4,000 Miles

Playwright:  Amy Herzog

Company:  Miner’s Alley Playhouse

Venue:  Miner’s Alley Playhouse, 1224 Washington Avenue, Golden CO.

Running Time:  1 hour, 45 minutes (no intermission) 

Date of Performance:  Sunday, January 31, 2016.

Growing up and growing old are both very challenging life events.  There’s no road map, no owner’s manual to tell us how to be age gracefully.  We just have to figure it out for ourselves as we go through it.

Alaina Beth Reel (Bec) and Curtiss Johns (Leo).

Amy Herzog’s 4,000 Miles perfectly captures those moments as her characters go through some painful experiences.  Leo (Curtiss Johns) is a drifting 20 something millennial on a cross country bicycle trip (thus the 4,000 miles of the title).  He lost his best friend on the trip.  His girlfriend has given up on him.  He has lost touch with his family.  He’s looking for a job.  He’s growing up, but, frankly, it’s not going very well.

Vera (Deborah Persoff) is Leo’s grandmother, and she’s alone and lonely when Leo shows up unexpectedly at her NYC apartment.  Her friends are mostly gone, and her only regular contact is by telephone with an elderly woman in the next apartment.  Vera’s a product of the 1960s, unapologetically liberal, in fair but failing health.  Her poor hearing is annoying; her gait is slow and painful.  Still, she’s mentally as alert as she was at half her age of 90 or so.  

Deborah Persoff (Vera).

Leo and Vera coexist temporarily when Leo extends his stay; both tolerate each other respectfully.  It is in this zone of not quite comfort but not quite conflict that Herzog’s characters capture something real, something honest, about all of us.  They listen to each other, and to some extent they teach each other about life.  When Vera wants to know the status of Leo’s “chubby” girlfriend (Bec, played by Alaina Beth Reel), he bristles.  One senses that he bristles partly because he doesn’t see her as chubby (he’s right; she’s not), but mostly because Vera is prying into his private, painful relationship.  

Relaxing and bonding.  Deborah Persoff, Curtiss Johns.

That he comes around to accept Vera’s curiosity about Bec is apparent when the two of them light up a joint and relax.  Leo goes into intimate detail about a part of Bec’s anatomy.  It’s a short conversation; Vera doesn’t want to discuss it.  Still, it’s indisputable that Leo has come to see his grandmother as a confidante, not an intruder.

It’s the cross generation collaboration between Leo and Vera that Herzog writes so effectively and so honestly.  It’s drama without being dramatic; it’s comedy without jokes.  It’s a conversation between two people at different points in their lives but both going through the anxiety of aging.  

Herzog’s script in the hands of Director Len Matheo and the heads of Curtiss Johns and Deborah Persoff is a recipe for a delicious evening of theater.  Matheo has perfectly paced the show, keeping the conversations flowing but natural.  It’s a very talented cast, and Matheo requires them to play people of roles.  Shannon McKinney’s lighting design is subtle and effective, using just enough illumination during night scenes to keep the characters visible.  Jonathan Scott-McKean’s set design evokes the both the location (NYC) and the mood (Che Guevera poster on the wall) that defines Vera.

Deborah Persoff has a resume that is both wide and deep; she is unquestionably one of the finest actors working in Colorado.  Persoff hits all the marks as Vera.  She is, simultaneously, vulnerable, sassy, intelligent, sensitive, cranky, adorable and annoying.  She’s a dead ringer for every grandmother I’ve ever known.  The best part, though, is how Persoff always shows us Vera’s best qualities:  age and wisdom.  No matter the situation, Persoff shines as the adult in the room…even when she’s struggling with her own anxiety. 

Curtiss Johns doesn’t tell us that he’s struggling to find himself; he shows us.  Nonverbally.  We get it.  He doesn’t know how to handle Vera.  He doesn’t know how to handle Bec.  And he truly does not know how to handle Amanda (a flirty, teasing performance from Jenna Moll Reyes).  For that matter, few us would know how to handle her.  Johns struggles, but never complains; Leo shoulders his burdens silently, until he finally comes clean to Vera about his friend’s death.  

That dramatic scene is unforgettable.  Johns goes into the long story about how he lost his best friend on the bicycle trip.  It’s riveting.  It’s moving.  It’s exquisite.  It’s one of those rare combinations that we love to see:  the best writing of a gifted playwright, spoken in a heartfelt performance by a gifted actor.  Herzog’s words paint a vivid picture of the final minutes of friend, and when Johns delivers those lines, we all feel like we have lost that friend.

