Laughs abound for 'Charley's Aunt'
PORTERSVILLE — Portersville Christian School will present “Charley's Aunt,” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the school, 343 E. Portersville Road.
Tickets are now on sale and are available at the school office. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for college students with identification and $5 for students. Children 5 and younger are admitted free. For more information, call 724-368-8787
“Charley's Aunt” is a world-famous farce that has moved audiences to tears of laughter since 1892.
Jack Chesney and Charley Wyckeham are undergraduates at Oxford University in love, respectively, with Kitty Verdun and Amy Spettigue. Charley receives word that his aunt, Donna Lucia d'Alvadorez, a rich widow from Brazil whom he has never met, is coming to visit him.
The boys invite Amy and Kitty to lunch to meet her, also intending to declare their love to the girls before they are sent away to Scotland.
The boys seek out another Oxford undergraduate, Lord Fancourt Babberly (known as “Babs”), to distract Donna Lucia while they romance their girls.
But the millionaire aunt sends word that she will have to delay her visit a few days. What is to be done? The girls will not stay without a proper chaperone.
The problem is solved as the boys force their incompetent chum Babs into a satin skirt, bloomers and a wig.
As “Charley's Aunt,” this charming frump is introduced to the ladies, to Jack's father, Sir Francis, and the girls' shrewd guardian, Stephen Spettigue.
Both men attempt to woo Babs posing as “Charley's Aunt” to win her hand and her millions with it. When the real aunt shows up, classic comic confusion ensues.
Still, Babs manages to trick Spettigue into agreeing to the marriage of his wards, the real aunt marries Jack's father, and Fanny Babs regains the fortune he lost gambling as well as the girl he loves.
Ben McDonald is the stage manager, and Emily Painter, the assistant stage manager. Megan Hixon is the production assistant.
CAST
Jack Chesney, James Mangiapane; Charley Wykeham, Cole Woods; Lord Fancourt Babberley, Nick Merrill; Kitty Verdun, Amelia Adams; Amy Spettigue, Hannah Dunmire; Steven Spettigue*, Josh Shindledecker and Andrew Sloboda; Sir Francis Chesney, Nate Lattanze; Donna Lucia d'Alvadorez, Hannah Sloboda; Ela Delahay, Robin Mussig; and Brassett, Elijah Fisher.
*The role of Steven Spettigue has been double cast. Each actor will learn the role, and the performance dates will be split. Exact performance dates and the number of performances will be determined later in the rehearsal process.
