Bigfork Community Players present 'Dearly Departed'

The Bigfork Community Players will present the comedy “Dearly Departed,” by David Botrell and Jessie Jones, at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts on April 8, 9, and 10.

This Southern take on death — and life — explores the assorted reactions of the Turpin family to the sudden departure of its patriarch, Bud. As the family members pull together (some more enthusiastically than others) for “Daddy Bud’s” final sendoff, the audience learns things about Bud that come as no surprise to Raynelle, his long-suffering wife of 39 years, or to Marguerite, his holier-than-thou sister, who has been after him to “get right with the Lord” for nigh as long. While Bud’s younger son, Junior, is determined to give his Daddy a respectable burial, no matter the cost, his older son, Ray-Bud, is pondering the benefits of burying his fiscally irresponsible brother and their father at the same time. A series of vignettes spotlight more dysfunction: a husband with a wandering eye, a good-hearted but cynical son who enjoys tormenting his badgering mama, a barely articulate daughter with a fervent attachment to snack food, a disingenuous preacher, and Ray-Bud’s “good ol’ boy” employer, Clyde, who wants to help Ray-Bud in any way he can, even if that calls for blowing up a hearse. Various eccentric family friends and relations add color to the mix.

“Some people think it’s not okay to laugh during a funeral,” said Karen Kolar, who plays Ray-Bud’s peace-keeping wife, Lucille. “But by the end of this play, you’ll find out that you just can’t help it!”

“Yes,” agrees Larry Lefcourt, the play’s director. “This play is funny and entertaining. It does poke fun at quirky family relationships and a lot of those clichés and stereotypes that have become ingrained in our perception of the South over the years, but I’ve found that it has a surprising amount of heart, too.”

Lee Prichard, who plays Raynelle Turpin, agreed.

“Underneath the gags and laughter there’s a good message,” Prichard said. “No matter how messed up a family might be, they still pull together in times of tragedy to do what needs to be done.”

The cast includes Kolar, Prichard, Stuart Smith, Don McAdam, Duane Herriges, Gina Benesh, Maggie McGunagle, Jason Erickson, Felicia Schraeder, David Vale, Barbara Langlois, Peggy Brewer and Bilynda Senner.

“Dearly Departed” will be presented at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts, located at 526 Electric Ave. in Bigfork.

Performances are Friday, April 8, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 9, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and on Sunday, April 10, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, and $5 for children younger than 12. Tickets are available in advance at Bigfork Drug, the Pocketstone Cafe, the Kalispell Grand Hotel, and online at www.bigforkcommunityplayers.com. Any tickets not sold in advance will be available at the door on the evening of the performance.

For more information, visit www.bigforkcommunityplayers.com.