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The Dixie Swim Club has received rave reviews around the country for its southern wit, unforgettable characters, and moving story line. This poignant and funny play can be seen locally, Thursday through Saturday, Mar. 30, 31 and April 1, at 7 p.m., at the Main Street Playhouse in downtown Madison. Tickets are on sale now, and theater patrons can plan to enjoy an evening of laughs, fellowship, and all around fun when the RATT pact, Madison’s local acting troupe, brings this story to life on stage.
Written by the comedy team of Jones, Hope, and Wooten, the play spans 33 years and peeks into the lives of five very diverse women. They meet every August to reconnect and support one another through life’s triumphs and struggles. “I’ve got a martini shaker, and I’m not afraid to use it,” is just one of the zinger lines delivered as these ladies exchange banter and wit. After bonding on their college swim team, these team mates follow different roads in life. However, the team's devotion and love for their former coach keeps them coming back year after year to face life’s challenges and the aging process head-on. From beginning to end, this unlikely group proves that true friendships can, and do, last forever.
Each character (and actress) brings a moving and unique perspective to the group. Spunky team captain Sheree (played by Dawn Renner), keeps the group organized and attempts to continually feed them health foods; sexy Lexie (Kiley Thompson) has a penchant for plastic surgery as she works her way through multiple husbands; elegant Dinah (Renee Duval) is a successful Atlanta attorney who has never found time for family and even tries to sneak a little work into the weekend; acerbic Vernadette (Jessica Webb) is a hard-luck sort and is a bit accident prone; and Jeri Neal (Karen Struss) makes one of the biggest life-changing decisions of all. Justin Webb, who has directed several RATT pact productions, takes the director’s chair once again for this production. Assisting with the show are Patrick Loveless, stage manager, and Tim Dunn, set construction and tech coordinator.
“I am particularly proud of this group of ladies,” Webb stated about the cast. “Each character has such a unique personality, and each actress does a great job bringing out that uniqueness. With such a small cast, there are no stars – this is truly a group ensemble, bonding to create one shining star and one fantastic show.”
If you enjoyed the wit and wisdom of Designing Women, Steel Magnolias, and a pinch of Evening Shade, you don’t want to miss this show. Tickets can be purchased in advance by visiting www.RattPact.com, or by calling (850) 464-4010. There is an opening night special price of $10 for the Thursday, Mar. 30 performance. Tickets for Friday, Mar. 31 and Saturday, April 1 are $12, or repeat goers can present their ticket at the door on April 1 for half-off. The Main Street Playhouse is located at 127 SW Range Ave., in Madison.