[ April 15, 2024 ] Tater Patch Players' second show for 2024 is almost here! Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, by Richard Alfieri, is a moving, thoughtful, and very funny show about two people who are very different. Lily is played by Jan Weston, who is appearing for the first time at Tater Patch, but is no newcomer to the stage. Nick Hull, who was a rather hateful character in last year's A Candle in the Window, is a much different person in the role of Michael.

Michael and Lily meet when he comes to her home in Florida to give her dance lessons. We'll learn how different as they get to know each other. The insults fly, then the humor follows. Be advised, these are two adult characters and their language is not always appropriate for children.

As they have a new dance lesson each scene, they move into friendship and mutual respect and more. Even their disagreements have a funny edge. They end up very different to how they began, and this play tells their story with honesty, a few pangs and lots of laughs.

Betsy Robbe, the Assistant Director, is also teaching and rehearsing these two actors in the steps of the many dances they do. Each scene revolves around a different dance. Betsy who was part of a dance troupe in her college years, brings lots of experience and patience, and best of all a great sense of humor.

I was privileged to be at a dancing-only rehearsal recently and marveled at how their dances develop and at all the jokes that missteps can cause!

Get your tickets soon, either in advance at www.taterpatchplayers.org or at the box office beginning one hour before showtime.

The shows will be April 26, 27, 28 and May 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12. The Sunday shows are at 2 pm and the others at 7:30 pm.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $16 for students.

Additionally, as is Tater Patch's custom, we invite those who cannot afford to purchase tickets at this time, to enjoy our Dress Rehearsal on April 25 at 7:30. We will share this delightful show with you if you will bring a sack or two of non-perishable groceries or toiletry items that we will share with CARES.

We want as many as possible in our area to enjoy Tater Patch Players, your community theater since 1977. If you'd like to try it, we would love to have you join us. We are a totally volunteer troupe, and have tasks in our group that range from filing and typing, to making or ironing costumes.

There's "front of house" who are the folks who sell you tickets and concessions and show you to your seats. We need at least six of these for every single one of our nine shows, five times a year. Or you can build or paint scenery, make props, or even cut the grass!

You know it must be fun; we've been doing it with volunteer power for 47 years. But over that time, some of us have grown a little creaky, some have moved away or moved on. But there's always a group of people that wants to be Tater Patch Players. If you'd like to see if you're one of them, email us taterpatchplayers@gmail.com and we'll get in touch, or drop the by the theater almost every Monday morning starting at 10, meet us, and see some of the fun we have!