Originally published October 25, 2012 at 03:53p.m., updated October 25, 2012 at 03:53p.m.
Many think of mouthwatering turkey as Thanksgiving approaches, but a different kind of turkey is coming to Lorton this November. South County High School Theatre presents their fall production of “An Absolute Turkey” at Dale S. Rumberger Auditorium, Nov. 8-10.
The French “bedroom farce,” written by Georges Feydeau and translated by Nicki Frie and Peter Hall, is perfect for a fun date night, girls’ night out, or just some comic relief before the holiday frenzy begins.
The play is about a faithful wife, Lucienne Vatelin, who declares she will never cheat on her husband unless she finds he has first strayed. A friend of her husband, Edmond Pontagnac, claims he can prove that her husband, Crepin Vatelin, is planning a rendezvous that very evening in a local hotel.
He sets out to prove the infidelity, hoping Lucienne will choose him when she is ready to avenge her husband’s deceit. In the second Act, three couples have accidentally been booked into the same hotel room, all with plenty to hide. The play spins out of control as everything that can go wrong does.
“We opened last season with two serious productions, so I wanted to lighten up the mood this fall,” said SCHS drama teacher and show director, Kathie McCormally. “I chose a farce to challenge the students.”
Featuring a cast of 25 South County students, the production includes the comedic talents of Ruth Scherr and Katelyn Sparks (double cast as Lucienne), Angel Hernandez and TJ Gouterman (double cast as Pontagnac), Cameron Powell and Alex Hargitt (double cast as Vatelin), Matt Yamamoto and Jon Alderson (double cast as Redillon), and Katherine Spellman and Kelsey Davis (double cast as Mrs. Pontagnac).
“This play was originally written in 1896 in France. We have chosen to place the play in the present, and it works quite well,” McCormally said. “Men and women have not really changed much over time. Some are devoted spouses, and some are not.”
Recommended for an audience of 13 years and older, McCormally added that while the play deals with infidelity and affairs, the themes are handled “tastefully and, in the end, higher moral standards are upheld and revered.”