Dearly Departed comes to life on stage

Release Date: 8/7/2001. Expired: 9/16/2001

When the cast of The Renaissance Center’s new community theatre production Dearly Departed takes the stage, audiences will find themselves in the backwoods of the Bible Belt meeting the beleaguered Turpin family in the midst of a major crisis.

When the patriarch of the Turpin family keels over dead in the first scene, the struggle to get him buried involves the whole clan. The resulting funeral brings to light a number of hilarious family problems, both major and minor, which overshadow the solemn occasion.

For example, the eldest son Ray-Bud blusters through the production yelling at family members and tensing up at the thought of all the money he’s spending, while Junior, the younger son, juggles financial ruin, a pack of no-neck monster kids and a constantly nagging wife who suspects him of infidelity.

Amidst the chaos, the Turpins turn for comfort to their friends and neighbors, an eccentric community of misfits who just manage to pull together and help each other through their hours of need, and finally, the funeral.

“Getting to know the Turpin family will be a hilarious experience for the audience,” said Hal Partlow, the play’s director. “This play is a comedy in its truest sense but it also depicts how people will pull together in a time of sorrow.”

Dearly Departed plays Sept. 7, 8, 14 and 15 at 7 p.m. and Sept. 9 & 16 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 adults, $8 seniors and $5 children under 13 and can be purchased at the center or by calling (615)740-5600.

Visit the Theatre page for more about community and professional theatre.

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