Del Shores’ labor of love comes to Camelot
By Lucie K. Scheuer for Ashland.news
Watch out. Orville, the beer guzzling, abusive husband of Marlene, is running around trying to find Daddy Buford Turnover’s will and hoping to break into his strong box.
Daddy, who has dementia, is wandering around talking to his children, who he has forgotten have become adults. Marlene, Orville’s wife, and sister Evalita’s hippie boyfriend, Harmony, share a joint. Evalita’s at the local bar, throwing back a bunch of drinks and might be planning to sleep with spinsterish sister Sara Lee’s fella, Clarence. Older sister Lurlene, the minister’s wife, the one who rarely visits, thinks she’s in charge of the whole situation. Mama Wheelis, grandmother to the three adult daughters and Orville, is as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockers.
And there ya have it: the typical American family.
Well, maybe not so typical, but there’s enough crazy to go around. If you look close enough, you’re sure to recognize a distant or even closer relative or two. They’ve all gathered in a small town in Texas to plan Daddy Burford’s funeral (which is imminent) and find his will. You can be there, too. This frequently funny, surprisingly moving story, “Daddy’s Dyin’ Who’s Got the Will?” by Del Shores, playwright, Hollywood TV and screenwriter, is now playing at the Camelot Theatre through July 6.
As Shores revealed in a recent interview, this story was a labor of love. It is based on a similar situation that arose in his own family about 30 years ago. He was sharing his family experiences with a stage director who encouraged him to write this, his second play. It wound up launching his career as a playwright and Hollywood writer and was made into a film featuring Beau Bridges, Beverly D’Angelo and Judge Reinhold.
Gwen Overland, Camelot’s artistic director, stars as Mama Wheelis in this iteration, and she is just wonderful. Her wisecracks at just the right moments are like periods at that end of some very funny sentences. In the final scene, the family gathers to practice a song for the funeral.
Sara Lee says, “I’ll sing Alto.”
Lurlene says, “I’ll sing soprano.”
And Grandma, well, she says, “And I’ll sing whatever comes out of my mouth.” She’s quite the character and we love her.
Russell Lloyd, who has directed and acted in a number of productions in the valley, deserves applause for bringing this dysfunctional “family” together. There are a few uncomfortable pauses and places where it feels as though the actors are becoming a bit too relaxed. There are also some moments where it is difficult to ascertain what is going on, but those moments are short-lived.
Costume designer Nathan Ynacay has revealed the family members’ personalities through the way they dress. Evalita Turnover’s crazy purple hair (by wig designer Suzanne Warden) and punk leather outfits are divine. Grandpa Buford looks right at home in his overalls.
Christopher Burkhardt has laid out a functional, open concept set, replete with a picture of the Last Supper over the kitchen sink.
Jadon Berg shows great depth as Orville, as we watch him shrink before our eyes from a bully into a small, hurt boy, with some rude awakenings.
Finlo Laney, as the sister Sara Lee, elicits our sympathy with a limp, while trying to cope with a cheating boyfriend and an engagement that has possibly ended. Her character is remindful of the fragile, vulnerable Laura Wingfield in “The Glass Menagerie.”
Grace Angelucci as Evalita, Shannon Carter as Marlene, Lyndsay Nashington as Lurlene, Allan P. Jones II as hippie Harmony Rhodes and Sean Warren as Daddy Buford blend well in this character-driven story.
The play runs about 20 minutes too long, and the sisters could express some of the funnier lines with a little more emphasis. After all, this is a southern family that thrives on drama.
If you like southern humor, this production might be just right for you. You might just come out “grinnin’ like a possum eatin’ a sweet potato.”
Reach Ashland-based writer Lucie K. Scheuer at [email protected].
