Another River Region sold-out run just closed at the Wetumpka Depot. Southern Fried Funeral, a genuinely funny if somewhat familiar and derivative comedy, strongly directed by Kim Mason, received a lot of belly-laughs in recognition of the assorted characters' foibles and he play's clever dialogue.
Ms. Mason's 11-member ensemble of Depot veterans and some in their acting debuts, exhibited confidence and clear storytelling for the 2-hour performance. Performed on Kristy Meanor's finely detailed kitchen and dining room set, Southern Fried Funeral takes audiences immediately into familiar territory.
Family and friends of Dewey's [a good man who died in the middle of telling a joke to the local Rotarians], meet at the home of his widow Dorothy [Lynne Taunton] to grieve and sympathize and plan his funeral. But Dorothy has a lot to contend with besides the funeral: her feuding adult daughters -- black sheep Harlene [Catherine Barlow] and stereotypical Southern belle Sammy Jo [Janet Robinson] harbor childhood resentments; Sammy Jo also has some marital issues with her loving and misunderstood husband Beecham [Brad Sinclair]; her "simple" son Dewey, Jr. [Morgan Baker] seems oblivious to his father's death; and her smarmy brother-in-law Uncle Dub [Lloyd Strickland] tries to wrest away her land and home on the day of the funeral.
Add a bevy of neighbors -- toupee wearing Benny Charles [Alan Patrick], slightly dim Fairy June [Judy Savage in an understated pitch-perfect performance], steadfast friend Martha Ann [Susan Montgomery] and her nemesis, the over-zealous Ozetta [Hazel Jones] a pretentious busybody and (as she continually reminds everyone) the Chairwoman of the church's "Sunshine Committee" that plans all funerals according to strict social norms.
And then there's Atticus [Will Webster] a one-time lover of Harlene's and a local lawyer whose skills (shades of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird) will be brought into play to save Dorothy's home and land from the dastardly Uncle Dub.
The director's hand is very clear in this production: Ms. Mason guides her actors to give credible performances without going over the top into broad caricatures. And though there are only a few surprises -- a deftly staged food fight, for example -- the sibling rivalries and humorous takes on familiar "Southern" archetypes, make for a comfortable audience reception.
Beneath the froth of this confection lie some perceptive notions about how some people grieve (anger, denial, etc.), and while Dorothy's outburst when she can no longer take all the mayhem around her is reminiscent of M'Lynn's behavior in Steel Magnolias, it captures the very real limits to which anyone can be subjected under these circumstances.
