After the thrilling success of
last year’s production of Church Basement
Ladies, Sierra Repertory Theatre is bringing A Second Helping, The Church Basement Ladies Sequel to the Fallon
House Theatre April 25 through June 8.
A celebration of the church
basement kitchen and the unsung women who work there, the musical comedy picks
up the story of the ladies in 1969 – a time of change everywhere, including the
basement. Vietnam protests rage, women demand equal pay, and - in their small
Minnesota community – a group of Lutheran women wrestle with changes in their
lives. There’s the matriarch who runs the show, her next-in-line waiting to
take the reins, the young mom-to-be, and the community historian who can rattle
off everyone’s lineage -- as soon as her hot flash passes.
SRT audiences first met the
ladies last year when they brought the house down in Church Basement Ladies, based on the best-selling book “Growing Up
Lutheran” by Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson. Why so popular? You don’t
have to be Lutheran to relate.
“The thing people respond to is
the friendship of the ladies,” said Sara Jones, SRT’s managing director. “The
playwrights just have such a lovely grasp on the women and what’s funny and
heartwarming about their relationships.”
This show’s cast includes some
audience favorites from the last production: Caitlin Randall; Becky Saunders
and Nancy O’Bryan-Shade. Making their SRT debuts are Paige Herschell and Ryan
William Bailey. The show’s director is Michael Misko, last seen at SRT as The
Big Bopper in Buddy: The Buddy Holly
Story. Joel Scott Shade is the musical director. He recently served as
resident music director of Playhouse Merced.
This second installment promises
more laughs and lively songs, while it further explores the relationships of
the women. Together, the ladies navigate a Lutheran League banquet, a
missionary night and a Viking’s Super Bowl Sunday.
“It’s really about the small
societies that build themselves to support the greater institutions,” Jones
said. “It’s fun – lovely, silly fun.”
For more information or reservations,
call Sierra Rep’s box office at 209-532-3120 or visit Sierra Rep at
www.sierrarep.org.
