Mar 9, 2007 2 min read

FLATWOODS – Flatwoods Productions has announced auditions for its next project, a comedy titled “Dearly Departed.” Auditions will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 17, at the Curfew Grange, Flatwoods. Needed are six men ages 14 through 30, four women ages 14 through 30 and four men and women that are senior citizens (age 50 and older) for a variety of roles.

“Dearly Departed” will perform on April 13-15. In the Baptist backwoods of the Bible belt, the beleaguered Turpin family proves that living and dying in the South are seldom tidy and always hilarious.

Despite their earnest efforts to pull themselves together for their father’s funeral, the Turpin’s other problems keep overshadowing the solemn occasion: first born Ray-Bud drinks himself silly as the funeral bills mount; Junior, the younger son, is juggling financial ruin, a pack of no-neck monster kids and a wife who suspects him of infidelity in the family car; their spinster sister, Delightful, copes with death as she does life, by devouring junk food; and all the neighbors add more than two cents.

As the situation becomes fraught with mishap, Ray-Bud says to his long-suffering wife, “When I die, don’t tell nobody. Just bury me in the backyard and tell everybody I left you.”

Amidst the chaos, the Turpins turn for comfort to their friends and neighbors, an eccentric community of misfits who just manage to pull together and help each other through their hours of need and finally, the funeral.

All roles are open, and previous experience is not necessary. Readings will be taken from the script. For additional information, call 724-785-6896.