Four LSUS students,
TV news anchor
star in ‘Five Women’
04/26/05

Four LSUS students and a KTBS-TV news anchor portray the “title roles” in the upcoming LSUS stage production of Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, and a former LSUS student plays the male lead in the play by Alan Ball, screenwriter of American Beauty and creator of the HBO series Six Feet Under. The production, directed by Mary G. “Jorji” Jarzabek, will be performed in the LSUS University Center Theater at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 6-7 and May 13-14, and at 5 p.m. , Sunday, May 8 and May 15.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door; $5 for groups of 5 or more, seniors, students, educators and military. Advance tickets are available at the LSUS bookstore, 797-5212. Tickets will also available at the door one hour before performance. For information, contact Jarzabek at 797-5318 or mjarzabe@lsus.edu.

During an ostentatious wedding reception at a Knoxville, Tenn., estate, five reluctant, identically clad bridesmaids hide out in an upstairs bedroom. Each woman has her own reasons to avoid the proceedings below.

They are: Frances (portrayed by Allison Tison), a painfully sweet but sheltered fundamentalist; Mindy (Sarah Sour), the cheerful, wise-cracking lesbian sister of the groom; Georgeanne (Kelli Strong), whose heartbreak over her own failed marriage is revealed; Meredith (Irina Schaffer), the bride’s younger sister whose precocious rebelliousness masks a dark secret, and Trisha (Barbara Stewart), a jaded beauty whose die-hard cynicism about men is called into question when she meets Tripp (Jacob Russ Corbell), a charming bad-boy usher to whom there is more than meets the eye.

As the afternoon wears on, these five very different women joyously discover a common bond in this funny, sometimes irreverent and profane, but touching celebration of the women’s spirit.

Due to mature themes and language, this production is recommended for those 16 and older.

Director

Mary “Jorji” Jarzabek (Director), a theatre and public speaking instructor at LSUS, has served as coach of the LSUS Debate Team for the past 14 years. She has provided design and technical production for numerous community and collegiate productions. She has served as a freelance consultant in theatre, TV and radio production. She has more than 15 years of professional experience in television production and broadcast news, eight years of professional and amateur experience in technical theatre production, two years of professional experience in radio news (reporting/announcing) and 14 years teaching experience at LSUS. Jarzabek has a B.A. in communications from LSUS, an M.A. in speech/theatre arts from Northeast Louisiana University and is currently working on her dissertation in the doctoral program at the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg. Jarzabek also directed the LSUS production of The Waiting Room.

Cast

Irina Schaffer (Meredith) is thrilled to be back on stage, this being her first show in three years. She is an LSUS sophomore art education major who has appeared in several non-professional productions including Camelot, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and 12 Angry Men. She wants to thank her husband for his support of her work with this performance.

Barbara Stewart (Trisha), 11:30 a.m. news anchor at KTBS-TV (ABC in Shreveport), has long loved theater. She began acting at a very young age. As a child, she created, produced and starred in her own one-girl shows and neighborhood ensembles. She made her professional stage debut in George Wolfe’s The Colored Museum. Barbara’s latest roles, all in LSUS productions, include Older Robin in Summers in Suffolk, Emma Glenn in A Lesson Before Dying, Hattie in The First Breeze of Summer and Maggie in Summer Dreams. When not taking on a role in her spare time, she enjoys reading, running, healthy cooking and traveling to give her more material for some of those made-up plays.

Kelli Strong (Georgeanne) is an LSUS senior liberal arts major who is graduating in May and plans to pursue a career in public relations. She is 22 and serves as the president of the Shreveport Chapter of the Harry Potter Fan Club. This is her acting debut.

Sarah Sour (Mindy) is a 25-year-old LSUS liberal arts major. Her previous stage experience is unique – she has appeared as the dog “Sandy” in the play Annie, not once, but twice. She is excited to be playing a human role in this production.

Allison “Ali” Tison (Frances) is an LSUS communications major and is no stranger to the stage. Her theatrical experience includes roles in Bye, Bye, Birdie and Pirates of Penzance with the Gilbert & Sullivan Society, as well as a performance of Lullaby of Broadway at ArtBreak. She enjoys spending time with her family, friends and her dog, Coco Marie.

Jacob Russ “Jake” Corbell (Tripp) graduated from LSU A&M after starting college at LSUS. He is currently employed at KTAL Newschannel 6 as an executive producer. He has no previous acting experience, but loves film, theater and music.

Playwright

Alan Ball (Playwright) is the creator and executive producer of Six Feet Under, the critically acclaimed drama series on HBO. The series, about a family-run funeral home in Los Angeles, has garnered unprecedented ratings for the network, two Golden Globes (including Best Drama Series) and six Emmy awards. He was awarded an Emmy and a DGA award for directing the pilot of Six Feet Under, his directorial debut. His first produced feature film screenplay was American Beauty, for which he received the 1999 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, the Writers Guild of America award for Best Original Screenplay, and the Golden Globe award for Best Screenplay, among others. His other television credits include Oh Grow Up, Cybill and Grace Under Fire. Prior to moving to Hollywood, he was a noted comedic playwright in New York. Five Women Wearing the Same Dress premiered in February 1993 at Manhattan Class Company, starring Thomas Gibson, Ally Walker and Allison Janney. His other plays include The M Word, which premiered at the inaugural Lucille Ball Festival of New American Comedy in 1991; Made For a Woman; Bachelor Holiday, and The Amazing Adventures of Tense Guy. Born in Atlanta, Ball was raised in Marietta, Ga. He attended Florida State University, where he majored in theater, with an emphasis in acting and playwriting. After college, he moved to New York, where he first worked as an art director for various trade publications.