Lionheart Theatre Presents Dearly Departed

What’s so funny about irate women, business deals gone bad and bodies on the breakfast table? Not much, unless it’s in the form of the play Dearly Departed at the Lionheart Theatre.

You’ll laugh and then you’ll laugh some more as character after character fills the stage with portrayals that may hit close to, or far from home. No matter where they land they’ll hit a funny bone somewhere.

Director Jason Caldwell says of this comedy that it's not only filled with homespun humor but, “It has a lot of touching moments that make it poignant and stronger because of that.”

It’s easy to go over the top with these types of characters, turning them into caricatures, and the cast does a good job of stopping before they reach that point. Even as they poke fun at an American subculture, the characters bring to light universal qualities that we all recognize. 

The story line is clear and easy to follow. Director Caldwell does a good job of having the play extend onto and off of the stage. The set is rather sparse, as this stage often warrants. I wish that the car prop had either left more or less to the imagination. 

The acting was good across the board whether the part was large or small. Special small-part kudos to Paris Crayton, III (Rev. Hooker) and Marianne Shelburn (Nadine). Excellent work by all of the son, daughter and cousin characters. 

Come and enjoy this “drop-dead funny” comedy on weekends March 4-20 at the Lionheart Theatre in downtown Norcross. Reservations are recommended and can be made online at www.lionhearttheatre.org.

Dearly Departed
March 4-20
Friday-Saturday 7:30 p.m.
Sunday 2 p.m.

 Tickets: $15--adults and $12--seniors and students

Lionheart Theatre
10 College Street
Norcross, GA

www.lionhearttheatre.org
678-938-8518