Phyllis Novy (photo by Kate King Turner)
The official season meetings may have ended, but there is still plenty going on with the Sun Lakes Community Theatre (SLCT). Members celebrated at Palo Verde with a well-attended happy hour event that cataloged attendance of the last three shows and previewed the upcoming summer production and beyond. Vice President Robin Murray reported a total of 1,415 guests attended the 2022-23 season plays, breaking down at 415 tickets sold for The Last Roundup of the Guacamole Queens; 596 snapped up for Sex Please, We’re Sixty; and 404 reserved for the dinner mystery show Sam Club, Private Eye, and the Case of the Malted Falcon.
Merrie Crawford was pleased to announce that the cast of The Sweet Delilah Swim Club had completed their first read-through, and she was very happy with the chemistry that was immediately present among the four women. Rehearsals are now underway, and the show opens on July 18 at Cottonwood’s San Tan Ballroom.
Sandy Bocynesky announced the Fall 2023 show as Rex’s Exes (and, yes, they all live in Texas). The cast has three male speaking roles, plus one or two male voice-overs and nine female roles. It is a prequel to the Guacamole Queens play, set in the same place, with many of the same characters. Auditions will be held in September, and Sandy is hoping many folks will audition.
Phyllis Novy recapped The ImproVables shows that have been presented in the 2022-23 season (six of them) and announced a workshop with the Perry High School improv group, the Perrywinkles. The ImproVables will take the summer off from classes but will return in time to prepare for their Sept. 30 show at Sun Lakes Country Club, Oct. 26 show at Friendship Village, and Oct. 30 show at Cottonwood Country Club.
Feb. 29 through March 2, 2024, will feature a collaboration between Chandler High School drama students and SLCT members for a joint production of the musical Footloose. It will be presented at the Chandler Center for the Arts. Roger Edmonds will have more information about audition times, etc., as the year progresses.
Although no titles have been announced, the 2024 summer production dates will be July 24 through July 28, and the Fall 2024 show will be Nov. 6 through Nov. 10.
It was also announced that there will not be a “Cool Down” event in August this year but, instead, there will be a Start of the Season Happy Hour on Oct. 10, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Saguaro Room at Cottonwood. The general meeting will be held afterwards at 6:30 p.m. Complimentary light food and no-host drinks will be available.