It would give away too much if I retell the ending; for that, you will have to get a ticket.  I will only say that the story ends with the same truth, honesty, and integrity that Herzog baked into the entire script.  4,000 Miles is alternately funny, dramatic, and endearing.  The Miner’s Alley Playhouse production is professional, poignant, and incredibly engaging.  If you’re lucky enough to get a ticket, 4,000 Miles at Miner’s Alley will stick you for a long time.

NOTES:

Linda Rae L. Wheeler.

In doing a quick Google search for some bio info on Deborah Persoff, I stumbled on this brief video from 1994 at the Theatre on Broadway.  It’s from Six Degrees of Separation, with Persoff playing opposite Paul Page.  It struck me immediately, partly for the two giants of Denver stages who are still working today, and partly because my late wife Linda was volunteering backstage for that production of Six Degrees of Separation.  Thanks for the memories, Deborah and Paul, and thanks for your many years of distinguished performances for Colorado audiences.  

This is the second time I’ve seen Curtiss Johns perform; the first time was at Miner’s Alley Playhouse in My Name is Asher Lev.  I’m certain I’ll be seeing a lot more of Mr. Johns down the road.  He’s rising.  Quickly.

4,000 Miles is suitable for teens and up.  Older teens will unquestionably relate well to Leo, and perhaps learn from his experience.

Photo Credit:  Miner’s Alley Playhouse, Sarah Roshan Photography. 

TICKETS HERE:

This show closes on March 6, 2016.

Pre/Post Show Dining Suggestion:

We have been meaning to try Woody’s Wood Fired Pizza and Watering Hole, just a few minutes walk from the theater.  Unfortunately, every time we’ve tried, it’s been too busy to get a table.  We scored one on a snowy Sunday afternoon this time.  It worked out great.

Woody’s features beer, burgers, and pizza, but especially pizza.  The have a buffet daily, with a salad bar and all you can eat pizza.  We had skipped lunch, so we both ordered the buffet.  It was a great choice, except for that part about overeating.  

Service was quick and friendly, and because it was a buffet, we didn’t have to worry about being late for the show.  

Recommended for either before or after the show.

CREATIVE TEAM:

Director:  Len Matheo

Set Design:  Jonathan Scott-McKean

Lighting Designer:  Shannon McKinney

Sound Design:  Len Matheo, Jonathan Scott-McKean

Costume Design:  Ann Piano

Scenic Carpentry:  Jonathan Scott McKean, Zoe Kennedy

Scenic Painting:  Liz Scott-McKean

Stage Manager:  Bryanna Scott

Assistant Stage Manager:  Zoe Kennedy

CAST:

Leo:  Curtiss Johns

Vera:  Deborah Persoff

Bec:  Alaina Beth Reel

Amanda/Lily:  Jenna Moll Reyes

Mrs. Mannerly

Playwright:  Jeffrey Hatcher

Venue:  Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities, 6901 Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada CO.

Running Time:  85 minutes (no intermission) 

Date of Performance:  Sunday, January 31, 2016.

Manners seem rather quaint these days, at least for those of us who still remember them.  Rude, crude, and insensitive behavior seems much more in fashion.  That said, it’s perhaps not surprising that the demographic for Jeffrey Hatcher’s Mrs. Mannerly is skewed towards a “mature” audience.  That’s the group that may have the strongest connection to etiquette and manners.

It’s likely not a coincidence that the juvenile manners student here is ironically named “Jeffrey Hatcher.”  The playwright is also named Jeffrey Hatcher.  The play takes place in Stuebenville, Ohio, the same small town where Mr. Hatcher spent his youth.  It seems fair to assume that Mrs. Mannerly is to some extent autobiographical, or at least that Mr. Hatcher would like us to think it is.  If Mr. Hatcher was indeed an etiquette student as a child, he has shared a rather interesting childhood with us.

Whether it’s a fair claim or not, Stuebenville Ohio has long had a reputation somewhat at odds with good manners.  Perhaps that would explain the popularity of Mrs. Mannerly’s school of etiquette in 1967.  It created a veneer of respectability in a location desperately in need of it.  While there doesn’t seem to be a Mrs. Mannerly school in Stuebenville today, Cleveland does have an outfit that offers help with better behavior.  

