Tickets are now on sale for the RLC Theatre Fall Play, "Father of the Bride," a story about the chaos, frayed nerves and ultimate happy endings of planning and pulling off a wedding for daddy's little girl.
Performances of "Father of the Bride" will be at 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 3-5, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6, at the RLC Theatre.
Buckley (Chris Eskew, Mt. Vernon) woos Kay Banks (Laura Saxton, Benton) during rehearsals for the 2011 RLC Fall Play, Father of the Bride. Pictured in back are, from left, Braden Downs (Carlinville) as Tommy Banks, Lyndsey Hammons (Mt. Vernon) as Delilah, Tyler Hood (Pinckneyville) as Ben Banks, Jayne Ballantyne (Pinckneyville) as Mrs. Banks, and John Nalley (Benton) as Mr. Banks.
The play is based on the novel by Edward Streeter, which also inspired the 1991 movie of the same name starring Steve Martin and Diane Keaton. The eventual "father of the bride," Mr. Banks, learns that one of the young men he has seen occasionally about the house is about to become his son-in-law. Banks' daughter Kay surprises everyone with the engagement, and plans for their small wedding with a few friends quickly snowball out of control and start rolling downhill. Things are complicated further by the fact that Banks barely knows his future son-in-law, Buckley, and isn't sure he approves of the match - even though the rest of the family is all for it.
The cast of Father of the Bride -- from left, SEATED: Chris Eskew (Mt. Vernon) as Buckley, Laura Saxton (Benton) as Kay Banks, John Nalley (Benton) as Mr. Banks, and Jayne Ballantyne (Pinckneyville) as Mrs. Banks; STANDING, Braden Downs (Carlinville) as Tommy Banks, Lyndsey Hammons (Mt. Vernon) as Delilah, Tyler Hood (Pinckneyville) as Ben Banks, and Lilly Allen (Thompsonville) as Peggy.
As the guest list grows, so does the number of people Banks has to employ - caterers, movers, florists, dressmakers and more - in order to pull off his little girl's dream wedding. Tensions rise, plans are cancelled, Banks' debt mounts and the comedy rolls as everyone tries to keep their nerves unsnapped until the wedding is over.
Mr. Banks (played by John Nalley of Benton) shares a moment with his daughter Kay (played by Laura Saxton of Benton during rehearsals for Father of the Bride. Also pictured are Jayne Ballantyne (Pinckneyville) as Mrs. Banks and Danielle Roberts (Mt. Vernon) as Mrs. Pulitski, the seamstress.
More than 20 local actors will be performing in the play:
Mr. Banks - John Nalley (Benton)
Mrs. Banks - Jayne Ballantyne (Pinckneyville)
Kay Banks - Laura Saxton (Benton)
Ben Banks - Tyler Hood (Pinckneyville)
Tommy Banks - Braden Downs (Carlinville)
Buckley Dunstan - Chris Eskew (Mt. Vernon)
Buzz Taylor - Tony Pierce (DuQuoin)
Peggy Swift - Lily Allen (Thompsonville)
Delilah - Lyndsey Hammons (Mt. Vernon)
Miss Bellamy - Colleen Ryterski (Pinckneyville)
Ms. Massoula - Blythe Lee Brown (Mt. Vernon)
Joe - Levi Overturf (Mt. Vernon)
Mrs. Pulitzski - Danielle Roberts (Mt. Vernon)
Red - Hunter Rue (Mt. Vernon)
Pete - Cale Smith (Mt. Vernon)
Tim's Man - Steven Crawford (Benton)
Chef - Troy Stickel (Benton)
Caterers - Aaron Dawson (Benton) and Hannah Johnson (Pinckneyville)
Carpenters - Jon Booker (Pinckneyville) and Elijah Burk (Belle Rive)
Decorators - Cassie Vessel (Valier) and Angie Youroukos (Mt. Vernon)
Mrs. Banks (far left, played by Jayne Ballantyne of Pinckneyville) has a word with her future son-in-law Buckley (second from right, played by Chris Eskew of Mt. Vernon), during Father of the Bride rehearsals. Also pictured are Laura Saxton (Benton) as Kay Banks and John Nalley (Benton) as Mr. Banks.
Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased in advance by calling the RLC Box Office at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1467. Visa, Mastercard and Discover are accepted. Tickets also are available on campus in the North Oasis, Room 134, from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday. If tickets remain available for a particular showing, they may be purchased at the door one hour prior to curtain.
For more information about the RLC Theatre Department and for photos of past musicals and plays, visit click here.