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Welcome to the neighborhood: Meet the quirky but lovable Gibbs sisters and their families in 'Morning's at Seven,' presented by Stage Door Productions. The shows opens Friday. |
BY BRIDGET BALCH
There's nothing like laughing at someone else's quirky family drama to help you forget about about your own.
Fredericksburg's Stage Door Productions will provide just this kind of comic relief with its performance of Paul Osborn's "Morning's at Seven" at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library over the next two weekends.
Director Sheila Clark said she had never heard of the play before it was chosen to be performed, but she loved it when she read it.
"It's a play about older people, and we don't do that often," said Clark.
She described the play as "very sweet and off-center, with quirky characters."
Set in 1920s Midwestern America, "Morning's at Seven" tells the story of the elderly Gibbs sisters who have lived in close quarters together for far too long.
Ida Gibbs Bolton, her husband, Carl, and their 40-year -old son, Homer, have lived next door to Cora Gibbs Swanson and her husband, Thor, throughout their married lives. Ida and Cora's old-maid sister, Arry, is also in the picture as Cora's perpetual housemate.
The status quo is threatened when Homer finally brings his fiancee of seven years, Myrtle Brown, home to meet the parents.
Homer's father, Carl, who is going through a three-quarter life crisis, is eager to get his son married and into a house of his own.
As Homer remains reluctant to actually tie the knot, Cora tries to claim Homer's house-to-be for her husband and herself, hoping to move away from sister Arry.
In the midst of this, the fourth Gibbs sister, Esther, must face her husband's attempts to forbid her from associating with her sisters' families. He's forcing her to choose. She can abandon her sisters and remain in his good graces, or she can retain her relationship with her sisters but live separated from her husband.
Clark believes that "Morning's at Seven," with its talented cast, will capture the audience with its warmth.
Bridget Balch: 540/374-5444
Email: bbalch@freelancestar.com