Graham Ward (Jeffrey).

Hatcher’s story pits the young Jeffrey against the rigid, structured Mrs. Mannerly (Leslie O’Carroll), with Jeffrey (Graham Ward) systematically eliminating his classmates from a competition for a perfect score in manners.  In the process, Jeffrey has a dubious encounter with Mrs. Mannerly in the bar of the low end hotel she lives in.  

Jeffrey somehow internalizes the Emily Post playbook from the ridiculous (oyster fork?) to the sublime (it’s OK to lie to the cook about a bad Baked Alaska).  He will stop at nothing to score a perfect 100 on the Daughters of the American Revolution etiquette test.  (In Mrs. Mannerly’s 30 some years of teaching manners, no one has ever scored a perfect 100.)  

Without spoiling the fun, I can say that not only does Jeffrey know more about manners than most of us collectively have forgotten, but he also learns an even more important lesson.  Knowledge is power, but sometimes the best use of power is to not use it all.

Leslie O'Carroll (Mrs. Mannerly).

Leslie O’Carroll is a perfect fit for the fussy, meticulous and yet charming Mrs. Mannerly.  O’Carroll starts teaching from their first encounter (“What?”  “You never say ‘what’ when you don’t fully hear something.”), and never lets up on her student.  At least not until she socializes with Jeffrey.  O’Carroll meets Jeffrey in a bar drinks shots, and is still charming and mostly proper after over indulging.  It’s in that moment, though, that Jeffrey sees her as a vulnerable, conflicted woman.  She becomes a human being to him, not just an etiquette machine.  Jeffrey is smart; he gets it. 

Graham Ward’s Jeffrey is smart beyond his years.  He knows how to deal with both his classmates and his teacher.  Mrs. Mannerly points out to him that if she uses a word that he doesn’t know (in this case, the word is Calvados), he should not pretend to understand it.  Ward quickly reels off the textbook definition of the apple based brandy beverage.  His self confidence is totally justified, and Ward beams with pride.  Ward’s physical comedy (as when he pretends he’s making out with, or dancing with, a classmate) is astounding.  Not just funny, but hysterical.  

Leslie O'Carroll & Graham Ward.

Neither O’Carroll nor Ward portray the one dimensional characters Hatcher may have had in mind.  Both are robust, real people, and that’s what makes the story work.  Director Edith Weiss has a sensitive and delicate hand in this; she lets them be fictional characters but also lets them put their personal spin on those characters.  It’s a wise move; both O’Carroll and Ward make manners fun by being themselves.

The program includes a quote from Emily Post’s Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home, Chap. 1 6-7: 

 “Etiquette must, if it is to be of more than trifling use, include ethics as well as manners.  Certainly what one is, is of greater importance than what one appears to be.”  

The words are well chosen.  Both Mrs. Mannerly and Jeffrey Hatcher display proper ethics and manners.  Mrs. Mannerly taught Jeffrey his most important lesson:  not which fork to use, but how to do right by others.

Perhaps now would be a good time for a revival of etiquette.  Doing right by others has become an exception instead of a rule.  The Arvada Center’s Mrs. Mannerly is a timely reminder of the values we should aspire to.

NOTES:

This show is suitable for teens and up.  While it would seem to be a natural subject for kids, there is some salty language and fairly adult situations in Mrs. Mannerly.

There is ample free parking at the Arvada Center.  The main gallery has a great display of work by Colorado Artists.  If you arrive a little early, take some time to browse through the Art of the State, 2016 collection.

I was reminded recently of one of my childhood lessons of good etiquette:  a gentleman removes his hat indoors.  It’s a simple rule.  It’s also nearly universally ignored today.  Hats (baseball, stocking, cowboy, etc.) are worn everywhere and anywhere.  We were at a Bed and Breakfast last week, and sat at a table for breakfast two days in a row with the same twenty something couple.  Our male table mate wore his stocking cap down over his ears both days.  I know... a stocking cap can be a fashion statement as well as way to keep one’s head warm.  I may be a curmudgeon, but it just seemed rude and classless to wear it to breakfast.  

Before I retired, I interviewed many job candidates, both for entry level positions and for promotions.  Had my table mate last weekend been a candidate, I would not have hired him.  Not because he wore a hat.  That’s a small matter in the big picture.  I would not have hired him because one who can’t get small things right is unlikely to do better with big things.  At the very least, he wouldn’t have been able to represent the organization properly in social or business situations.

