NOW PLAYING: Spotlight Theatre Presents DEARLY DEPARTED - thru 2/11

Spotlight Theatre Company presents DEARLY DEPARTED (by David Bottrell and Jessie Jones) playing now through February 11.  Despite their earnest efforts to pull themselves together for their father's funeral, the Turpin family's other problems keep overshadowing the solemn occasion: Firstborn Ray-Bud drinks himself silly as the funeral bills mount; Junior, the younger son, is juggling financial ruin, a pack of no-neck monster kids, and a wife who suspects him of infidelity in the family car; their spinster sister, Delightful, copes with death as she does life, by devouring junk food; and all the neighbors add more than two cents. Amidst the chaos, the Turpins turn for comfort to their friends and neighbors, an eccentric community of misfits who just manage to pull together and help each other through their time of need in this gut-busting Southern fried comedy!

Directed by Luke Allen Terry, the cast includes Nita Froelich (Raynelle), Dan Connell (Aunt Marguierite), Owen Niland (Royce), Eric Reynolds (Ray-Bud), Molly Kilorian (Lucille), Dan Bray (Junior), Allison Smith (Suzanne), Mike Pearl (Reverend Hooker), Bobbi Goldner (Delightful) and Barb Porecca as Veda.

Primarily known as a Hollywood screenwriter, David Bottrell co-wrote the script for the 2001 Fox Searchlight release "Kingdom Come" starring Whoopi Goldberg, L.L. Cool J., Jada Pinkett-Smith and Cedric the Entertainer. A former off-Broadway actor & playwright he returned to acting to play the creepy "Lincoln Meyer" for eight episodes of "Boston Legal." His first short film, "Available Men" (which he wrote and directed) premiered at the HBO US Comedy Arts Festival in March 2006 and quickly became a hit on the festival circuit winning 11 Best Short Film awards. 

Jessie Jones co-authored the award-winning “Dearly Departed,” and its feature film adaptation, “Kingdom Come,” which was released by Fox Searchlight Films. Teamed with Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten the Jones Hope Wooten Comedies have entertained theatergoers worldwide. 

Spotlight Theatre offers camp fun and family dysfunction with DEARLY DEPARTED now playing through February 11. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 6:30 p.m. at The John Hand Theater, 7653 E. 1st Place, Denver. Tickets are available by calling 720-880-8727 or online at www.thisisspotlight.org.

PHOTO CREDIT:  Rachel Graham

PICTURED ABOVE:  Dan Bray (Junior) and Owen Niland (Royce)