By Crystal McGough, Associate Editor
TRUSSVILLE – ACTA Theatre opened its performance of “Over the River and Through the Woods,” by Joe DiPietro, on Friday, April 21, at 7 p.m.
For Director Sharon Olm, this play holds a special place in her heart as she played one of the lead characters, Aida, in a performance in Leeds approximately 10 years ago.
“I just loved the show; you see so few shows written for older people,” Olm said. “This one has two sets of grandparents and, technically, they’re supposed to be in their 80s. It’s just a homage to the older generation and the difference between how they look at things and how their grandson looks at things.”
The play tells a story of two sets of Italian grandparents living in Brooklyn, New York, in 1985, and their relationship with their adult grandson who is considering moving away for his career.
“This is what I call a slice of life,” Olm said. “It’s not a comedy and it’s not a drama, and I wouldn’t call it a dramedy; you just have your highs and lows of everyday life. It will hit moments for everyone that they can relate to.”
Not wanting their grandson to move away, the grandparents devise a plan to try to make him stay.
“My cast is wonderful, and they do an absolutely phenomenal job in portraying the characters, because this is not Brooklyn and we’re not Italian,” Olm said.
The six-member cast is made up of Carter Sanderson (Nick), Michael DiLaura (Frank), Suellen Wilkins (Aida), Shelby Taylor (Caitlin), Steven Ross (Nunzio) and Karen Lord (Emma).
Two of the actors were from the Helena area, Olm said, adding that her favorite part of directing the play was meeting new people.
“To see the cross pollination of theater … I was real pleased with that because it’s difficult sometimes to get people here from other areas,” she said. “But it’s community theater, and I want everybody to feel like they can come. It’s always fun to get new people in so that we can perpetuate the theater.”
A second performance of “Over the River and Through the Woods” took place Saturday night, April 22. For those who missed the first two shows, there are still four more opportunities to see it.
“It’s a really fun experience for everyone,” Olm said. “If you want to see a very emotional, sentimental show, this is the show to see.”
Upcoming show times:
- April 23 – 2:30 p.m.
- April 28 – 7 p.m.
- April 29 – 7 p.m.
- April 30 – 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens and $10 for students, and can be purchase at actatheater.com.