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 Carson Heath | The Communicator |
| It's showtime |
There’s nothing like a funeral to bring a family together. Except for the Turpin family where a family tragedy starts a whole series of mishaps. In the upcoming play Dearly Departed, the Turpins are beset by strife and hard feelings amongst each other after the death of Bud Turpin, the father. And by the way, this is a comedy. Sara Edlin-Marlowe directs the SFCC play, which opens Nov. 12 with a cast of 15 and is set in the heart of the Bible Belt. According to the Assistant Director Brandon Montang, Departed pulls no punches in the name of humor. “It’s sick,” Montang said. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see some people leave at intermission. “It’s just tasteless and I love it.” David Honeycutt, first year student, is playing Ray-bud Turpin. Ray-bud’s father just died, and he is none too keen on spending a fortune on his father’s funeral. “I am kind of stingy,” Honeycutt said of his character. “(I) don’t really want to spend much money, whereas my brother is trying to go all out.” Honeycutt said he has enjoyed working with the cast of Departed and meeting new people. “Playing pretend . . . is how you made friends with people in elementary school, so why not (in) college?” Honeycutt said. Greg Collinge, in his second quarter at SFCC, plays Royce. Who’s character is constantly getting bossed around by his religious mother and coincidentally, this is one of his favorite parts about the role. “I like the various relationships between the characters,” Collinge said. “Everyone is crazy.” As production week approaches Marlowe said she is impressed with the work the cast has put in. “It’s a great group of kids,” Marlowe said. “They have been spot on since the beginning.” Montang echoed her sentiments. “They have really put a good load on their own shoulders, it’s going to really show in the next two weeks,” Montang said. Second year student Anna Carmichael is the last one out of the theatre today. As stage manager for Departed, she puts in about four hours a day. According to Carmichael the play has grown on her as production week draws nearer. “In the beginning, I didn’t think that I liked it,” Carmichael said. “Reading the script, you don’t really see the characters. “It got funny as we examined it.” Just over two weeks from now, the bare plywood will have a fresh coat of paint, and house lights will be shining as the crowd files in. “Sometimes it’s hard,” Carmichael said. “Sometimes you hate it and sometimes you love it.” |