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