From the Wings: When death doesn’t mean an end to friendship or fun

From Feb. 13-22, Stage West Community Theatre is performing Exit Laughing at the Ocean Shores Lions Club

By Andrea Watts The Daily World • February 10, 2026 1:30 am
Andrea Watts / The Daily World In the first act of Exit Laughing, the uneventful yet somber bridge night that Connie (Kaye Bramblett on the left) and Leona (Kimberly Schulz) planned for following the death of their friend Mary becomes a night of shenanigans due to Millie (Pamela Nygaard) stealing the urn with their friend’s ashes and bringing it to bridge night.
Andrea Watts / The Daily World In the first act of Exit Laughing, the uneventful yet somber bridge night that Connie (Kaye Bramblett on the left) and Leona (Kimberly Schulz) planned for following the death of their friend Mary becomes a night of shenanigans due to Millie (Pamela Nygaard) stealing the urn with their friend’s ashes and bringing it to bridge night.

Stage West Community Theatre’s staging of Exit Laughing had been a goal for the theater group.

Written by Paul Elliott and a recipient of the 2013 AACT PLAYFest comedy award, the play features a trio of women adjusting to the loss of their fourth friend after a 30-year friendship. An attempt to maintain their routine of their weekly bridge night is waylaid when Millie steals the urn with their friend’s ashes from the funeral home and brings it to bridge night. Think Golden Girls with their trademark snark and adult humor set on stage; in fact, the set for Exit Laughing is a living room.

An earlier attempt to stage Exit Laughing fell through because there wasn’t a male actor to cast for the role of the policeman or Bobby. However, with the return of Skyler Payne to Ocean Shores, Director Lori Hardin could now cast the role. Payne’s most recent performance was as the second man in Driftwood Theatre’s The Diary of Anne Frank, and he also portrayed Rocky in Rocky Horror Picture Show, also staged by Driftwood Theatre.

Hailee Cisneros portrays Rachel, the daughter of Connie. Because Rachel is a theater major, Cisneros said it wasn’t much of a stretch getting into character.

“That was so fun about it. I get to just play myself,” she said.

Connie is played by Kaye Bramblett, who brings experience in television, film and teaching, and has been with Stage West for several years now.

Leona, who is never far from a drink to work through the death of her friend, is played by Kimberly Schulz.

Pamela Nygaard, president of Stage West, portrays Millie, whose stealing of the urn sets the night’s shenanigans into motion.

The person tasked with transforming the stage at the Ocean Shores Lions Club, where Stage West holds their performances, into the set is Technical Director Ron Cooper, a past president of Stage West and one of the founding members. And a week before opening night, a few touches are still being made: a shower curtain hung in the bathroom and a picture hung above the sofa.

Stage West has used the Lions Club since its founding in 2009. They’ve been “very generous” allowing us to use the space and giving us rehearsal time, said Nygaard.

A modest-sized stage and limited space backstage does limit the plays that can be staged.

“It’s very difficult when you can’t roll sets off and roll sets on,” Cooper said, and a large cast makes for a crowded backstage.

Cisneros, who did stage tech in San Diego at a high school attached to the city’s performing arts center, had experience being on a professional stage with a huge backstage with multiple green rooms and dressing rooms before moving to Ocean Shores.

“From that being my last theater experience to this, it’s been definitely a change of pace. … I am very close to all my castmates now because we are forced into such a close proximity,” said Cisneros. “We have to get to know each other, which has been very nice because coming from San Diego, the only people I really knew were my parents.”

Nygaard began doing community theater relatively recently. Her first audition was for Cooper and his son, A.J., who directed The Diary of Anne Frank, and she couldn’t believe she was offered the role. Performing on stage, “it really builds self-esteem,” said Nygaard.

Which is what Cisneros has learned as well, having transitioned from backstage to on the stage.

“The first time it was very, very nerve-wracking, but I’ve gotten used to that now,” she said.

With this being Stage West’s 17th season, Cooper said that’s been satisfying seeing the growth of the organization.

The “community is very supportive,” said Nygaard, adding that sponsorships have increased.

“We used to just go play to play, because we get enough from one play to maybe license another one,” Nygaard said. “We’ve actually [over the last] last couple of years been able to license everything all upfront.”

Recently, Stage West received a $3,000 grant to cover operating costs.

With the purpose of the evening being a rehearsal, Hardin announced to those backstage, “I’d like to get started in about eight minutes,” and eight minutes later, the cast and crew were in positions. Following Hardin’s welcome to the audience, the stage is momentarily empty following Hardin’s call of “lights up and curtain.”

That is until Cisneros opens the front door and stomps into the living room, throwing her textbooks to the ground as one does when being stood up.