The Wrangell Theater Company is at it again with this year’s fall production, the Scarlett O’Hara Complex – a racy comedy involving middle-aged Southern characters who live in Wilkesboro, N.C.
“Earl is a handful, and Jenny’s been through a lot with him,” character Ethel May, played by Wrangell Pastor Sue Bahleda. “Earl’s a lot like his daddy.”
Bahleda studied theater in college, but this is her first time back on stage. Ethel, is the heavy drinking but doting mother of her married son.
“She’s described, I think very accurately, as a hoot — and I work very hard to live up to that description,” Bahleda said.
Rumor has it her son has been unfaithful. So his wife’s three best friends try to stop her from doing something drastic while her world unravels.
“She’s a super fun character to play,” Tyla Nelson said about her character, Earl’s wife, Jenny McKenzie. “She’s angry, which I am not normally an angry person, so that’s kind of a fun departure. But this accent is probably the hardest part for me, because, I don’t know, you want to do it justice.”
Nelson said being part of the show has been rewarding after two months of rehearsals.
“It’s always such an enjoyable experience,” she said. “I love coming out for community theater for that reason – the connections that you make, the people that you meet, the friendships that grow. It’s the best part of being in a group like this.”
The cast mentions Gone with the Wind’s Scarlett O’Hara often.
And though the story is set in the early 2000s, one scene has the women dressing up as Scarlett herself.
Joan Sargent, one of the costume coordinators, said that moment took special planning. But even throughout all the other scenes, it was important to use a broad range of colors and styles to match each personality. She recalls when actress Adrienne McLaughlin first wore one of the dresses.
“I think when Adrienne came out in the frilly white dress with the big hat, those hats with the side bow, that Scarlett’s famous for, everybody was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s it,'” she said.
Sargent said it’s the finished work that audience members are in awe of that keeps her coming back to costuming.
“They all will talk to me about it and say, ‘Wow, how’d you do that costume?’ Or, ‘That costume was so cool,'” she said. “And that does drive me to step to the next one [play] and look forward to the next play.
Kristen DeBord co-directs the production. She’s been involved with community theater for most of her life, and this play has a personal connection.
“I just know the playwright personally, and it’s a hilarious play,” she said.
She said the small cast worked really hard over the past couple months and she’s proud of them.
“It’s a blast. I love small cast shows because we really become a family,” DeBord said. “It’s very different from a musical. There’s no choreography and music that we have to focus on. So we really get to focus on the humor.”
The dinner-theater performance sold out on opening night. This was the first time the Wrangell Theater Company put on a dinner and show combo. The meal was even inspired by what was served in the play.
And if early reviews on social media are any sign, audiences are calling The Scarlett O’Hara Complex both hilarious and unforgettable.
The Scarlett O’Hara Complex shows are Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 8 at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $25.
And a quick disclosure, the reporter Colette Czarnecki is part of the stage crew, where she is helping set the stage between scenes. Additionally, actress Sue Bahleda volunteers at KSTK.
