Limelight Theatre is in Season 33, presenting at least three straight plays each year and providing theatre education in St. Augustine for young performers.
Limelight audiences love thrillers, fast-paced comedies and musicals. “The Drowsy Chaperone” is up next, and the theatre says it is sure to be a riot. The show runs Feb. 21 through March 16.
The plot follows wealthy widow Mrs. Tottenham, who is hosting the wedding of the year. She gets a lot more than a write-up in the society pages!
This inventive piece of meta-theatre and playful, heartfelt parody of the 1920s musical comedy features a chirpy Jazz Age score by Tony-winning collaborators.
Director Lorraine Portman is an award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter and produced playwright. She has directed eight short films and a feature. Her newest short film is a documentary titled “Unlikely Mermaid,” which is currently playing film festivals.
Portman said she is thrilled to return to Limelight Theatre. She directed “Duck Hunter Shoots Angel” in 2011. She has also directed a number of productions for The Flagler Playhouse, including “Once Upon a Mattress” and “Dixie Swim Club.”
Notable awards include the Paul Schrader Best Screenplay Award for “The King’s Inn,” given by Cayman International Film Festival. The Bare Bones International Independent Film Festival recognized Portman in 2018 with the Lois Weber Legacy Award and The Indie Filmmaker Spirit Award in 2017. She was awarded The Denis Johnston Playwriting Award for her one-act play, “Small Animals.”
Portman taught playwriting and screenwriting at Flagler College. She holds a B.A. in theatre from Smith College and a Master of Fine Arts in film from Florida State University.
She also attended the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. She is a screenplay consultant for Los Angeles-based SAMUCO Films.
The cast for “The Drowsy Chaperone” includes: Sherrie Provence (The Drowsy Chaperone), Blake Osner (Adolpho), Bill Rains (Man in Chair), Jessica Alexander (Janet Van Der Graaf), Jimmy Alexander (Robert Martin), Heather Starling (Mrs. Tottendale), Clay Mitchell (Underling), Jeff Shaeffer (Gangster 1), Anthony Romero (Gangster 2), Collin James (Feldzieg), Joellie Tucker (Kitty), Joy Manning (Trix the Aviatrix), Kayla Alexander (Ensemble) and Ronald Foster (George).
Tickets are $35. Go to limelight-theatre.org or call 904-825-1164.
Limelight Theatre is located at 11 Old Mission Ave., St. Augustine.
