BWW Previews: THE LOST VIRGINITY TOUR at the Alcazar Theater

It's a mad world this summer for the ladies of the Happy Trails baking club. In a spontaneous bid for excitement, these four women venture beyond the gates of their retirement community and hit the road. This cross-country expedition is an exploration of the past that brings the four friends closer together as they visit the places where each lost their virginity. Elaine (E. Bonnie Lewis), Rita (Asa Olsson), Viola (Meredith McMinn) and Kitty (Gunilla Hutton) make their way from Arizona to New Jersey, Indiana, and Colorado, stopping along the way to experience the story of these pivotal moments in each woman's life. Despite being "of a certain age," these ladies toss their comforts in exchange for adventure and self-examination--and discover how their relationship to sex has shaped their lives.

The Lost Virginity Tour, by local playwright Cricket Daniel, is a comedy with heartfelt notes of friendship. Director Ken Gilbert says, "We're playing with what we lose, what we find. We lose our virginity in only one moment...That shapes the rest of our relationships...I want the women to go back and reclaim what they lost." It's a female-centric play that puts performers over 50 in the lead. Says Lewis of her fellow cast mates, "It's very rare that you get all of us in the same show together; usually we're auditioning for the same part, the one mature woman in the play. I love the idea of female camaraderie and the power of female connection in relationship."

The cast and crew call the process of developing this work incredibly collaborative. Olsson also points to the women's journey within the play, and how the characters inspire each other to open up emotionally. "When first you read [the play], you think it's so silly and cute," she says, "and then you realize there's a lot more to it." Stage Manager George Coe agrees: "You think you know who all the characters are... she's the sassy one, she's the wise one--but when you get into the individual characters' scenes, it's so unpredictable."

The Lost Virginity Tour is presented at Carpinteria's Alcazar Theatre. The June 16th show is a fundraiser for the Alzheimer's Association.

DramaDogs, a Theater Company presents:
The Lost Virginity Tour
by Cricket Daniel

June 14, 19-22 at 7:30 pm
June 16 and 23 at 3:00 pm

Alcazar Theatre, Carpinteria