Alan Ball’s “5 Women Wearing the Same Dress” to Play at the Clarence Brown Theatre

L-R / Top – Shea Holcomb, Samantha Huskey, Elizabeth Davis. Bottom – Chelsea Sparkes, Chelsea Milligan

The Clarence Brown Theatre will perform the hilarious “5 Women Wearing the Same Dress” by Alan Ball in the Lab Theatre from April 4-21, 2013. The production contains strong language.

The nosy, pot-smoking sister. The “ugly” middle school sidekick. The religious cousin. The lesbian future sister-in-law. The friend with the “bad” reputation. Five reluctant bridesmaids hide out in an upstairs bedroom trying to avoid the over-the-top reception taking place in the backyard of a Knoxville, Tennessee estate. As the day goes on, these very different women realize they have more in common than they think!

The production will be directed by Carol Mayo Jenkins.

Carol Mayo Jenkins (Director) was in her first play with John Cullum on the Carousel stage when she was seventeen. She went on to train at The Drama Centre in London, England. She has started theatres in London, New York and Los Angeles. She has done six Broadway plays, seven Off-Broadway, and played leading roles in countless regional theatres across the country. She has appeared extensively on television, including five years on the award winning series, “Fame.” Ms. Jenkins is now an Artist-In-Residence at the University of Tennessee.

Members of the cast include:

Cody Beyer (Tripp Davenport) is a junior at the University of Tennessee studying with a major in Theatre, minor in Business. Previous CBT credits: “A Christmas Carol” and “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” He also has performed with Shakespeare Unauthorized and All Campus Theater.

Elizabeth Davis (Georgeanne Darby) currently resides in Knoxville and is a senior at UT majoring in Theatre with a minor in English. She was seen last in “Will Power!” in the Lab Theatre. In addition, she has worked with ACT, Oak Ridge Playhouse, Roane State Playmakers, Pied Pipers Children’s Troupe, Theatre Knox Downtown, Tennessee Theatre and Tennessee Stage Co.

Shea Madison Holcomb (Meredith Marlow) is a freshman Theatre major at the University of Tennessee. Previously, she performed with the Foothills Community Players (Maryville), and you can also find her singing with the University’s Concert Choir.

Samantha Huskey (Trisha) is in her final semester and an undergraduate in Theatre at UT. Previous CBT credits include: “Sweeney Todd”, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”, “Phaedra”, “It’s a Wonderful Life: A live Radio Play”, and “Man of La Mancha.” Film credits include “The Hannah Montana Movie” and “Pleasure.”

Chelsea Milligan (Frances) is a junior double majoring in Theatre and Communication Studies at the University of Tennessee. Her previous performances at the Clarence Brown Theatre include “Kiss Me, Kate” and “The Music Man.” She is also heavily involved in the Dance Society and a member of the Boss Dance Company on campus.

Chelsea Sparkes (Mindy McClure) is looking forward to graduating in May with a BA in Theatre. CBT credits include “A Christmas Carol” and “The Story of Opal.” She also performed with the All Campus Theater.

The production artists include:

India Acklin (Scenic Designer) is completing her last semester as a Theatre major. She is thrilled to see her first fully realized set design completed in the Lab theatre.

Poua Yang (Costume Designer) is a first year MFA candidate in Costume Design at UT Knoxville. Prior to attending grad school, she worked at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre (Little Rock), Music Circus (Sacramento), and Santa Rosa Repertory Theatre (Santa Rosa, CA). She received her undergraduate degree from Sacramento State University.

Kenneth Foster (Lighting Designer) is an MFA candidate in Lighting Design after finishing a two year contract with Lexington Children’s Theatre (Lexington, KY) as the Resident Lighting Designer. He has also worked with the Santa Fe Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, and the Oklahoma Shakespeare Festival.

Mike Ponder (Sound Designer) has been with the UT Theatre program and the CBT professional company for over thirteen, years where he’s worked with national and international directors including Liviu Ciulei, Paul Barnes, Henryk Baranowsky, Franck Heinig, and Gerald Freedman. More recently, Mike particularly enjoyed making very odd music for Casey Sam’s production of “Dead Man’s Cell Phone.”

Rebecca Haden (Assistant Director) is an actor, director, and graphic & web designer living in New York City. She graduated from the University of Tennessee with a BFA in Graphic Design and minor in Theatre.

The production runs April 4-21, 2013 in the Lab Theater. Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Matinee performances begin at 2:00 p.m. For tickets, please call the CBT box office at 865-974-5161 or www.clarencebrowntheatre.com