Flowertown Players A Doublewide, Texas Christmas--So Good You Can't Pass It Up

Now showing at the James F. Dean Theatre, A Doublewide, Texas Christmas is as wacky as a play can get and despite a couple glitches, after all was said and done, it all ended up putting a doublewide smile on the opening night audience.

A Doublewide, Texas Christmas, written by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten, is a comedy about the newest and tiniest town in Texas with double trouble. Not only are the trailer park residents dealing with the stress of the holiday season, but they've just discovered that Doublewide's official incorporation papers are in jeopardy. So, to bolster their legitimacy, this enclave of eccentric Texans determine to throw themselves into the County-wide "Battle of The Mangers" competition and then, conspire to win this contest with their "Nativity At The Alamo" entry, by any means possible.

Certainly, Mayor Joveeta Crumpler has her hands full, but there is more. She has to somehow wrangle in her celebrity-obsessed mother, deal with her besieged brother who is being harassed by a army of vengeful Santa Anna raccoons, and attend to a best friend who has been dating every loser this side of Tugaloo and Tinsel. To make matters worse, Joveeta finds herself increasingly wary of the newest fresh out of the loony bin resident, Patsy Price.

With his foot propped up on a chair and dressed in festive pj's at final dress rehearsal, veteran Larry Spinner did what is expected of director's; he honed the finer details of the crazy chaos about to be unleashed unto the opening night stage and orchestrated the capable kookie cast with carefully employed suggestions. But, he did not accomplish this on his own. He was assisted by the very talented queen of wacky, Heather Hogan. A stand out from one of the funniest shows of the year, The Red Velvet Cake Wars, Heather is usually seen on stage. This was her first go at assistant directing.

If being wacky was a prerequisite to land a part in Doublewide Christmas, each of the cast members fit the tone of the script nicely. Jennifer Post as Big Ethel Satterwhite superbly set the tone for the play in her opening address with a slew of one liners.

Courtney Bates stole the show in her portrayal of the frazzled Mayor Joveeta Crumpler, who found herself in compromising positions on a couple occasions, one being on an exercise ball with Texas sequenced across her Doublewide ars, the other manifested her prowess to think on her feet.


The honorary title of most wacky goes to Chase Graham as Baby Crumpler. From the moment his character got zapped by the Christmas lights to being harassed by menacing raccoons, he convincingly appeared to be having fun as he energetically ran from scene to scene like he was one sweet potater away from a certifiable psychotic breakdown, and the two-legged elf hat he wore was the crown of wackiness.

The character, Lark Barken, is wacky sprinkled with sweetness and Maddie Latham was the perfect choice. Her facial expressions are priceless and delivers her lines laced by a matching overtone with a lilting inflection. Maddie's character is pivotal to a plot that gets muddled in all the wackiness, until the end, when like a balloon suddenly springing a major leak, drops out of nowhere.

Erin Larsen plays the part of vengeful Patsy Price who is said to be about as fun as a case of shingles by her brother, Haygood Sloggett, portrayed by John Lowther. Unlucky in love Georgia Dean Rudd is played by the hard working Joy Springfield. As Joveeta's wanna-be celebrity mother, Caprice Crumpler, Debra Glovier's moment in the spot light was when she sang a solo outfitted in a sparkling red dress and Jonathan Quarles carried the double role of Nash Sloggett and Texas' gift to women, Harley Dobbs.

A Doublewide, Texas Christmas is sure'nuff funny, but that ain't all there is to the play if you are able to dig through the "-ness" of "a few pickles short of a barrel." Larry Spinner summarized it this way, "Through the laughter, it reminds us of the need to be compassionate and forgiving. Anger and revenge are self-destructive, and everyone deserves a second chance. Most of all, I feel this show is a story of hope: never give up hope for a better future."

As a Texan would say: A Doublewide, Texas Christmas--"you can't beat that with a stick". So, "you have two different buckets of possums"--first, picking your day to see the show and then, purchasing your ticket.

