COME VISIT "THE CEMETERY CLUB”

KAREN GAGLIARDI, RUSSELL FISH, BARBARA HORAN AND TRACY COSTA

People join organizations for a variety of reasons: socialization, improving skills like in tennis or bridge, charitable intentions like volunteering or fundraising, to satisfy political aspirations or for just plain fun. Playwright Ivan Menchell has an idea for a new club and he is inviting you to a  monthly meeting. Tea and cookies are being served (if you bring them yourself) at the Connecticut Cabaret Theatre in Berlin when “The Cemetery Club” members gather weekends until Saturday, June 24.

When a trio of Jewish friends start to lose their husbands one by one, they form a club to go and visit their departed every month, for comfort and little one-sided conversation. The average age of a widow is 56 and these ladies are right on schedule. Barbara Horan’s Ida is sensible  and able to look to the future. She is devoted to her Murray and enjoys her visits every thirty days to the man she spent decades of happy married life with.  Lucille’s spirit has been captured by a flirting Karen Gagliardi who likes to look sexy, drape herself in mink and pay back her cheating hubby Harry now for his actions during their marriage. Tracy Costa’s Doris is compulsively tied to these visits and  to her Abe who is still at the  center of her universe.  She can no more consider abandoning him than she could taking off for the moon.

When on a regular visitation to the graves, butcher Sam Katz, an appealing Russell Fish, wanders by, Lucille immediately latches on to him as a great catch (fish, catch) while Ida and, especially Doris, are appalled by her actions.  It seems, however, that Sam has his attentions fixed on Ida and it soon becomes apparent that the feelings are mutual.  Will Lucille and Doris try to sabotage this hint of romance?  Will an invitation to much married friend Selma’s next nuptuals  be an opportunity to advance the courtship? Who the heck invited Mildred (Bonnie Sprague) to the party?  Will envy and jealousy destroy long time friendships?

Kris McMurray does a great job playing matchmaker and referee in this gentle and humorous tale.  For tickets ($30), call CTCabaret Theatre, 31-33 Webster Square Road, Berlin at 860-829-1248 or online at www.ctcabaret.com.  Performances are Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7:15 p.m.  Remember to bring goodies to share at your table or plan to buy desserts and drinks on site.  There are no performances May 26 and 27.

Come visit with the ladies of the Cemetery Club for some cake, champagne, cookies, chicken wings and chicken livers, companionship, conversation, grief counseling, comedy, cleavage and a little cha-cha.