That probably does make me a certified curmudgeon.  Sorry about that, Mrs. Mannerly.

Take heart.  Etiquette may have changed, but Emily Post still has a website.  There's even a program for kids.  

Photo Credit:  Arvada Center, P. Switzer Photography.

TICKETS HERE:

This show closes on February 21, 2016.

CREATIVE TEAM:

Director:  Edith Weiss

Set Design:  Brian Mallgrave

Lighting Designer:  Jon Olson

Sound Design:  Morgan McCauley

Costume Design:  Samantha Saucedo

Wig/Makeup Design:  Megan O’Connor

Stage Manager:  Lisa Cook

Assistant Stage Manager:  Miranda Baxter

Casting:  wojcik/seay casting llc.

CAST:

Mrs. Mannerly:  Leslie O’Carroll

Jeffrey:  Graham Ward

The Nest

Playwright:  Theresa Rebeck

Company:  Denver Center Theatre Company

Venue:  The Space Theatre, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, 1348 Lawrence Street, Denver CO.

Running Time:  2 hours 15 minutes (includes 15 minute intermission) 

Date of Performance:  Saturday, January 30, 2016 (World Premiere production).

Theresa Rebeck is an accomplished playwright; her script for Seminar is a pointed and profound statement on creative writing.  I’m a fan of her work on Smash, the two season TV show about developing a Broadway musical.  Her world premiere of The Nest at the Denver Center is another testament to her ability to surprise and enlighten an audience.

The Nest is a bar; the name is short for The Crow’s Nest.  That name is somewhat ironic, as the crow’s nest on a ship is located at the top of the mast and used as a lookout to avoid hazards.  Despite the name, The Nest and its proprietors can’t agree on what, if any, hazards the enterprise is facing.  

The Nest is a drinking establishment with a long history but a dim future.  Competing with TGI Fridays is killing The Nest.  They can’t (or won’t) offer the variety of food or the ambiance of their competition.  As Nick (David Mason) says, their dwindling customer base is comprised only of some regulars who come to get drunk.  To be sure, the first act introduces us to those regulars, and indeed, they seem just as inebriated, funny and aimless as the characters in Cheers.  They become obsessed with an unknown couple who get into an argument in the bar.  Whether the argument is about war, disease, or gender differences is ultimately immaterial.  Whatever the subject, the argument generates a lot of speculation and humor for the regulars.

David Mason (Nick) and Laura Latreille (Lila).

The second act takes a dramatic turn, although there are still some laughs.  Ned and his wife Lila (Laura Latreille) have a major blowout over whether to sell all or part of the once legendary but now struggling Nest.  Each has his or her reasons for supporting or rejecting a deal, and neither is willing to compromise.  

The Nest has two particularly valuable assets:  the hand carved bar top and the huge mirror hanging over the bar.  A deal for just these two pieces could be a huge windfall, as well as an opportunity to remodel and remake the business.  Although the bar technically belongs to Lila (it’s been in her family for generations), Ned has invested his life in it but now wants to cash out and move on to something (anything) else.

What was genuinely funny in the first act becomes existential in the second.  One of the regulars, Patrick (Brian Dykstra) unravels, either from greed, intoxication or a combination of the two.  The results make at least one sale option unlikely, but the meltdown is just a preview of how toxic the relationships in The Nest have become.  In fact, The Nest isn’t the only item here that is in danger.  Like a ship adrift in a storm, all aboard the doomed vessel may perish with it.

L-R:  Victoria Mack, David Mason, Carly Street, Brian Dykstra, Laura Latreille, Brian D. Coats.

Rebeck’s script is a masterpiece of messy exchanges, subtly convincing us that her characters have reached the ultimate dead end in life.  They have wasted years of their lives in pursuit of value in bottle.  The conflict over selling The Nest becomes less a business deal than a defining moment for everyone associated it.

Mason’s Nick is nuanced; he’s a steady guy who shows up for work every day in a job he hates.  Mason blows up though, unable to waste any more of his days going through the motions.  If he can’t get rid of the bar, he may have to be rid of his wife.  Mason is alternately rational and aggravating; he makes no secret that he will do a deal without Lila if he must.  That he would even consider cutting her out is outrageous.  It’s a scary good performance that drives the entire story.

