Half of the actors taking the stage in Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre’s upcoming performance of “Plaza Suite” share a family bond.
The Neil Simon play focuses on the happenings of three different couples staying in Suite 719 of the Plaza Hotel at different times. It will be performed for two consecutive weekends beginning July 30.
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The first couple is Norma and Roy Hubley, played by real-life couple, Nicole and Mark Swanson. The Hubleys’ daughter, Mimsy, is set to get married, but she’s got cold feet and won’t leave the bathroom. Mimsy is played by the Swanson’s daughter, Piper, who is also working as stage manager on the show.
“She’s the one who talked us into it. I have 20 pages of dialogue, and she has one line,” said Mark Swanson, whose sister, Joy Ledford, plays one half of another couple in the show. Joy Ledford’s husband, Adam, plays the role of the waiter.
The play is divided into three different acts with none of the scenes overlapping, so while the Swansons and Ledfords are in the same show, they don’t share the stage at the same time.
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Joy Ledford’s role is more serious. She plays Karen Nash, who is trying to reconnect Sam, her husband of 23 or is it 24 years? The husband and wife are staying in the same room where they had their honeymoon.
“These roles should not be played by a married couple,” said Adam Ledford, who is in a production for the first time since high school.
Joy Ledford concurred with her husband. Her on-stage husband is played by Steve Hansen.
“He’s going through a midlife crisis,” she said.
The dialogue can be harsh, and it would be difficult on the couple, the Ledfords both said.
This is the first show that all five of the actors have worked on together, and it’s been interesting for Nicole and Mark Swanson because they have different methods when it comes to acting.
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“I wasn’t even out of bed the other morning, and he was running lines,” said Nicole Swanson. “He does it five times a day.”
Her method is different. She likes to run lines a little less, so they don’t become stale to her. She likes to feel that the line just popped into her character’s head, she said.
The couple was running lines on a recent road trip, and their daughter, Lily, was concerned that her parents were arguing. They had to reassure her that they were just rehearsing.
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“Plaza Suite” will be performed July 30-Aug. 1 and Aug. 6-8 at Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre, 32100 Third Ave., Fort Gordon. Dinner will be served at 6:45 p.m. July 30-31 and Aug. 6-7 followed by the performance at 8 p.m. Matinees will be at 3 p.m., Aug. 1 and Aug. 8 with lunch served at 1:45 p.m.
Tickets range from $40-$54; $35 for the show, coffee and dessert; and $28 for the show only. For reservations, call (706) 793-8552.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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