*PRESS RELEASE* FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 7/07/2020 ------------------------------ Contact: Andrew Rothman From: Chagrin Valley Little Theatre 40 River Street Chagrin Falls, OH 44122 Phone: 440-247-8955 E-mail: cvlt@cvlt.org Website: www.CVLT.org <http://www.cvlt.org/> CVLT's "The Dixie Swim Club" makes a virtual comeback for more laughs on the web, Sep. 25, 26, & 27 Subhead: Chagrin Valley Little Theatre to stream hit 2010 comedy about female friendships as one-weekend event CHAGRIN FALLS, OH - Chagrin Valley Little Theatre has, like many local performance venues, remained 'dark' for the past six months. However, the venerable non-profit has continued to offer entertainment via the web while waiting for health and safety recommendations to permit the resumption of in-person productions. Determined to proceed with its 91st Season under these unusual circumstances, CVLT will stream the archival video of its hit 2010 production of *The Dixie Swim Club* on Sept. 25, 26, and 27. Admission is 'pay-as-you-can' and viewers can watch at any time they choose throughout the weekend. *The Dixie Swim Club* is a heartwarming comedy about the power of friendship by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten. The writing team has many stage and screen credits, including Wooten's turn as a writer/producer of *The Golden Girls*, the sassy snap of which comes through in this play. The 'club' consists of five Southern women who met on their college swim team and have set aside one long weekend every August to meet up at the same beach cottage on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Free from their husbands, children, and jobs, the ladies recharge their friendships as they catch up, laugh, swig martinis, and meddle in each other’s lives. *The Dixie Swim Club* focuses on four of those weekends and spans a period of thirty-three years, during which life flings challenges at them, throws wrenches into their plans, and helps them prove the enduring power of 'teamwork'. The play has been compared to *Steel Magnolias* and *The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants* for its healthy mix of witty jabs and touching moments. The group is led by Sheree (Jackie Cassara), the spunky team captain, who desperately tries to maintain her organized and ‘perfect’ life. Dinah (Chris White), the wise-cracking overachiever, is a career dynamo whose victories in the courtroom are in stark contrast to the frustrations of her personal life. Lexie (Denise Larkin), the pampered and outspoken one, is determined to hold on to her looks and youth as long as possible throughout her various marriages. The self-deprecating and acerbic Vernadette (Kate Tonti), acutely aware of the dark cloud that hovers over her life, has decided to just give in and embrace the chaos. And sweet, eager-to-please Jeri Neal (Jenny Barrett) experiences a late entry into motherhood that takes them all by surprise. Under the direction of Chagrin Valley Little Theatre veteran Barbara L. Rhoades, *The Dixie Swim Club* was a box office smash and its ensemble charmed the critics. The News-Herald's Bob Abelman called them "a uniformly marvelous cast that brings these five characters to life and makes them interesting and inviting," while Sun News' Marjorie Preston said "the characters are amazingly fun for both women and men to watch as they say the things women think but can't say in public... the quips are delivered very well and have the audience reeling." "When I read *The Dixie Swim Club* I thoroughly enjoyed it because it offered everything I love in a great show," says director Rhoades. "This play is a combination of every emotion we can experience: laughter, love, anger, forgiveness, sadness and more. The actors in *Dixie Swim* became a family of friends right from the auditions through to opening night. Rehearsals were a joyful experience for everyone and these wonderful women worked hard to make every emotion real and honest." Actor Chris White, who subsequently stepped into the role of CVLT Board President for a few years, concurs. "From the time we met at the first read-through, the bond and chemistry were instantaneous. We *were* The Dixie Swim Club!" Her co-star Jenny Barrett made her acting debut in the production and continued on to leading roles in several other CVLT comedies. Barrett says she still considers the *Dixie Swim *cast among the most talented she's worked with. The play struck a chord with audiences as well, and has been named by many of the theatre's patrons as one of the finest comedies to play the CVLT Main Stage. Audience member Thomas Schleper recalled that *The Dixie Swim Club* was the first play he saw at CVLT. He enjoyed it so much that he sprang into several years of volunteer work at the Little Theatre, including house managing and co-chairing the annual murder mystery fundraiser (which would have taken place early this month). Schleper saw the announcement of this online reprise as a serendipitous sign of good fortune for his family's recent return to the area after a stint in Colorado. The admission password for this one-weekend stream can be purchased by PayPal or credit card at CVLT.org. A $10 minimum is suggested and greater amounts are encouraged, helping CVLT to meet mortgage and utility obligations while its usual slate of events remain cancelled. Chagrin Valley Little Theatre is located at 40 River St. in Chagrin Falls and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded through individual and corporate contributions along with a grant from the Ohio Arts Council and by the citizens of Cuyahoga Country through Cuyahoga County Arts and Culture. ###