Purchase tickets.
November 29, 30, December 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, and 14 at 8pm, December 1, 7, and 14 at 3pm

Stage Manager/Sound Operator-Alexa Jordon, Costume Designer-Patti Kelly, Props Master-Nicole Coke, Set Design-Ernie Eliason and Courtney Bates, Lighting Designer-Ernie Eliason, Sound Design-Larry Spinner and Courtney Bates, Set Construction-Ernie Eliason and Chrissy Eliason, Wardrobe Assistant-Emma Wood, Set Construction/Lighting Operator-Ayla Camp

'Tis The Season To Ice Skate--The Town Of Summerville And Summerville DREAM's Gift To Its Residents And Visitors

This past week snowbird winter made an early surprise visit to Summerville and the Lowcountry. However, if you are a reader of The Old Farmer's Almanac, you were anticipating Old Man Winter's sudden early arrival. So far, the long range forecast for the Southeast Region has been spot on.

According to the weather prognosticator, it prognosticates "Winter will be warmer and rainier than normal, with below-normal snowfall. The coldest periods will be in mid- to late November, early to mid-December, and early and late February. The best chance for snow will be in late February in the north." I have always said, "If it is going to be cold, I'd rather see it snow."

There is a certain beauty in freshly fallen snow. How it fondly clings to the needles of the pine tree branches and blankets the landscape with a sense of tranquility. The quiet is so overwhelming you can hear the air. It is the perfect time to grab the shovel and head to your favorite lake or pond, scrape away a section of snow from off the crystal clear frozen water, and strap on the ice skates. It is one of the simple pleasures of the season.

Snow is a rarity in Summerville and the Lowcountry, even when it is cold enough. Usually, when it is cold enough, there are no clouds to produce the needed precipitation. Though it adds to the aura, you don't need snow to ice skate. All you need is the ice. With that having been said, aside from the arrival of the early Southern style winter weather, something else is coming this month of November. Summerville will have their very own ice skating rink thanks to the Town and the imagination of Summerville DREAM.

The overflow parking lot at 208 S Ceder Street just south of West Richardson is being transformed into an 40' by 80' outdoor ice skating rink just in time for the holidays. "The boxed structure comes with all the piping. It's a glycogen system. It runs through a chiller," said Steve Doniger, the executive director of Summerville DREAM. DREAM has been overseeing the building and will handle the operations for what is called Summerville Skates.

The skating rink is owned by a husband-wife team called Ice Games 88. Wayne Seybold, along with his sister Natalie, performed around the world and represented the United States at the 88 Calgary Winter Olympic Games in the couples competition. The brother/sister team was the first to successfully land the throw triple lutz. Jennifer Seybold has performed in shows around the United States including an ice show at the Carowinds amusement park. Clearly, they bring to the table 40 years of experience in the area of Figure Skating and 20 years in the portable skating rink business. They were present when the work of laying out and assembling the system began.

Listening to Doniger talk about the planned rink, you can tell the DREAM team is dedicated to making it a success. The rink will afford the opportunity for the community's families and kids to enjoy something different this coming holiday season. "We want to do interesting things to show the quality of life in Summerville is such that they want to grow up here and invest here." Of course, its overall success will depend greatly on the residents themselves and a little cooperation from the weather.

Molly Willard, Director of Development/Promotion and Design, provided a proposed layout she has been working on to give an idea of what the finished seasonal ice rink will look like. There will be parking available on site, bleachers for seating, picnic tables, sponsored concession stands, and a possible split rail fence. My fanciful idea: How about a snow making machine for one of those rare cold days. Wouldn't that make for a interesting picture.

Summerville Skates will be open to the public, birthday parties, group events and community fundraisers throughout the winter season. The Flowertown Players have already scheduled an event to promote their production of Disney Frozen Jr due to open in March. In fact, auditions for the production will take place on the very day the rink opens, Saturday, November 23rd at 6 pm. So, stay up to date by checking out Summerville Skates' web page or their Facebook page.

So participants can get the most out of their experience and for safety reasons, the maximum number of people on the ice at any given time will be limited. You will need to reserve your day and time to guarantee your spot. General admission is $8 and an additional $4 to rent skates, but with the discount opportunities planned, Doniger said the average cost for a family will be $20 to $25.

Summerville Skates will run from November 23rd through January 11th. Over three hundred pairs of skates will be available for rent. Group sales and rink rental packages will be available. Hours of operation will be Monday-Friday 3-9 pm and Saturday and Sunday 11 am-9 pm.

Summerville Skates' slogan is Happiness is... ice skating. Enjoy the video.