Plant City Entertainment will present the comedy Dearly Departed on Friday, April 28 and May 5; Saturday, April 29 and May 6; and Sunday, April 30 and May 7. The Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m. The Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m.
Plant City Entertainment will offer tickets for the opening night at $17.50. Thereafter, tickets are $23 for general admission, $18 for seniors and students and $16 for members and groups of 10 and more. You can get tickets by visiting www.plantcityentertainment.com.
Dearly Departed is a comedy written by David Bottrell and Jessie Jones, and it is directed by Plant City Entertainment founding member Jennifer Fenner. Plant City Entertainment was founded in 1980.
Fenner said, “Dearly Departed marks the 18th show that I have directed with Plant City Entertainment. The shows have included comedies, revues and musicals. I have also been onstage, backstage and front of house. I have served in the role of president and other offices over the years. Currently, I am a board member and serve on the Artistic Committee.”
Fenner said, “Dearly Departed is a Southern-fried comedy of caskets and country craziness [that] puts the ‘fun’ in funeral. In the Baptist backwoods of the Bible Belt, the beleaguered Turpin family proves that living and dying in the South are seldom tidy and always hilarious.”
Despite their earnest efforts to pull themselves together for their father’s funeral, the Turpins’ other problems keep overshadowing the solemn occasion.
Fenner, a Plant City native who had been gone from the area for number of years, said of the show, “I am excited to have my core production team of Shirley Outen as my assistant director, Linda Rembowski as stage manager, Kristin and Coy Permenter as set designer and set construction back with me. Dearly Departed will feature several cameo appearances by community leaders, and I am very excited for this.”
Plant City Entertainment is an arts nonprofit located in historic downtown Plant City. It is located at 101 N. Thomas St. For more information, please visit www.plantcityentertainment.com or call 813-752-0728.
