be enormously pregnant, and a Nun! She would like to thank her parents and Luke for their support, love, encouragement, and patience! Ms. M. would like to tell her theatre kids that they ROCK, and inspire her every day!

About the Production Crew

Margie Eglsaer (Stage Manager) is a school nurse for Houston ISD's Outdoor Education Center. Since 2007, she has worked as stage manager for The Odd Couple (Female Version), Always...Patsy Cline and Cinderella with Huntsville Community Theatre. Over the past 25+ years, her good friend and a great Director, Marjean Creager, recruited her to assist with various Huntsville junior high productions and a private school production of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. She thanks all those associated with the HCT for keeping the good times rolling. Margie wishes to send a special thanks to all her "Beach Beauties" for the fantastic summer gatherings.

Rebecca Cobo (Production Liaison) has worked in community theatre in Texas, Colorado and Oklahoma. She was the director of the State Award Thespian team for ten years and last season’s HCT hit production of To Kill A Mockingbird. Some of Rebecca’s other acting credits are: Bell, Book & Candle (Aunt Queenie) and Morning’s at Seven (Esther Cramton) both produced here at HCT; Rimers of Eldridge (Mary Windrod) and Moon over Buffalo (Ethel) at SHSU; and The Odd Couple (Gwendolyn Pidgeon) and Gaslight (Supporting) at El Reno Community Theatre in Oklahoma. She also performed in Sam Shepard’s True West (Mom) in a repertory theatre in New York City. Rebecca would like to send special thanks to her parents who let her play a bride doll even before she started to school, and to her beloved Gary who makes his own supper so she can play in the theatre.

Angela Towler (VP Production) developed a love of theatre when she became involved with children’s theatre at the age of eleven. Some of her productions in Huntsville are Steel Magnolia and Infernal Machine at SHSU, at HCT she was in The Cemetery Club, Nunsense (three times!), The Octette Bridge Club, Steel Magnolia, Odd Couple (female version), Prisoner of Second Avenue and Cinderella. It’s apparent that Angela can’t stay away from theatre too long before she jumps back in!

When she is not playing at HCT Angela works as a nurse. But her most important roles are mother to her precious son Michael and wife to her darlin’ husband Howell. Thanks guys for always supporting your crazy Mama and wife! Thanks also to Melissa and especially to Angela’s family for always travelling to see their sister and Aunt’s shows.

About the Authors

Jessie Jones co-authored the award-winning classic, Southern-fried funeral comedy, DEARLY DEPARTED, and its feature film adaptation, “Kingdom Come,” which was released by Fox Searchlight Films.

Nicholas Hope was Director of Casting for Theatre Communications Group in New York, The Goodman Theatre in Chicago and ABC Television in New York and Los Angeles.

Jamie Wooten spent many seasons with Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia as a writer/producer on the classic television series “The Golden Girls.” Separately or collectively, Jones Hope Wooten have written for Nathan Lane, Tyne Daly, Whoopi Goldberg, Dolly Parton, Ruby Dee, Dihann Carroll and Betty White among countless others.

With more than 1,200 productions and over 10,000 performances, the JONES HOPE WOOTEN COMEDIES have now entertained more than 1,000,000 theatergoers in forty-nine states across America and in Canada, Denmark, The Netherlands, Australia, Mexico, The Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom! - http://www.joneshopewooten.com/index.html

Tickets

Tickets may be reserved online. Ticket prices and purchase arrangements may be found on the Tickets page.

Box Office Hours

HCT’s Box Office opens one hour before the start time of each production.

• 7:30 PM Productions – Box Office opens at 6:30 PM
• 2:00 PM Matinee – Box Office opens at 1:00 PM

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