Lila, for her part, is principled but just as aggravating as Ned.  She won’t change her family’s legacy under any circumstances.  Latreille is as stubborn as she is convincing.  I once knew a woman as stubborn as Lila.  We parted ways many years ago, and it was best for both of us.  Latreille’s uncompromising performance was eerily realistic to me.  She enthusiastically ignores facts that would make most of us think twice.  

Kevin Bernston (Ned) and Andrea Syglowski (Irene).

Kevin Bernston (Ned) and Andrea Syglowski (Irene) are the couple no one knows who drop in at The Nest and create chaos.  Their argument (including a line about a "pandemic”) goes from mild to wild in record time, ending with Syglowski throwing a bowl of fries at Bernston, followed by a beer bath.  (For fans of Smash, you may recall that Rebeck occasionally has her characters throw a drink at annoying males.)  The couple erupts in the first act, but they show up to apologize in the second.  Both appearances are striking; their love/hate relationship is weird enough to engage even the most jaded citizen of Nestville.

Brian D. Coats is magnificent as Barry, the black guy at the end of the bar who always has something to say.  Coats has a gift for comedic timing; he weighs in with exactly the right words at exactly the right time.  And when he explains why the word “pandemic” is not used by normal people, it’s lights out laughter for the whole audience.

Set by Lisa Orzolek.

Lisa Orzolek’s gorgeous set design creates Rebeck’s Nest in loving detail; the bar is stocked with bottles of every possible cocktail ingredient.  The huge framed mirror over the bar is suggested but in every possible way realistic.  The popcorn maker works; the cast makes popcorn during the show.  The juke box delivers a sweet soulful soundtrack for the aging bar.  It’s so realistic, I wanted to have a beer and leave a couple of bucks on the bar at the end of the show.

Director Adrienne Campbell-Holt has assembled a stellar cast, and she extracts winning performances from each.  Campbell-Holt put the entire set on the Space Theatre turntable, giving the entire room a great view of the actors and the action.  

The Nest is entertaining, but that’s just the buffalo wings appetizer in this bar.  The real value here is the huge mirror at the center of the story, symbolically held up to the audience so we can see ourselves on those barstools.  Trial and error is the cruelest way to learn lessons; it’s much better to learn through example.  Rebeck’s examples remind us that good decision making is not inevitable, and that the consequences of bad decisions may well be unbearable.

NOTES:

This show is suitable for teens and up. 

If you missed Smash when it came out as an NBC TV series in 2012, you can watch both seasons on Amazon Video.  All episodes are free for Amazon Prime members.  For those who felt Smash was unrealistic and aggravating, I get it.  On the whole, though, I still think there was plenty to like about it.

My Brother’s Bar in Denver served as a partial inspiration for the set design of The Nest.  Like The Nest, My Brother’s Bar has an interesting history.

Photo Credit:  Denver Center Theatre Company, Adams Visual Communications.

TICKETS HERE:

This show closes on February 21, 2016.

Pre/Post Show Dining Recommendation:

It was a bit of a special occasion, as we celebrated my birthday with a 4 show theater orgy.  (OK.  It was 68 if you must know.)  That being the case, we got to go to Texas de Brazil, one of my favorite steak places.  It’s an all you can eat buffet for carnivores (but they have an excellent salad bar too).  If you haven’t been there, it’s at Stapleton Northfield across the street from Macy’s.  For your next special occasion, book a table.  You’ll be a hero.

The menu is here, but you have to click on a tab to see the selections.

If you haven't been there before, sign up for the email loyalty program before you leave.  I got a "happy birthday" coupon for $25.00 off.  It made Texas de Brazil an easy choice for dinner.

We’ve been there several times, and have never been disappointed.  For first timers, it’s important that you arrive hungry.  It’s expensive (figure on $45/per person, excluding drinks and dessert), but worth it.  

CREATIVE TEAM:

Director:  Adrienne Campbell-Holt

Director of Production:  Jeff Gifford

Set Design:  Lisa Orzolek

Lighting Designer:  Grant W.S. Yaeger

Costume Design:  Angela Balogh Calin

Stage Manager:  Lyle Raper

Sound Design:  Craig Breitenbach

CAST:

Ned:  Kevin Berntson

Barry:  Brian D. Coats

Patrick:  Brian Dykstra

Lila:  Laura Latreille

Sam:  Victoria Mack

Nick:  David Mason

Margo:  Carly Street

Irene:  Andrea Syglowski

Calendar Girls

Playwright:  Tim Firth

Company:  Stage Door Theatre Adult Company

Venue:  Stage Door Theatre, 25797 Conifer Road, Conifer CO.

