Alysia Albeck can vividly recall the first time she read the script for Ken Ludwig’s “Leading Ladies.” She simply couldn’t stop laughing.
“They gave me two scripts to read. I just remember reading it and busting out laughing. I had to put it down a couple of times because I was laughing so hard,” she said, chuckling at the memory.
“I thought if I like it this much, then the audiences definitely will. Those are the best shows you can direct because you’re already invested.”
While she was tickled by the premise, the plot was definitely something she couldn’t personally relate to, in fact, few can. But as one of the directors for the local theatre troupe the Island Players, she could easily envision it on stage.
“Certainly, nothing like this has ever happened to me. But it’s great,” she said. “There are these two Shakespearean actors who are down on their luck. They are playing moose lodges now, and they read an article about a millionaire heiress who is trying to find two long lost relatives, Max and Steve, to leave her money to after she dies.”
Being great thespians, the two decide it could prove an easy con. They could simply show up after the old lady shuffles off the mortal coil, claim to be Max and Steve and grab the cash.
But, there’s a catch — of course.
“... it turns out that Max and Steve were really Maxine and Stephanie and they’re women. So they show up, find that out and also find out that the old woman is still alive. So they decide to dress up to be these women ... things get out of hand and hilarity ensues,” she summarized.
That made it something the Players simply had to bring to life. The group, which began locally in the 1960s, have staged a number of Ken Ludwig’s productions, always to great acclaim. This go-around, they will have a mixed cast, some seasoned actors and others new faces. But one thing they all share, Albeck notes, is dedication and stellar work ethic.
“We have some new faces but all of these folks have done shows before, so they are familiar with the process. I think that really helps. You know what you need to do,” she said.
It’s also helpful that they can put pieces together quickly. For this particular production, the Players had to put the show together over an eight week span, all the while sharing the Casino theater with other shows.
“We had another show and also the Christmas show using the theater, so sometimes we were rehearsing in a church for a while. Some of the actors got together one-on-one and practiced. I think that helped them pull it together so quickly,” she said.
Albeck’s assistant director Mark Semmelmayer agrees. And he’s quick to give the cast loads of credit.
“I’m in awe of them and how hard they work,” he said. “There are some seasoned folks like Jeff Dempsey, whose father was one of the founding members of the Players. Then we have Gail Flexer, who has been in a number of shows. But we have a lot of folks who are brand new to the area. It’s a diverse cast, and it’s a really funny show. It’s timeless and appeals to virtually all ages.”
Audiences will be able to reap the benefits of all that work when the show opens Friday evening. It will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21. There will be matinee shows at 3 p.m. Jan. 8, 15 and 22. Proceeds from the ticket sales go right back into the Players programming, which extends beyond simply staging plays.
“The Island Players is more than just a local community theatre group. It’s also a 501c3. In some cases, proceeds from shows go to funding scholarships for students who graduate from high school and have put in a certain amount of hours volunteering for Players’ shows,” Semmelmayer said.
“This can qualify them for scholarships to pursue the dramatic arts in college. And we do more. As a community organization, it’s done a lot for our seniors, veterans and other groups over its 66 years.”
