Dessert show serves a Texas-size comedy

  • Ryvers Stewart, Ann Williams and Terry Gribble as the Verdeen cousins – Gaynelle, Jimmy Wyvette and Peaches – express their disappointment in meeting the third lady of Texas in the play Rex’s Exes. Photo by Samantha Sinclair
    Ryvers Stewart, Ann Williams and Terry Gribble as the Verdeen cousins – Gaynelle, Jimmy Wyvette and Peaches – express their disappointment in meeting the third lady of Texas in the play Rex’s Exes. Photo by Samantha Sinclair

        Andrews – The Verdeen cousins are back, and the trouble they are getting into is just as hilarious.
        The ACT 2 Players will present Rex’s Exes, sequel to The Red Velvet Cake War, for the Valleytown Cultural Arts & Historical Society’s annual dessert fundraiser at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday at the Valleytown Cultural Arts Center, 125 Chestnut St. downtown. The comedy finds the Verdeen cousins of Sweetgum, Texas – Gaynelle, Peaches and Jimmie Wyvette – spiraling into a variety of near disasters as Peaches’ recently declared-dead husband returns and the bounty hunter searching for him crashes a funeral.
        The play is by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten. The ACT 2 production is directed by B.J. McFalls.
        “It’s a great opportunity to leave your troubles behind and just be happy,” McFalls said. “I like the continuity of the story with the three cousins and the other characters.”
        She also directed last year’s production of The Red Velvet Cake War for the theater company’s dessert fundraiser. Many of the same actors who were in last year’s production are reprising their roles.
        McFalls said anyone who missed last year’s show will be able to follow the action in the sequel, as any references to it are fully explained. One major change is local resident Terry Gribble will be taking over the role of Peaches, since the actress who performed the role last year moved.
        “She’s done a great job,” McFalls said.
        Gribble has both acting and directing experience. She said the show and the use of three female leads reminds her of Steel Magnolias – a show she’s been in twice, once as Ouiser and once as Truvy. She is most impressed that the show includes a variety of actors from across the region.
        The returning Verdeen cousins are Ryvers Stewart as Gaynelle and Ann Williams as Jimmy Wyvette. Also returning are Kay Thomas as Cee Cee Windham, Lori Coffey as Aunt LaMerle, Wayne Rosshaven as Uncle Aubrey, Vickie Benedict as Bitsy and Nancy Davis as Mama Doll Hargis.
        Eric West and Taylor Swain are taking on new roles as Wild Bill Boudreaux and Marlissa Crutchfield, while Bill Butler and Jesse Nix are joining the cast as Theodore Rexford Belrose and Gentle Harmony, respectively.
        McFalls hopes the theater company performs Last Round-up of the Guacamole Queens – the third comedy in the Verdeen Cousins Texas Trilogy – at next year’s dessert fundraiser. She has asked to direct again.
        Tickets for the dessert show are $15 each, which include desserts and a non-alcoholic beverage. Desserts will be provided by Community Youth Players families, Nancy Bristol, Coffey, Davis and Rebecca Hoilman.
        Funds raised go toward supporting the theater and its productions. For details, contact Coffey at 360-4108 or vcyp.act2@gmail.com.