BETHEL — The Western Mountains Senior College Players of Bethel will present nine comic and serious plays, including “A Merry Regiment of Women,” by Rae Shirley, featuring many of Shakespeare’s characters, on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 21-22, at Gould Academy.

Senior Theater is based on the premise that participation does not require the memorization of scripts. However, after four years, “this group has greatly enhanced their amazing talents; and while some use scripts, others do not,” said Lynn Arizzi, who has directed the Senior College Players for the past four years and this year is being assisted by Lorie Hoeh.

In “A Merry Regiment of Women,” the women gather to complain about Will’s treatment of them in his plays, but three of his male characters show up to refute the ladies’ claims. Participants include Hoeh, Carole Timberlake, Roberta Taylor, Joanne Morse, Arita Zitoli, Mary Colbath, Ross Timberlake, Norman Milliard, Joe Arizzi and Karen Paul.

One of the comic skits, “Cornbread and Beans,” by Earl Reimer, features a newcomer to the Players, Norman Milliard, playing a 72 year-old man who has a blind date with Ellie, played by Colbath. They meet in a restaurant and are served by a perky waitress played by Tineke Ouwinga. They find they are two different people, but could they find common ground?

“In the Tank,” by Rosemary Frisino Touhey, is the story of two lobsters played by Morse and Ouwinga. They not only have philosophical and comical takes on their lives, but also have interesting thoughts about the people who stare at them in the tank.

“Postcards from Sicily,” by Jules Tasca, features Carol and Ross Timberlake, portraying a couple who travel to Sicily to visit relatives. They have both hilarious and unbelievable experiences.

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Another play by Tasca, “Switching Rooms,” is the hilarious story of two nuns, played by Rosabelle Tifft and Barbara Dion, another newcomer to the Players, who have a problem about their rooms.

“New Tricks,” by Adam J. Ruben, features Arita Zitoli as a grandmother who is not exactly computer literate and her granddaughter, played by Paul, who comes to help.

“Welcome to Acceptance,” by Terryl Paiste, features Hoeh as a bank teller and Taylor, who intends to rob the bank.

“The Challenge of Bureaucracy,” by Carole Glickfield, features Tifft as one whose Social Security check is late. She gets the runaround from government agencies with Paul, Dion, Ouwinga and Walter Brough in the cast.

“Victorious Revelations,” by Adam Stuart Littman, features Arizzi and Brough who have some comical conflicts starting in the gym of an independent living complex. Paul also participates.

Shows will be at 7 p.m. Nov. 21 and at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 22 at McLaughlin Auditorium. Admission is free; however, donations will be accepted to offset royalty fees. For more information, call Lynn Arizzi at 824-0080.


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