May 18, 2014: Remember the days on TV when everyone was talking about Oprah Winfrey’s Book club shows? Well, the Windham Theatre Guild is happy to end its 2013-2014 season with a touching new comedy that’s becoming a surprising hit across the country… Waiting For Oprah, running May 30th through June 8th at the Burton Leavitt Theatre.
It’s the last meeting of the First Tuesday Book Club (which meets on Thursday!) and Allison, Mia, Fran, Louise, and Janice are all anxiously awaiting the arrival of their celebrity guest. Janice is determined to make a good impression despite the fact she hasn’t read the book. Louise is thrilled at the idea of being in the same room as Oprah. Allison, however, is not convinced that Oprah’s arrival will do anything but disrupt the meeting. Mia, arriving late as usual, is simply delighted that she hasn’t missed anything yet. And Fran is just waiting for a miracle to change the course of her entire life.
As one hour rolls into the next, with no sign of their guest, the women jump from conclusion to conclusion as they speculate on: Why she is coming? What will she bring? Does this outfit make me look fat? But the question: Will Oprah come? … is ultimately not as important as why they are there and what they learn about themselves and what they mean to each other.
Waiting for Oprah’s Director is Kerin Griffin who couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try Directing for the first time. It was the right show at the right time. Working full time in Hartford, having a family and continuing her other volunteer duties as a board member and being on the fundraising committee was quite the balance, but this has been a wonderful experience for her. Kerin has been part of the guild since she was 10 and played the color orange in the kids chorus of Joseph and the AmazingTechnicolor Dreamcoat. In the last 17 years, she has acted, produced, stage managed, and worked back stage and up in the booth.
Waiting For Oprah runs May 30th, 31st, June 6th & 7th, 2014 at 8 pm, Thursday June 5th at 7:30pm and Sunday June 1st & 8th, 2014 at 2 pm at the Burton Leavitt Theatre, 779 Main Street, Willimantic. Ticket prices are $18 for Adults, $15 for Students/Seniors, and $11 for children under 12. All UCONN, ECSU & QVCC students pay the discounted price of $12. For reservations and information, call the Windham Theatre Guild at 423-2245 or buy your tickets on-line at windhamtheatreguild.org.