A comedy with heart
‘Love, Lies and the Doctor’s Dilemma’ set to quicken the pulse in Tillamook
“No hidden messages,
no profound thoughts.
Just naughty but nice fun and laughter”
Playwrights Susan and Michael Parker
Need a prescription to beat the winter blues? Tillamook Association for the Performing Arts’ newest play, “Love, Lies and the Doctor’s Dilemma” is just what the doctor ordered.
The show, directed by Ann Harper and written by Susan and Michael Parker, opens this Friday, Jan. 27 and runs through Feb. 12.
In this comedic farce, widow Joan Scheller and her gardener-turned-psychiatrist, Sandy, try to hide their relationship and what’s growing in the greenhouse. Joan tells one little white lie that grows into a hilarious afternoon complete with an aging movie star, a mobster intent on collecting a debt and a neighbor who leaves chaos in her wake. Little white lies create mistaken identities and chaos in this enchanting love story.
The cast is Jason Hovey, Kristi Hanson, Bruce Underwood, Kristin Johnson, Rikki Reid and David Lamar Wheeler.
The Parkers have penned many farces, including “Sex Please, We're Sixty!” “Hotbed Hotel,” “There's a Burglar in my Bed” and “No Sex Please — It's Christmas!”
Off their own directorial process, the couple said that “No actor should ever be encouraged, or ever allowed, to go ‘over the top.’ No actor should be allowed anywhere near the top, in fact no actor should be allowed halfway up the hill.”
Since purchasing the Barn Community Playhouse building, TAPA has performed more than 70 productions there, along with holding acting classes and an annual week-long children’s summer acting workshop. Due in large part to the remodel, the group is experiencing a renewed enthusiasm and has seen attendance, auditions and volunteer numbers grow.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students 12 and younger. Friday and Saturday shows begin at 7 pm, Sunday matinées start at 2 pm. At the Opening Night Gala on Friday, ticket holders will receive a complimentary beverage of their choice and a variety of hors d'oeuvres.
The Barn Community Playhouse is located at 1204 Ivy Street in Tillamook. For more information, go to tillamooktheater.com, or call 503-812-0275.