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Need a Laugh? Dive Into ‘The Dixie Swim Club’

It’s hot. There’s too much smoke in the air. You, or someone you know, just got ripped off last week. Your kid needs braces. The list goes on, but the overriding thing is: you need to laugh.

Phoebe Fazio, left, Lynn Wheeler, Elsie Ritchie, Linda Ragan and Laura Christensen (seated). Photo by Jon Lewis

Fortunately, Riverfront Playhouse has come to the rescue with “The Dixie Swim Club” and the pool is definitely open for those who want to take a quick dip in happier waters.

Jennifer Levens directs this smart comedy, a show she likens to a cross between “Steel Magnolias” and “Same Time, Next Year.” She’s not far off.

Written by the Jones Hope Wooten collaborative (Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten), “The Dixie Swim Club” is the story of five Southern women who met as college students on the swim team. They continue their friendship through the years by setting aside a weekend in August each year for a reunion on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

We’re treated to four of those weekends spread across a period of 33 years. It’s ample time to get to know each character and follow along as relationships between the five women wax and wane and ultimately solidify.

It’s sweet and sentimental, but mostly just funny. It is a character-driven play that’s matched with actors skilled enough to make it work without the show ever becoming too snarky or too schmaltzy.

Each character is recognizable and approachable, starting with Phoebe Fazio as the former swim team captain who still tries, often in vain, to add order and control to the lives of her wisecracking friends.

Lynn Wheeler is a kick as Lexie, the self-centered serial divorcee who remains convinced her next big love is only a lift, tuck or laser away. Age does pose a challenge, however, as she observes that “A good man is hard to find—even the mediocre ones are getting scarce.”

Laura Christensen is a crowd favorite as Vernadette, whose tales of life with two delinquent children and a disinterested husband provide plenty of comedic material. She casually notes that she spares her friends the worst stories and saves them for her mother, because “now that she’s in a coma, she’s not nearly so judgmental.”

Elsie Ritchie is a treat as Jeri Neal, the sweet-natured nun who discovers a whole new life outside the convent and Linda Ragan threatens to steal the show as Dinah Grayson, a hard-drinking and career-oriented attorney.

“The Dixie Swim Club” continues Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. through Aug. 9 with 2 p.m. matinees on Sunday, July 27 and Aug. 3. Tickets are $15, matinees; $17, evenings; and $22, closing night. