Kirk Players warms up winter with laughs

Kirk Players provides winter laughs as “Christmas Belles,” by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten, is performed at Mundelein High School.

The play explores the wildly comical sibling dynamics of the Futrelle sisters and their relationship with the residents of the fictional south Texas town of Fayro.

“Not far into this show you may find yourself saying, ‘That’s my brother or sister or mother or father!’ We know this show will bring out the guffaws,” said Kat Basso, director for the upcoming Kirk Players winter show. “Pure and simple, it’s about the love and joy and utter dysfunction that make family family.”

It’s Christmastime in the small town of Fayro, Texas, the Futrelle sisters — Frankie, Twink and Honey Raye — are not exactly in a festive mood. A cranky Frankie is weeks overdue with her second set of twins; Twink, recently jilted and bitter about it, is in jail for burning down half the town; and hot-flash-suffering Honey Raye is desperately trying to keep the holiday program from spiraling into chaos.

“If our audiences are still looking for a little holiday joy, they will certainly find it with this show. It’s a great laugh-out-loud story, which has played successfully throughout the country,” Basso said. “I couldn’t be prouder of this ensemble. They have all stepped up beautifully.”

The Futrelle sisters are played by Kirk Players’ Marilee Wald as Honey Raye, Jen Tomin as Twink and Shara Wright as Frankie. The comedy also features Kirk Players’ Janet Walker, Dominick Basso, Randy Rice, Brenda Sparks, Jessica Stowe, Brian Motyka, John Tomlin and Beverly Johnson.

Kat Basso is backed up by Assistant Director Anna Lieberman, Stage Manager Peter Grassl, Set Designer Brenda Sparks, Sound Designer Janet Walker, Props Master Dave Kennebeck, Lighting Designer Chuck Fitz-Hugh and Tech Director Dom Basso.