Enter Stage Right hits the fairway with ‘Ladies Foursome’
PORT HURON,MICH.–Learning something new about a friend you’ve had for years can be either exciting or alarming, as audiences will discover at The Ladies Foursome, presented here by
The Ladies Foursome, a comedy by Norm Foster and directed by Jeanine McCanham, shows a morning in the lives of long-time friends Tate (Jennifer McNamara), Margot (Lisa Arnett) and Connie (Suzanne O’Brien). The three friends have enjoyed a weekly round of golf for years, along with a fourth friend Cathy, who has very recently and suddenly died, and in whose memory they are playing. They are joined on the links by Dory (Kimberly Stevenson), another longtime friend of the deceased Cathy who they didn’t know about until the funeral.
Individual character distinctions and personality quirks come into play immediately. We learn about the straight-laced Tate, a surgeon’s wife and stay-at-home mom who might not be as satisfied with her life as she likes to lead on; competitive Connie, who arrives at the course fresh from the bed of her latest fling; Margot, who successfully manages the business that has cost her a husband and a daughter; and the ever cheerful Dory, who abandoned a promising singing career to follow her husband and raise a large brood of children.
As they play through the round, each hole brings a new scene and new topics of conversation. They start with the perpetually fertile fodder of their sex lives; they are alternatingly friendly, supportive, catty and mildly judgmental, which puts some of them on the defensive. Dory seems remarkably candid with the women that she has only just met, and Connie is suspicious of her motives. But sprinkled throughout the conversations are tidbits Dory reveals about Cathy, causing the others to question just how well they knew their long-time friend—and each other.
Dory’s presence eventually becomes the catalyst for some accusations and revelations, and awkward silence contaminates a few holes while they come to terms with the new information. But when Connie describes her motivation for continuing to play a game she doesn’t really love, we see the parallel to the reasons we endure trying friendships and accepting flawed friends: a few magical moments can make the entire ordeal worth it.
The cast seems comfortable with each other. There are moments where cadences and delivery could benefit from a less flat delivery, but facial expressions make up for some of that. Overall the humor comes across well, and some polishing on timing could dial up the laughs even more.
The modest set requires no scene changes, which keeps the show moving along well; the sound effects are simple, but the repeated (and rather precise) whoosh and thunk of every golf swing is especially satisfying.
Since some of the conversation and language are on the bawdy side, this show is probably best for older teens and up, but all is done in the name of laughter and friendship.
Enter Stage Right is presenting The Ladies Foursome along with a companion show by the same playwright, The Foursome, which has a similar theme and some parallels in story, but different characters, situations and cast (see a separate review for that show). The two shows are playing on alternating dates through April 14, 2019.