The three sisters gather in the wake of their grandmother's death and ruminate over the divides that have come to define their relationships over the years.
By the way, Grams died while riding Space Mountain.
That's a sample of the offbeat humor Mollie Anderson, Cindy Miller-Ray and Kim Sivret will deliver in three performances of Parallel Lives at the Village Players' James McCabe Theatre June 5 and 6.
The three friends laughed often while explaining the play during a recent interview. Their joy not only underscores the bond they share, but it sheds light on why this is more than just another community theater production.
The trio of women, with the blessing of the Village Players' board, will donate all the proceeds to the Florida Suncoast Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
"I have a member of my family that's going through breast cancer, so to me it's very personal," Miller-Ray said. "Mollie has a good friend who is going through something similar. I feel like almost everyone I talk to has a sister, a friend or has gone through it themselves. I guess it kind of overwhelms me how many people are affected by this."
After five successful performances of Parallel Lives in April, the ladies asked if they could fill an open weekend and donate the money to the Komen foundation. The board's approval cannot be underestimated given its own repair needs at the McCabe, first built in 1915.
In short, this is a small but big-hearted nonprofit lending a hand to another nonprofit.
"There are quite a bit of things that need to be done to make this the jewel that we all know it can be," Sivret said. "When they said, 'You can have all the profits,' it's a big thing because the money for remodeling comes from ticket sales.
"We appreciate that sacrifice."
The play, written by Kathy Najimy (the scene-stealing heavy-set nun in the movie Sister Act) and Mo Gaffney, features a series of comedic sketches akin to Saturday Night Live. But it also sprinkles in poignant moments.
Originally written as a two-woman act, Anderson, Miller-Ray and Sivret divided the multiple roles with the help of director Oliver Sprague. The characters range from goddesses who create the world to teenagers on a date and a man and woman in a country-western bar. One scene skewers men by showing how they would react if they had menstrual cycles.
Woven in every word these ladies share about the production is the love they have for the stage and each other — even though Miller-Ray is a State Farm agent in Seffner and Anderson works for Allstate in Sun City Center.
All three attend the same church, The Crossing, and their relationship deepened during last year's performance of Gypsy. The Village Players gives them the opportunity to pursue performing passions they first fostered as children.
Miller-Ray, 45, starred in a number of productions at Brandon High including Oklahoma. Sivret, 43, earned her acting chops in a number of roles at Robinson High. Anderson, 50, would sing and dance at the age of 3, and eventually performed in productions such as The Fantastiks at Jefferson High.
Now, the stage offers them a chance to extend their acting. The fact that Komen will benefit is an added incentive, and it's added value to the long rehearsal hours, costume purchases (out of their own pocket) and time away from families.
"It makes it worthwhile to know that really it is a community service," Anderson said. "People are being touched. They're getting to laugh, they're getting to cry, they're learning about theatre."
And they're giving back, which makes this a performance worthy of a standing ovation.
That's all I'm saying.
if you go
'Parallel Lives'
Starring: Mollie Anderson, Cindy Miller-Ray, Kim Sivret
June 5, 8 p.m.; June 6, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Village Players, James McCabe Theatre, 506 Fifth St., Valrico
Tickets: $12; Proceeds go to the Florida Suncoast Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen For The Cure
To purchase tickets or make a donation: Call (813)417-4355 or e-mail villageplayers.tickets@gmail.com
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