Left to right: Carol Atwood and Lee Lyons
It’s almost time for the opening curtain on the Highlands – Cashiers Players latest production, Grace and Glorie, which runs from August 27 – September 6. This touching dramatic comedy about the emerging friendship between two dramatically different women explores deeply emotional subjects with warmth and humor. It strikes a perfect balance between laughter and reflection so audiences will be drawn into the lives of these two remarkable women.
The story centers on Grace Stiles, a strong-willed 90-year-old woman who has spent her entire life in a rural mountain community and is now facing terminal cancer.
After leaving the hospital, Grace chooses to spend her remaining days at home, surrounded by the comfort of the life she has always known. Glorie is a hospice volunteer that recently retired as a busy corporate executive who is assigned to visit and care for Grace.
Lee Lyons is taking on the role of Grace. No stranger to HCP audiences, Lee has appeared in Dearly Departed, Welcome to Mitford, Crimes of the Heart, and her favorite, The Dixie Swim Club. Lee, a natural storyteller, was new to acting when she saw an audition call for Dearly Departed, a play about a redneck funeral, and thought, “heck, I’ve been to enough of those, so I should be a natural.”
Lee is excited to bring Grace’s determination, humor, and spirit to the stage, although she admits she had one concern – how they were going to make her look 90 years old. Assistant director Cathy Myers quickly put her mind at ease by saying, “Don’t worry, it’ll be easy to make you look old.” Lee wasn’t exactly thrilled with that reassurance, but if the backstage banter is any indication, audiences are in for plenty of laughs along with the heartfelt moments.
Glorie will be played by Carol Atwood, new to the Highlands stage, but a seasoned theatre professional with a master’s in theatre arts from Georgia State University. Carol says that “Grace and Glorie is a beautifully written play filled with both poignancy and humor. As I have long wanted to become involved with the Highlands-Cashiers Players, I am honored to be cast as Glorie.”
At first, the two women couldn’t seem more different, and they get off to a rocky start, but as they gradually begin sharing their stories, fears, regrets, and hopes, they forge a remarkable friendship.
Tickets can be purchased by calling (828) 526-9047, visiting the PAC box office at 507 Chestnut Street, or at HighlandsCashiersPlayers.com. Grace and Glorie promises to be a production you won’t want to miss.
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