Kori Bielaniec (left) of Livonia as Beth rehearses a scene from “Til Beth Do Us Part” Jan. 2 at the Players Guild of Dearborn with Patrick Denyer of Dearborn, who plays Gibby Hayden, and April Denny (right) of Dearborn Heights who plays Suzannah Hayden. The comedy runs for three weekends, Jan. 13 to 29, at the Guild’s theatre at 21730 Madison in Dearborn. For more information, call (313) 561-TKTS or go to www.playersguildofdearborn.org. (Photo by Sue Suchyta)
Patrick Denyer (left) of Dearborn as Gibby Hayden and April Denny of Dearborn Heights as Suzannah Hayden rehearse a scene from “Til Beth Do Us Part” Jan. 2 at the Players Guild of Dearborn. The comedy runs for three weekends, Jan. 13 to 29, at the Guild’s theatre at 21730 Madison in Dearborn. For more information, call (313) 561-TKTS or go to www.playersguildofdearborn.org. (Photo by Sue Suchyta)
Guild starts New Year with comedy “Til Beth Do Us Part”
By SUE SUCHYTA
The Players Guild of Dearborn will open the New Year with the two-act comedy “Til Beth Do Us Part,” written by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten.
Director Robb Stempek of Livonia said “Til Beth Do Us Part” is very funny.
HOLDING ON TO THE CORPORATE LADDER
“Suzannah, who is climbing up the corporate ladder, is feeling frustrated by her husband’s lack of help around the house, so they get an assistant who turns their world upside down and eventually tries to get rid of the husband altogether because she wants (Suzannah’s) job,” he said. “Hilarity ensues… it’s going to be great.”
VILLAINY IS FUN
Kori Bielaniec of Livonia, who plays the assistant Beth Bailey, said playing the character is fun because she’s the villain of the story.
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR
“She comes in and she’s just supposed to help Suzannah Hayden… she’s just supposed to help her get organized and help her along with her business, but in fact she basically tries to steal Suzannah’s job,” Bielaniec said. “She tries to take over and gets her way into every little aspect of Suzannah’s life and ends up getting her husband kicked out of the house.”
SURPRISES AND REVEALS
Bielaniec said the show is filled with surprises, with a big reveal at the end.
She added that the show is appropriate for families.
“There’s nothing too risqué or anything about it,” Bielaniec said. “It’s just kind of a fun family show about what happens to a family… when someone new comes into their life.”
HOLDING UP THE MIRROR…
Frann Stempek, the assistant director, said that the show will appeal to adults because most have run into situations like Gibby and Suzannah have encountered.
… AND SEEING OURSELVES
“Things are getting a little stale, and nobody feels really special and it really helps to rejuvenate the way that you’re thinking,” she said. “It’s very realistic. Everything that they’re going to be talking about, comments about things different people do are going to be things that you listen to and hear about from your spouse every day.”
MARGARET’S MARGO
She said Margaret Kinnell of Wayne, who plays Suzannah’s best friend Margo James, brings her own special touches to the part.
INTUITIVE
“She’s very intuitive as to what is needed at any given moment during every scene,” Frann Stempek said. “So that is what’s going to be really special about what she brings to the show.”
BURNED BUT STILL CARRYING
She said in the play Gibby and Suzannah have tried to maintain their friendships with both Margo and Hank since their divorce, adding that Hank, played by Ron Williams of Redford, still “carries a torch” for Margo.
“He hasn’t let go of that relationship completely yet so it’s his way of staying involved and keeping close to her,” Frann Stempek said.
SCENIC BEAUTY
She said the beautiful set, designed by Lisa Berg of Canton and Anthony Karpinski of Grosse Pointe, with its many doors and doorways makes the show really fun.
DOORS: AN OPEN AND SHUT CASE
“All the interaction between this one coming in one door and out another door, and opening up doors and closing doors,” Frann Stempek said. “The parts of the story all fit together dealing with those doors.”
LAUGHTER
She said she anticipates that at some point audiences will be roaring with laughter.
“There are parts of the show that are just hysterical,” she said. “I think the audiences are going to just love it.”
FINDING HUMOR IN THE MUNDANE
She said director Robb Stempek (her brother) brings out the humor in everyday situations and making natural things that happen seem “a little wacky.”
BODY LANGUAGE
“It’s not slapstick at all,” Frann Stempek said. “He’s just using body language and facial expressions and a lot of that to really bring home and deliver the lines.”
CAST
The cast includes April Denny of Dearborn Heights as Suzannah Hayden, Patrick Denyer of Dearborn as Gibby Hayden, Margaret Kinnell of Wayne as Margo James, Ron Williams of Redford as Hank Russell, Kori Bielaniec of Livonia as Beth Bailey and Linda Trygg of Westland as Celia Carmichael.
THE PRODUCERS
James Mayne of Redford and Marni Hack of Royal Oak are co-producing the show.
WHEN AND WHERE
The comedy, which opens this Friday, will run for three weekends, Jan. 13 to 29, with 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday shows and 2:30 p.m. Sunday matinees.
IN CLOSING
“Come see the show – we open on Friday the thirteenth,” Bielaniec said. “It’s going to be really fun… lots of slamming doors and mistaken identities and lots of laughs.”
“It’s a short show but packed with a lot of laughs,” Frann Stempek added. “People are going to go home feeling very uplifted.”
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