The Ansonia Theatre is preparing for the opening of its newest play, “Lone Star and Laundry and Bourbon” later this month.
“Laundry and Bourbon” shows Elizabeth Caulder chatting with her friend Hattie Dealing on a typical day as they gossip and do laundry. Amy Lee walks in to reveal that Elizabeth’s husband, Roy, who has been missing for two days, has been seen with another woman. Elizabeth deals with the news and is determined to be there for him when he comes back.
“Lone Star” follows the men’s perspective, featuring Roy Caulder, a Vietnam vet, his brother, Ray, and a man named Cletis Fullernoy. Roy is forced to adapt to life home from war back in his small home town.
Despite the dark content, the pair of one-act plays, set in small-town Texas in 1972, are comedies written by award-winning playwright James McLure.
“It takes a really hilarious look at some everyday problems,” director Tommy Wooten said. “It’s some dark stuff, and really brilliant… it deals with serious themes like adultery and drinking and things of that nature, but it is absolutely 100 percent a comedy. That’s the beauty of it, being able to take things and share that are so painful sometimes, to be able to laugh at them. Sometimes that’s the most healing.”
Although it’s not a popular play, it’s one that will stick with the audience, Wooten said.
“It’s so funny,” he said. “It’s just so good. It’s not well-known, but once people see it, they never forget it.”
Wooten said the play does contain some adult content, though he has trimmed much of it out from the original.
“It does have some language in it it,” Wooten said. “I took a great deal out, but some of it is still in there and really needed to be in there because Roy is a drinker and this is part of his limited vocabulary. This is just a guy who’s come back. He was once a hero of his small town and high school, and comes back and is lost and trying to find his way.”
Wooten said this play is important to him personally. It was the first play he did when he started his production company, Potluck Productions, in 2001. At the time, it was entered into the Orlando International Fringe Festival, where it won an award for best show out of more than 100 entries from around the world, he added.
“That really propelled me into my next level in my career of directing,” he said.
The character of Roy, Wooten continued, also reminds him of his own father, a “man’s man.”
“Roy reminds me of him a lot,” he said. “It was what urged me to pick it, and I’m happy to revisit it 15 years later. My dad never did get to come to Orlando or get to see me perform it, but he got to see the video of it before he passed away. That’s a great memory for me. I remember him being really tickled to watch it. This show has a special place in my heart.”
The character of Elizabeth is a “stand by your man kinda gal,” Wooten said.
The six-person cast will feature a mix of established talent and newer actors.
Elizabeth will be played by Lisa Tarlton, who was also in the Ansonia’s productions of “The Trip to Bountiful” and “Crimes of the Heart.”
Hattie will be played by Connie Thomas, who recently debuted in “The Putnam County Spelling Bee.”
Lindsay Melton will play the role of Amy. Melton also played in “Steel Magnolias” for the theater.
Wooten himself will play the character of Roy.
Jason Price and Steve Adams, pastor of Harvest Ministries, will debut as Ray and Cletis, respectively.
Gina Clarke is co-directing the play with Wooten. Clarke played in “The Trip to Bountiful” and has been involved in every production since then either on stage or as a co-director.
Wooten said that about 10 people auditioned for the play, and that he hopes this play will draw in new talent to play in shows in the next season.
Wooten said the play is not suitable for children, as it contains sexual content, language, references to adultery and alcohol.
The play will show at the Ansonia Theatre from May 13-22. Tickets are $15, or $12 each for groups of 10 or more. To learn more about reserving tickets, call the Anson County Arts Council at 704-694-4950.
Reach reporter Imari Scarbrough at 704-994-5471 and follow her on Twitter @ImariScarbrough.