By Lorenzo Salinas

l.v.salinas@panews.com

 

It’s time to prep the red velvet cake, polish up those old country records and practice one’s Southern twang. The self-described “Southern-fried comedy” genre is back.

Act One Scene One Theatre Co. and First Christian Church of Port Arthur present “Last Round-Up of the Guacamole Queens,” a Jones Hope Wooten comedy. It will be a production that aims to bring both the laughs and the Harvey recovery funds for First Christian.

“Act One Scene One has pledged all of our 2018 proceeds to go to the church to help it get back up and running,” director Craig Bertrand said. “We’re not splitting anything; everything is going to the church.”

With a charitable goal in sight, Bertrand and crew could thus focus on what they love doing: Making people laugh.

 

The best medicine

Actress Catherine Sanford said she subscribes to the old adage: Laughter is the best medicine.

“I believe there is something very special about the ability to make someone laugh. I don’t know you, for example, but if you’re sitting in that seat some night, you might have circumstances I might not even be able to comprehend,” Sanford said.

“But if I can provide you with some laughter, make you forget even for a moment what your cares might be, then that is a blessing — and I’ll have a heck of a good time doing it, too.”

“There’s a lot of Southern comedy in it,” Bertrand said. “There’re certain things you wouldn’t expect in other comedies. They talk about food. There’s one business that’s a tire and Bible outlet. They throw these things together that other parts of the country wouldn’t find together.”

Actress Angel Suitt said audience-goers could expect to see “a lot of entrances and exits that are unexpected.”

“It’s more like a farce,” Suitt said. “Like when the characters say, ‘At least nothing weird is happening.’ Then something weird happens and walks through the door.

“So there’s a lot of that kind of tempting fate, and then fate making that happen. But most of the terrible things that happen are the fault of the three cousins. The cousins are always getting into mayhem and mischief.”

 

Quick wit, crazy gags

Suitt said the play would be full of quick wit, crazy sight gags and costume changes.

Sanford plays Ennis Crowder Puckett, a woman apparently in high demand.

“Ennis is an 80-something female who is being pursued by a 90-something male,” Sanford said. “Her sister is also being pursued by the same man who is described as a two-timing liver spot. He’s going after all he can get.”

Sanford described their pursuer as a man who “eats enchiladas after 7, drinks Ensure with a chaser and goes all the way on the first date because he may not be around for a second date.”

Actor Barry Foster plays Grover Lout, the sheriff of the misbegotten county.

Foster described his character as Sheriff T. Justice from Smokey and the Bandit with some Barney Fife thrown in.

“He thinks he’s the best cop that ever lived, but really he’s anything but,” Foster said. “He’s completely inept, but he has a heart of gold.”

Foster said he really enjoys bringing that kind of comic relief to the stage — particularly because the humor’s so relatable.

 

Everyday Texas

“(Jones Hope Wooten) bring everyday Texas life to our audience,” Foster said. “Yes, it’s exaggerated but every script I read from them… they stress these characters are not caricatures, they’re people. They say you should not play them as caricatures, you should play them as real Texas people.”

Foster stressed the relatability of the characters in “Last Round-Up…” and other Jones Hope Wooten plays as a whole.

“Every person in this cast, I know these people,” he said. “Every character in this show reminds me of someone I know.”

“I think a lot of times the characters are relatable…” Bertrand said. “They write stuff down-to-earth, or at least down-to-Texas. It’s the thing that keeps us coming back and doing more shows.”

 

Stands on its own

Even though this is the final part in the Verdeen Cousins Texas Trilogy, Bertrand assured potential audience-goers that the show stands well on its own.

“One of the things I like about this show is that it ties a lot of other shows together. It mentions other cities that other shows have taken place in. One of the characters is a main character from another show…” Bertrand said. “But they all take place in the same county, McTwain County. It’s a stand-alone production.”

“I actually think this one is my favorites because this is the one I’m doing — because any one I’m doing at the time is my favorite,” Suitt said. “This one is really an ensemble piece. Every character brings something to this show.”

“Last Round-Up of the Guacamole Queens” runs April 27 through 29 and May 4 through 6 at 5856 Ninth Ave. in Port Arthur.

Friday and Saturday shows start at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees start at 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $15.

For reservations, call 409-790-6782.