‘Waiting in the Wings’ puts 14 leading ladies on WCT stage
As director of Wichita Community Theatre’s “Waiting in the Wings,” Dan Schuster has to deal with 14 leading ladies.
Fourteen world-weary, diva-esque, aging leading ladies.
Not the WCT actresses who portray them, but the characters that they play in the Noel Coward play, which opens this weekend.
“It’s set in a nursing home, I’m sorry, a ‘home in England for retired actresses.’ A charity home where these big stage stars of England go and live out their twilight years,” Schuster said. “It’s a really heartwarming play and obviously you have these very strong personalities, since they’re all actresses, so there’s some tension in the show between some of the women, but overall, the camaraderie is really nice that these women share. They really enjoy each other’s company.”
Vonda Schuster, who plays one of the actresses, said her castmates read Coward’s memoirs to get some insight into “Wings.”
“We surmised that he had a lot of theater friends and in some ways this was a way to highlight them, get them on stage for maybe one last time, one last go-around,” said Schuster, the director’s wife. “Shakespeare did the same thing, wrote certain parts for certain people. They certainly have very distinct personalities and they’re all well-fleshed out. It’s a large cast and everyone has their moment of revelation where you can kind of see who they are and what their opinions are. You tend to think you know these women in some capacity.”
The play was written and is set in 1960.
“The relationships that these women have are very real and they transcended the times,” Dan Schuster said.
“It’s got several universal themes of relationships and failed relationships and squabbles and eccentricities,” Vonda Schuster added. “They were competitors in their younger days, and they come together because who else has lived the life they have.”
Julie Williams, who plays another one of the aging actresses, said Coward’s verbiage has been a challenge for herself and her castmates.
“He uses big words, and sometimes it’s tough trying to use the precise big words,” she said with a laugh.
“He’s a very proper writer and his English is very high-end,” Vonda Schuster added. “Because of that, the lines trip me up now and then because they’re very posh, and I have to fit into that headspace.”
‘WAITING IN THE WINGS’
When: Through July 27; 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays
Where: Wichita Community Theatre, 258 N. Fountain
Tickets: $18 adults, $16 for military, students and seniors, at 316-686-1282