TOWNGATE THEATRE PRESENTS “THE CEMETERY CLUB”

WHEELING, W.Va. (April 7, 2008)— One is never too old to fall in love- even after the age of 50. Towngate Theatre’s production of Ivan Menchell’s play “The Cemetery Club” reiterates this premise as three widows deal with heartache over losing a loved one as well as the change and fear of starting over again.

This poignant and humorous play will be staged for just two weekends, April 18-20 and April 24-26, at Oglebay Institute’s Towngate Theatre, 2118 Market Street, Wheeling.

The plot revolves around three Jewish widows who meet once a month for a cup of tea, then go to visit their husbands’ graves. Doris can’t let go of the past and refuses to live a life that does not include her deceased husband Abe. Lucille didn’t care much for Harry in the first place and has begun dating again, much to her friends’ dismay. Ida is caught in the middle. She speaks lovingly about her Murray, but thinks there might be a better way to pay tribute to his memory- and to celebrate her own remaining years- than by talking to a headstone.

Although the longtime friends reminisce, gossip and joke around, the dynamic between the three is often volatile as larger issues are in the air. The friends’ bond is severely tested when Ida starts having feelings for Sam, a widower who also visits the cemetery regularly. Doris and Lucille attempt to squash the budding romance, and then are guilt stricken when this nearly breaks Ida’s heart.

Don’t let the title “The Cemetery Club” fool you. Although the play focuses on the dark subject of death, it is lively, funny, wise and gloriously witty. It is a story of love and friendship and how they endure conflict and loss through time. Menchell adapted the play for a movie version is 1993, which starred Ellen Burstyn, Olympia Dukakis and Diane Ladd.

Sponsored by Whiteside Cadillac Buick Pontiac Chevrolet GMC Trucks, “The Cemetery Club” is part of Towngate Theatre’s 38th season of community theater and is directed by Oglebay Institute artistic director Hal O’Leary.

Cast members are: Gael Fincham as the sweet tempered Ida; Iris Pfeffer as judgmental Doris; Lola Miller as the feisty Lucille; Bob Lane as the kind, shy widower Sam and Phyllis Jenkins as the clinging Mildred.

Towngate’s curtain is at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 18 and 19 and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 20. Curtain for next week is 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 24, 25, 26.

Call the Stifel Fine Arts Center at 304.242.7700 to reserve seats. For those buying seats at the door, Towngate’s box office opens one hour before all shows and can be reached at 304.233.4257.

Refreshments are available at Towngate Theatre and parking is curbside or in the nearby Center Wheeling Parking Garage. Located at 2118 Market St., Wheeling, Towngate is easy to find and located just across the street from St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in the historic Centre Market district of Wheeling.

This program is made possible through the generous support of the members of the Institute as well as with financial assistance from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the WV Commission on the Arts.