'Charley's Aunt' premieres Friday
Charlie Wykeham (Conner Wentworth) is madly in love with Amy Spettigue (Nani Bosnar), and schemes to tell her so in the Masquers production of 'Charley's Aunt,' opening Friday.<span id="buffer-extension-hover-button" style="display: none; position: absolute; z-index: 8675309; width: 100px; height: 25px; background-image: url('https://d389zggrogs7qo.cloudfront.net/images/extensions/img/buffer-hover-icon@1x.png'); background-size: 100px 25px; opacity: 0.9; cursor: pointer;"></span>
SOAP LAKE - Undeclared love, despicable guardians, aunts incognito, marrying for money, a pratfall here and there - not to mention a little cross-dressing - will fill the stage with the Masquers production of "Charley's Aunt," opening Friday.
The theater is located at 322 East Main Ave., Soap Lake.
"Charley's Aunt" was written by a stage actor, Brandon Thomas, and first produced in 1892. It's been produced ever since, by professional and community theater companies alike. "It's just a classic. You can't go wrong with it," Director Carrie Glencoe said.
Glencoe was in a production of "Charley's Aunt" in high school and liked it a lot, she said. "I always wanted to direct this play because I love it so much."
The "Charley" of the title is Charley Wykeham (Conner Wentworth), who has fallen madly in love with Amy Spettigue (Holly Peterson). His friend Jack Chesney (Lui Navarro) is madly in love with Kitty Verdun (Nani Bosnar), and they want to get the girls alone to explain all this.
Unfortunately the girls must answer to Stephen Spettigue (Bob Jasman), who will not let them meet anyone, anywhere, without the proper chaperone, which the boys don't have. Charley's aunt is supposed to be coming to town, his aunt who moved to Brazil (where the nuts come from, as Charley says) and married a rich man. But wait - the much-needed aunt, Dona Lucia D'Alvadorez (Melissa Sloan), is not coming for a couple of days.
The ever-resourceful boys find a backup plan, their friend Lord Fancourt Babberly (Cameron Moyer). Babs is appearing in a play where he dresses up in women's clothes. And while Babs isn't exactly the best-looking woman, he's a great aunt. He works for a while as an aunt, until Dona Lucia herself shows up.
"A real happy, feel good play," Glencoe said. The Masquers production is set at 1892 Harvard, with a steampunk vibe, she said. (Steampunk starts with an alternative Victorian-era history, adding technology reimagined with steam power.)
She repurposed prom dresses to make all but one of the women's costumes, she said.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. June 27 and 28, July 5, 11 and 12. There's a Sunday matinee as well, at 2 p.m. June 29 and July 6 and 13.
Reservations are encouraged and can be made by calling the Masquers box office, 509-246-2611. There's an opening night special with tickets at $10 each. For all other performances, tickets are $15 general admission, $13 for students and senior citizens. Masquers members pay $12 for general seating, $10 for students and senior citizens.