Oak Ridge High School Masquers, the school’s drama program, will present Jones, Hope, and Wooten’s Texas-sized comedy “Dearly Beloved” for three performances in November. Pictured above are the Futrelle Sisters, from left to right, Twink (Sarah Hepler), Frankie (Mary Kemp), and Honey Raye (Arianna Walker). (Submitted photo)
By Ben Fowler
Oak Ridge High School Masquers, the school’s drama program, will present Jones, Hope, and Wooten’s Texas-sized comedy “Dearly Beloved” for three performances in November.
The performances are scheduled for Thursday, November 10, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, November 12 at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, November 13, at 2 p.m., at the Oak Ridge Performing Arts Center, or ORPAC, at Oak Ridge High School.
“Dearly Beloved” is the story of the Frankie, Honey Rae, and Twink as they prepare to throw a wedding for Frankie’s daughter. The Futrelle Sisters try to stay ahead of the Fayro, Texas, rumor mill, but with Frankie’s repeated conversations with her dead mother, Honey Rae’s many trips to the marriage chapel, and Twink’s desperate attempts to get her long-time boyfriend down the aisle for the first time, the odds are against them. Add in their personal tensions of who broke up the Futrelle Sisters’ gospel group, The Sermonettes, and laughter ensues. This southern comedy, filled with crazy family, odd ball love interests, and a nosy neighbor or two, is sure to delight.
Under the direction of Joseph Self, who has appeared in, directed, or managed more than 300 stage productions, and is the technical director of ORPAC, “Dearly Beloved” offers comic entertainment for the entire family.
Masquers is a student-driven extracurricular program at ORHS of 65-plus students supported by community members and teaching staff. Past performances have included “Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat,” “Oliver,” “Harvey,” “Murder in the Magnolias,” and many more. The Masquers’ yearly season showcases a fall play, a spring musical, a night of short sketches, and a murder mystery train dinner in conjunction with the Southern Appalachia Railway Museum.
Advance tickets are $6 and available at the ORHS office and The Ferrell Shop. At the door, tickets will be $7 for students and $8 for adults.
Ben Fowler is an English teacher at Oak Ridge High School.
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