‘Hallelujah Girls’ production full of life and laughs
FROM STAFF REPORTS
COTTONWOOD SHORES — When something works, you try to stick with it as long as you can. For the Hill Country Community Theatre, it means going back to a team of playwrights known for creating fun, frolicking characters with witty and insightful dialogue.
When “The Hallelujah Girls” opens Sept. 18 at the theater, 4003 FM 2147 in Cottonwood Shores, audiences will find it’s like coming back to some old friends. The play bears the same writers — Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten — who penned “The Dixie Swim Club” and “Southern Hospitality,” which have both graced the HCCT stage.
“The Hallelujah Girls” centers around six feisty women of Eden Falls, Ga., who decide to shake up their lives. The ladies gather every Friday for fun at the SPA-DEE-DAH!, which is an old, abandoned church that somebody turned into a day spa.
The women find themselves at a crossroads of life. Though they have good lives, the death of a friend forces them to re-evaluate their futures as they decide it’s time they pursued their dreams.
But like most people, saying you’re going to chase your dreams and actually doing it is tough. One of the women, Sugar Lee Thompkins, assumes the role of keeping herself and her friends motivated.
And it’s not an easy task.
“This show is so funny. We’re having a wonderful time rehearsing,” said Wendy Ferrell, the show’s director. “While the cast is working very hard, they are also doing a lot of laughing. The further we get into the process, the more they bond and their characters start to come alive. This is absolutely a must-see.”
“The Hallelujah Girls” runs Sept. 18-28. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 2:15 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for children and students with valid identification. Reservations may be made by calling (830) 798-8944, going to www.thehcct.org or visiting the box office noon-4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.
Ticket sales begin Sept. 11 for the general public.
“Things are going extremely well,” said Mike Rademaekers, the theater’s executive director. “The sets are getting built, and the props are getting done. The cast and crew are doing a great job. People should be ready for a great show.”
editor@thepicayune.com