Theatre: “Dearly Departed”

by David Bottrell and Jessie Jones

Cast and crew members work on costumes in preparation for their production of “Dearly Departed.” Pictured from left are: Kaitlyn van Asselt, J. Tanner Trigg, and Nathan Saffer.

A fan favorite returns to the McPherson College stage with the production of “Dearly Departed” on October 4-5 and October 11-12 in Brown Auditorium. The theatre department last produced the show during its 2005-2006 season with rave reviews.

“I’m excited for this show. The energy around it has been amazing,” Jd. Bowman, theatre professor, said. “The cast and crew have laughed so hard during rehearsals, we’ve had to take breaks. It has reminded me of working on some of our recent comedies like ‘Greater Tuna’ and ‘Lend Me a Tenor’ because the actors have taken their play-time very seriously, and the resulting production is one that people won’t likely forget.”

Set in the backwoods of the Bible Belt, “Dearly Departed” is the story of the rough-around-the-edges Turpin family, who prove that living and dying in the South are seldom tidy but always hilarious. It’s the most fun you’ll have at a family funeral, said Bowman.

The cast welcomes back to the stage many seasoned college performers, but also several new faces.

“So many in our cast are making their college debuts with this show,” Bowman said. “I can’t wait for our audiences to see them, and I can’t wait to see what they will do next.”

The cast includes: seniors, J. Tanner Trigg, Dani Wilcock, and Cali Godwin; junior, Courtney Weesner; sophomore, Harvey Yeoman; and freshmen, David Reilly, Tony Carpenter, Nathan Saffer, Lindy Reynolds, Cheneal Benne, Grace van Asselt, and Meghan Smith; and features ‘The Joy of Life Singers,’ Kenzie Jansonius, Natalie Hemann, and Sierra Grow, all sophomores.

Doors will open at 7 p.m. for each performance with shows starting at 7:30 p.m. All seats are $5 and tickets can be purchased at the box office prior to the performance.

Season ticket holders received a themed meal prior to each of the season’s performances. For more information on becoming a season ticket holder, contact the box office at (620) 242-0444 or email at [email protected].