Calendar Girls at Burlington County Footlighters Bares All!

by Laura Duffy

Based on true events, Calendar Girls tells the story of six Women’s Institute members from the Yorkshire Dales who raise money for a local hospital after one of the women’s husbands, John, dies of leukemia. The way they go about it, however, catches the attention of the world – the women decide to pose nude for an “alternative” fundraising calendar, with help from an amateur photographer who met John while working as a hospital porter.

Leading the production at Burlington County Footlighters are Kat Fresh, who portrays Chris, the Institute’s most outgoing and lively member, and Bonnie Kapenstein, who brings to life Annie, the empathetic wife of John (Stephen Kreal). Chris and Annie are best friends, and Fresh and Kapenstein aptly portrayed that dynamic. Fresh’s Chris was easygoing and likable, and Kapenstein’s Annie was devoted and quietly strong.

Hats off to Kreal for performing as John with only three rehearsals! Stepping in as a replacement at the last second must have been stressful, but he remained calm and collected, and even performed a couple of scenes partially off-book, which is impressive. 

Other members of the Women’s Institute (or WI) are Cora (Amber Stolarski), Jessie (Regina Deavitt), Celia (Dana Masterman Weiss), and Ruth (Valerie Brothers) – all lead by the Institute’s Chair, Marie (Chrissy Wick). Stolarski’s pitch-perfect voice was always pleasant to listen to, and was heavily featured throughout the show. Deavitt and Masterman Weiss both had nice comedic timing while also keeping their characters grounded. Brothers was a highlight as Ruth – her character had one of the more complex journeys throughout the show, and it was nice to watch her shyness blossom into confidence by the end of the second act. Wick’s Marie was definitely a contrast to the rest of the Institute women – uptight, proper, and utterly against the idea of the calendar – although I do wish her argument with Chris in Act Two had a bit more bite to it.

Dwayne Bailey was cheerful and likable as Chris’ husband, Rod, and Tobi Tella was an adorably shy Lawrence (the amateur photographer who agrees to photograph the women for their calendar). Rounding out the cast were Jocelyn Williams as the uptight and intimidating Lady Cravenshire, Shelby Tibbets as Elaine, the cosmetologist/mistress of Ruth’s husband Eddie, and a hilarious Damon Strothers as Liam, who wins the award for strongest impression made despite having the shortest amount of stage time.

One of the difficulties of this play, when performed outside of the UK, is the accent work, as all the characters live in Yorkshire. Although some actors seemed to find their accents more easily than others, I applaud them all for taking on the challenge.

Director Alice Weber and Assistant Director Jeanne Wayman are undoubtedly responsible for the supportive and tight-knit bond that was evident throughout the cast. Especially amongst the members of the WI, it was clear that the actors were comfortable with and encouraging of one another, and this type of environment within a cast is crucial for a production that requires this level of vulnerability. I was glad that the suggested nudity was handled with care, and the result appeared safe for everyone involved.

I did notice that there seemed to be significant uncertainty amongst the cast when it came to line memorization. There were often pauses between or in the middle of characters’ dialogue, and it tended to drag out the pacing of scenes in both acts. I think with a bit of extra rehearsal and focus on memorization, this issue could have been resolved and kept the rhythm of the scenes moving a bit more smoothly.

Alex Davis-Dell’Olio produced, and Heidi Kleber served as Stage Manager, Production Designer, and Sound Programmer for this production - all multifaceted roles which she handled well. She also served as Co-Lighting Designer with Jim Frazer, who additionally designed the set. The Women’s Institute served as the unit set piece, which was adaptable to become an outdoor space for the scenes that required it. Kleber and Frazer’s lighting nicely highlighted both the indoor and outdoor settings, and the set was well-constructed by the Construction Crew (Jim Frazer, Larry Driscoll, and Bill Shaughnessy).

Sound Designer John Weber and Sound Board Operator Anna Egan made sure that everything could be heard – although I don’t believe that the actors used microphones, there were many transition songs and voiceovers (handled by Natasha Lees) which were all nicely amplified.

This show utilized MANY props, and each of them were well-designed and constructed thanks to Props Master Kathy Harmer, as well as the Props Crew (Kathy Harmer, Val Brothers, Kat Fresh, Alice Weber, and Shelby Tibbets). Costume Construction by Dot Berenbrok was also notable, as the characters flaunted a number of crazy outfits during various WI fundraisers. Making sure all these pieces got where they needed to go was the Stage Crew (Rory Christine and Charlotte Dranchak).

Calendar Girls runs January 30th, 31st, February 5th, 6th & 7th at 8 pm, and January 31st & February 1st at 2 pm. Tickets can be purchased at https://tickets.bcfootlighters.com/show/calendargirls .