The cast of Millikin University's Pipe Dreams Studio Theatre is learning about life as an adult in their upcoming play "Bachelorette." The comedy opens on Friday, April 21, and will run through Sunday, May 7.
The story follows three best friends - Regan, Gena and Katie – who convene in the luxurious bridal suite of their old friend, Becky, the night before her wedding in New York City. Fueled by jealousy and resentment, the girls embark on a night of debauchery that goes from playfully wasted to devastatingly destructive.
Their old fears, unfulfilled desires and deep bonds with each other transform a prenuptial bender into a night they'll never forget.
"They take the opportunity to go crazy, but nothing makes them more crazy than their friend getting married," said Director Grace Piper, a senior theatre major from Palm Springs, Calif. "It is a comedy for most of the play, with hints of darkness throughout. It is very jolting."
Regan is the leader of the group. Gena is described as a headstrong fifth-grader. Katie is naive and believes life is beating her down. And the bride Becky, their larger friend, has her own problems. The group never saw Becky as a threat to their social order, until she became the first to get married.
"Bachelorette" is part of a series written by Leslye Headland. Headland wrote seven plays based on the seven deadly sins. "Bachelorette," produced in 2012, was written about gluttony.
Andrew Cliatt, a sophomore musical theatre major from Quincy, Ill., plays one of the strangers joining the party. Cliatt says he sees the wit and humor in the play, but understands why it is a dark comedy.
"They realize how they are messing up their lives," Cliatt said. "There is a message behind it."
Click here to read more about the production in an article from the Herald & Review.
