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Get Your Laugh On
Written By: Luke Osteen | Issue: April 2024
The squabbles in Squabbles are animated by love and its ensuing complications – Highlands Performing Arts Center in Highlands April 4-7.
Seated (l-r) Devon Allio and Sarah Mathiowdis, Standing (l-r): Diandra Mundy, Cathy Myers (stage manager), Berney Kirkland, Michael Lanzilotta,
Ron Leslie (director), and Ricky Siegel. Not pictured: Cal Issacs
Squabbles is both a hilarious comedy and a very realistic and insightful portrayal of love and conflict in a multigenerational household. It’s particularly on-point in its portrayal of the viewpoint of younger family members regarding the romantic interests and actions of their parents.
This production marks the first appearance on the Highlands Cashiers Players stage of two wonderfully talented veteran actors – Berney Kirkland and Diandra Mundy, as well as newcomers Devon Allio, Sarah Mathiowdis, and Cal Issacs.
Berney is a veteran of more than 30 productions in Atlanta and the surrounding area, with a range including musicals (South Pacific and The King and I, among others), to the very serious (Wait Until Dark), to tap Dancing (The Mel Street Tap Dancers Troupe).
Diandra has a background in virtually all aspects of acting, having appeared in movies (Weekend at Bernie’s), television (The Charlie Wedemeyer Story), theater (Man of La Mancha, Oklahoma), and radio (Spokesperson for The Star News).
For Devon, it’s his first time working with the Highlands Cashiers Players, and his first play in Highlands.
“I moved here six years ago with my wife and daughter with the aim of raising our family in a small town surrounded by nature’s beauty,” he says. “I recently took over the General Manager position at The Park on Main hotel. We love the town and look forward to being a part of its future. You’ll see him later this month in Highlands PAC Educational Theatre’s first All-Community production of Oliver!, onstage with his wife Nalicia and daughter Aurora.
Sarah attended Highlands School through the 9th grade, before moving to Hawaii with her family. She chose to relocate here with her husband, Will Mathiowdis, as she considers it to be an ideal place in which to raise her two daughters. She is the owner of Highlands Plateau Construction Services, a local company specializing in concrete foundation construction.
Also making his HCP stage debut is Cal Issac. Cal is Highlands-Cashiers Hospital HR Director and plays the part of Saul Wasserman, a retired druggist.
Other actors appearing in the production are two talented local actors, Michael Lanzilotta and Ricky Siegel.
Both residents and visitors are in for a wonderful evening of live local theater at the Performing Arts Center in Highlands April 4-7. Evening performances are at 7:30 P.M. and the Sunday Matinees are at 2:00 P.M. Cabaret seating is available at HighlandsCashiersPlayers.com.
HCP presents Squabbles at Highlands PAC
This play is one hilarious confrontation after another until the heart warming finale in which the oldsters discover that, really, each is not so bad.