Running Time:  2 hours 45 minutes (includes 15 minute intermission) 

Date of Performance:  Friday, January 29, 2016. 

Calendar Girls.  They’re not what you think.  Not Playboy.  Not Penthouse.  They’re much better than that.

Sure.  They tease you with a cheesy calendar.  Miss February is beautiful (Annie, played by Gina Walker).  She’s also a widow who lost her husband to leukemia.  That loss is the inspiration for the calendar, as the fine ladies of the Yorkshire WI (Women’s Initiative) go “nude” (not naked) for charity.

Based on the 2003 film, the play keeps very close to the original (and rather successful) material.  The script for the film and the play is based on actual events.  The ladies of the Yorkshire WI are “mature;” not the sort that one would normally associate with a provocative calendar.  Still, the original idea to do a sexy calendar as a fund raiser was a brilliant one.  That calendar and the subsequent promotional appearances by the Calendar Girls has raised over £500,000 (approximately $750,000).

Calendar Girls is a British comedy.  You have to listen carefully.  No one is credited as a dialect coach, but the accents are splendid.  It’s very funny, in a British way.  Understated, proper and stinging dialog had the opening night audience in stitches.  The Stage Door production team makes it easier for you to adjust to the accents and British slang by providing a handy, two page glossary of fairly obscure British terms in the program.  It’s worth checking out while waiting for the curtain to go up.

Since the script is based on a popular film, I don’t need to give you a huge plot summary here.  Rather, I’ll give you a summary of the themes.  First, and most importantly, this is a life affirming experience.  You will be amazed, and perhaps inspired, by the good that can be done by those who are willing to do what it takes.  Henry David Thoreau said that most of us live “lives of quiet desperation.”  He didn’t know the Calendar Girls.  They took off their clothes and changed things for the better, not out of desperation but out of dedication.

Second, Calendar Girls is a statement, loud and proud, of what women can accomplish.    These were ordinary women leading ordinary lives who banded together to do something important.  They set a goal, and then blew by it.  They needed about £580 pounds; the calendars raised over £500,000.  Calendar Girls will make you laugh, cry, and appreciate the the value of courage and action taken by ordinary people. 

Having said that, here’s a hat tip to the talented cast who make Calendar Girls at the Stage Door Theatre a special experience.  You ladies rock!  It takes a lot of courage to do what you do.  

• Chris (Deborah Curtis) is mischievous but dedicated.  

• Annie (Gina Walker) is vulnerable, brave, and inspiring.  

• Cora (Michal McDowell) is focused on reuniting her daughter with her long gone father; it’s a needle in a haystack problem, but it drives her character.  

• Celia’s (Cindy Walker) husband ignores her; perhaps it's no coincidence that she happily adds her ample assets to the calendar.  

• Jessie (Francesca Arniotes) is a former teacher who has an awkward encounter with a former pupil.  Arniotes, ironically, is also a high school teacher who will likely have such an encounter herself some time during the run of Calendar Girls.  

• Ruth (Kim Bogin) is justifiably reluctant to display her minimalist figure, but with enough alcohol, miracles can happen.

L-R:  The Calendar Girls:  Michal McDowell (Cora), Kim Bogin (Ruth), Gina Walker (Annie), Francesca Arniotes (Jessie), Cindy Walker (Celia), Deborah Curtis (Chris).

Each of you ladies brings something special to the stage.  It’s part courage, but mostly it’s a sense of fun and purpose.  Thank you for that.  Well done all around.

Gina Walker, Gavin Maurer.

The guys in Calendar Girls give some balance and bravado to the story.  Gavin Maurer plays the doomed John, tugging at our heart strings as his health slips away.  Nick Maurer (Lawrence) is given the delicate task of photographing the Girls in their Calendar glory, and he makes the most of the opportunity

There’s a message here for all of us.  If you haven’t seen Calendar Girls at the Stage Door Theatre, you can still get the message by answering these two questions:

1.  What is the one thing you’ve done in your lifetime that you are most proud of?

2.  What else can you do that would make you more proud?

We’re given a limited amount of time to do as much good as we can.  Don’t waste any of that time. The Calendar Girls didn’t.  Guys, if you haven’t figured out what to get your wife/spouse/friend/date/ for Valentine’s Day, don’t blow it.  Calendar Girls is the solution to your problem.  (Hint:  if you're getting her a bouquet, include a sunflower.)

