By Kat Bryant
Grays Harbor News Group
The Driftwood Players will open their latest production Friday: “Over the River and Through the Woods,” a comedy in two acts for teens and adults.
The play, written by Joe DiPietro in 1998, focuses on Nick (played here by Chris Fruto), a single, Italian-American guy from New Jersey. His parents have retired and moved to Florida, though he still sees both sets of his beloved — but annoying — grandparents every Sunday for dinner. One day, he has to tell them he’s been offered the job he’s been dreaming of, but it will require him to move far away.
The news doesn’t sit so well with his grandparents. Thus begins a series of schemes to keep Nick around. Frank (Keith Krueger), Aida (Louis Hoover), Nunzio (Eddie Logue) and Emma (Judy Ball) do their level best to keep him from going — including inviting the lovely and single Caitlin O’Hare (McKenna Hansen) to their family dinner as bait.
Rick Bates and Ben Hohman are the co-directors of record on this production as they mentor Driftwood director-in-training Stacey Hopkins.
“It’s a lot like being the passenger when someone is learning to drive,” said Hohman. “While I’m there to make sure we don’t take a wrong turn into oncoming traffic, I also need them to plan out the entire rehearsal process so they get the production ready by opening night. So I watch and give my thoughts to Stacey on what she might look at during rehearsal, and try to use my experience as a director to keep everything on track.”
His co-director said it’s been a good ride.
“The process allows Stacey to demonstrate her readiness to become an approved Driftwood director,” said Bates. “After the run of the play, the Driftwood board and active directors will discuss Stacey’s demonstrated skills and vote to decide whether or not she’ll become an approved Driftwood director. It’s my opinion Stacey is ready!”
Hopkins, a longtime Driftwood actor, said it’s been “a crash course in communication and collaboration,” and she’s learned quite a lot.
“I have had the opportunity to collaborate with many Driftwood trustees on set design, construction, lighting, props and costumes,” she said, and “I discovered that, as a director, I really love the audition process. There is an art to putting just the right cast together.”
And she is confident in this cast of theater veterans.
“I was blown away by the real emotion they were conveying and evoking in me while I watched them perform,” she said. “Even after watching the show as many times as I have throughout rehearsals, they still make me laugh and cry.”
Performances are scheduled for the next three weekends: Nov. 29-30, Dec. 6-8 and Dec. 13-15. Curtain is 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 1:30 p.m. Sundays. The playhouse is located at Third and I streets in Aberdeen.
Tickets are $15 and are available in advance at AberdeenDriftwood.com, Valu Drug in Montesano, City Center Drug in Aberdeen, Harbor Drug in Hoquiam and the Dusty Trunk in Ocean Shores.
This Friday only, tickets are “pay what you can.” Rush tickets are available for $10 the night of each performance for students presenting their school ID.
Following their blind date, Caitlin (McKenna Hansen) and Nick (Chris Fruto) talk about the possibility of seeing each other again.
Nick (Chris Fruto, second from right) tries to guide his grandparents (from left, Louise Hoover, Judy Ball, Eddie Logue and Keith Krueger) through a game of Trivial Pursuit.
