Story and Photos by Dana Nollsch
Exposing themselves in the name of love and friendship the women of the small town of Knapely, Yorkshire, England come together for a just and due cause and in the process they discover just how deep true friendship can go.
Friday, Jan. 13 Reno Little Theater opens their production of “Calendar Girls”, written by Tim Firth and directed by Melissa Taylor. This is the story of how one woman’s loss prompts her friends to come together in an extraordinary way for the benefit of the community. Based on a true story, this is a feel-good tale with many lessons to be learned.
After Annie Clarke loses her husband to leukemia her friends in the Women’s Institute (WI), come together to raise money for a new settee at the local hospital where Annie’s husband lost his battle with leukemia. To do this they hatch a plan to do a calendar, but not just a calendar of bridges or churches. It’s a calendar of nudes, and the women of Knapely’s WI will be the models.
Much to their surprise the calendar is a hit, successful beyond anyone’s imagination.
This is a fun production and will certainly bring a smile to your face and joy to your heart, as well as a tear to your eye. This is one of the most tastefully done productions I have seen even though there is some implied nudity. The actors playing the women are powerful and show such a positive example for everyone.
Check out the photos, and scroll down for the cast list and showtimes.
Here is a list of the players, all of them quite wonderful:
- Moira Bengochea as Chris
- LaRonda Etheridge as Annie
- Stacey Spain as Cora
- Veronica Fraser as Jessie
- Cathy Gabrielli as Celia
- Julie Douglass as Ruth
- Janet Lazarus as Marie
- Nancy Podewils-Baba as Lady Cravenshire
- Christine Fey as Brenda Hulse
- Anna Pidlypchak as Elaine
- Bradford Ka’ai’ai as John
- Christopher Blumen as Rod
- Adriano Cabral as Lawrence
- Riley Kveton as Liam
Show times are:
January 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28 at 7:30 p.m.
January 14, 15, 22, 29 at 2 p.m.
For more information check out Reno Little Theater’s website: http://renolittletheater.org/events/event/calendar-girls/
