Vanities at Ritz Theater Sanford

“Vanities,” written by Jack Heifer, is a bittersweet comedy-drama that is an astute, snapshot-sharp chronicle of the lives of three Texas girls. In 1963, Joanne, Kathy, and Mary were aggressively vivacious cheerleaders. Five years later in their college sorority house, they are confronting their futures with nervous jauntiness. In 1974, they reunited briefly in New York. Their lives have diverged and their friendship, which once thrived on assumptions as well-coordinated as sweater sets, is strained and ambiguous. Old-time banter rings false. Their attempts at honest conversation show they can no longer afford to have much in common.

“Vanities,” one of the longest Off-Broadway runs of any dramatic comedy, will be directed by Doug Carey. “This comedy-drama is about growing older and, hopefully, wiser,” director Doug Carey stated, and “We’re excited about bringing one of the first shows written for an all-female cast to our stage.”

“Vanities” features three characters who learn that the lost innocence of you can never quite be recaptured. The Ritz Theater cast features Carol Broderick as Mary, Hadley Williams as Kathy, and Allison Young as Joanne. “You are likely to see something of yourself or your friends in the arcs of the play,” Carol Broderick (Mary) says about the play. Many famous actresses have starred in this show, including Kathy Bates (who created one of the roles), Lesley Ann Warren, Shelly Hack, Annette O’Toole, Meredith Baxter Birney, Stockard Channing, Sandy Duncan, and Lucie Arnaz.

 “Vanities” is a Concord/Samuel French production and sponsored in part by iAStage, Seminole County, and the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts & Culture, and by the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.

Authors

• David Kirshenbaum
• Jack Heifner