Last Friday, January 29, at 7:00 p.m. Richmond’s Bifocal Players brought their hilarious and fun show to the Waterworks Players in Farmville, Va.
Titled “Luau at Acorn Acres,” the small theatre production written by Richmond playwright Margie Langston centers around Acorn Acres, a senior living facility that is struggling to fill vacant apartments and stay afloat.
As the cash flow problems increase, however, the residents still get to plan a fun event for themselves, choosing a luau.
The play begins with four residents discussing how they ended up living in Acorn Acres. Despite all being sassy and funny, each character has a deep and unique story that led them to the senior living facility including the death of a wife, a chance to move closer to family and love.
Irma, a popular and rather grumpy Acorn Acres resident, who also happens to be in charge of planning the luau, shares that she came to the facility after her sister, who was also her long-time roommate, got married and left her to travel the world with her new husband. Irma goes on to tell her friends that she and her sister have not spoken in 11 years.
This leads to the most interesting aspect of the production. When the luau’s hula dancer cancels on the party, they must scramble to find a new performer to replace her. After calling many other options, the manager of Acorn Acres can only find one available hula dancer to teach the residents at the luau, and she happens to be Irma’s estranged sister, Vivian.
Vivian arrives at the senior living facility and by chance, the two sisters happen to avoid one another after one of Irma’s friend’s takes her on a tour of the home. But, when they finally come face to face with one another, the pair shows their long running emotional dislike for each other and the duo refuse to speak about their issues.
But after being forced to discuss their almost decade-long issues, both find common ground by reminiscing on good times, and as Irma soon discovers, Vivian’s husband had passed away and left no place for her to live. She later informs Vivian that there is a vacant apartment at Acorn Acres where she can live She accepts the offer and happens to fill the last vacancy the senior living facility needs to stay afloat.
This hilarious and heart warming comedy, starring only 6 people, all 50 and above, proves that “aging in mandatory … acting your age is optional.”
This production marks the third time Richmond’s Bifocal Players have taken the stage at the Waterworks Players. The Waterworks Players’ next production is Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf on Feb. 12, 19 and 20 at 8:00 p.m. and Feb. 13 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $12.
