Adam Prudhomme
Editor
As with much of the entertainment world across the globe, Selby’s Lennox Theatre will pause all shows for the foreseeable future as part of protocols to halt the spread of COVID-19.
That means the scheduled opening of The Dixie Swim Club, which was scheduled to open on Friday, will be postponed for now.
Prior to the announcement to delay the opening, director Andy Palmer gave a brief overview of the plot of the comedic play.
“It’s the story of five women who have been close friends since they were in their teen years,” said Palmer. “They meet once a year on the outer banks of North Carolina and have done so since they left school some 22 years ago which is when we see them first. In addition to meeting once a year, they are close friends throughout the year as well. This is the weekend they use to catch up as a group. We get to see them at age 44, 49, 54 and 77.”
The five-women cast includes Jo-Anne Smith, Rebecca Sedore, Shirley Steward, Jane Adams-Roy and Diane Talas.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to have a mix of veteran actors and several newcomers,” said Palmer. “All of them bring a tremendous amount of energy to the stage. It’s going to be a really special performance.”
As the years progress the audience sees the characters, who met as members of their college swim team, develop a stronger bond as they go through the trials and tribulations of life, be it men, marriage, parenting, divorce and aging.
“This is an incredibly funny play,” adds Palmer. “If you’re a regular that goes to the theatre, you’ll say it’s the best you’ve ever seen. If you’ve never seen a live play before, this is the one you want to start with.”
The cast are planning to continue rehearsing in the hopes of bringing the play to the stage before the end of the theatre season.
Anyone who had purchased tickets will receive a full refund. It will be automatically be refunded to the purchaser’s credit card, though there could be a delay due to the overwhelming demand on Snapd Tix.
The theatre has also made the decision to cancel its last play on the bill, which was to be Married Alive. Instead, provided there’s enough time in the season, they will stage The Dixie Swim Club when it’s deemed safe to do so.