NOTES:

This show is suitable for teens and up.  However, discretion is advised for some salty language and partial nudity. 

Girls Gone Grape is a thing.  A Real Thing.  They bought a bunch of seats for the Calendar Girls opening, and they brought a special enthusiasm to the event.  If you’re a woman in the Conifer area and fond of wine, you should check out GGG.

Soap Box Alert. 

Parts of Calendar Girls were very personal for me.  My late wife Linda died of breast cancer in May, 2013.  Losing a spouse to cancer is central to Calendar Girls, and I could hardly bear to watch the grief that loss generates.  Roxie, my new wife, best friend, and Mrs. Theater Colorado, is also a breast cancer survivor.  So the subject of cancer and loss is one I am thoroughly familiar with.

There were two parts of the script that grabbed me by the lapels and wouldn’t let go.  

1.  Annie’s terse but emotional statement about the calendar project (beautifully delivered by Gina Walker) perfectly describes her loss:  

"I’d rob every penny from this calendar if it would buy me just one more hour with him."

2.  Deborah Curtis emotionally nails Tim Firth’s eloquent words late in the show, telling all why she would expose herself before her friends, family, and indeed the world.  It’s a stirring, powerful, and altogether marvelous summary of my very own feelings on the subject:

"Because there are some things that are more important than council approval. And if it means that we get closer to killing off this shitty, cheating, sly, conniving bloody disease that cancer is, oh God, I tell you, I'd run round Skipton Market naked, smeared in plum jam, wearing nothing but a knitted tea cosy on me head and singing “Jerusalem".

My thoughts exactly, ladies.  I’d pay any price and endure any indignity to undo the damage cancer has done to the brave women in my life.  

But I think I’d prefer strawberry jam, and perhaps the Park Meadows Mall.  I'm not much of a singer, but I think this might be good for some background music.  

End of Soap Box.

Photo Credit:  Stage Door Theatre Company, Amy Johnson Photography

TICKETS HERE:

This show closes on February 14, 2016.

Pre/Post Show Dining Recommendation:

It’s a 20-30 minute drive to or from the theater, depending on weather and traffic, but Zoka’s (16940 S. Pine Valley Road) is a high country restaurant for locals and visitors alike.   You can bring your pet if you’re ok with patio seating (not available in late January for obvious reasons).  The menu is upscale, with a Maryland Crab Cakes appetizer as one of their specialties.

I had the prime rib, and it was enough for two meals.  Roxie had the veggie lasagna, which was very good but cold in the middle.  She sent it back to the kitchen, where it was quickly corrected and returned to the table with an apology from the manager.

If you’re looking for a weekend getaway (we were), check out the Meadow Creek Bed and Breakfast.  It’s an excellent mountain retreat not far from the city.  

CREATIVE TEAM:

Director:  Pamela Clifton

Set Design:  Laura K. Love

Lighting Designer:  Steve Tangedal

Production Manager:  Jill Manser

Costume Design:  Brenda King

Stage Manager:  Joseph Gerlick

Set Manager/Construction:  Biz Schaugaard

Scenic Artist/Scenic Design Assistant:  Alex Polzin

Lighting Team/Sound Operator:  Jon Weeks

Sound Design:  Pamela Clifton

Costume Manager:  Maren Woods

Costume Team:  Rachel Finley

Props Manager:  Beth Campbell

Props Team:  Leena Goulding, Taylor Adams, Dakotah Watson

Backstage Crew:  Sarah Wood, Lily Taylor

CAST:

Chris:  Deborah Curtis

Annie:  Gina Walker

Cora:  Michal McDowell

Celia:  Cindy Walker

Jessie:  Francesca Arniotes

Ruth:  Kim Bogin

Marie:  Janice O’Grady

Lady Cravenshire:  Kay Conway

Brenda Hulse/Elaine:  Rachel Finely

John:  Gavin Maurer

Rod:  Michael Kinnie

Lawrence:  Nicholas Maurer

Liam:  Joseph Gerlick