Banning Based Actor Stars in 'A Chat with Erma Bombeck'

A veteran actor from the San Gorgonio Pass will stage "A Chat with Erma Bombeck," a tribute to the late newspaper columnist, humorist and author, this weekend at the Fox Theatre in Redlands.

Penny Atwood anchors the one-woman show, with performances scheduled at 7 p.m. Saturday Aug. 25 and 1 p.m. Sunday Aug. 26. Tickets are $15. Wine, beer and snacks will be available for purchase.

Atwood is a member of A Repertory Theatre Group, also known as ART, based in Banning. "A Chat with Erma Bombeck" was adapted by Mary Kay Switzer, director and founder of the Repertory Theatre Group.

At the height of her popularity in the 1970s and 80s, Bombeck's work was syndicated in hundreds of newspapers across the U.S. and Canada.

"A Chat with Erma Bombeck" provides a glimpse of "some of the quick witticism and humor that made this charismatic writer such a great success and beloved by housewives all over the United States," Atwood says on her website. "It is an intimate look at some of her most famous observations on motherhood, husbands, sports, and of course housework."

A portion of proceeds from the shows this weekend will support Habitat For Humanity. For reservations visit www.irma.eventbrite.com or www.foxeventcenter.com.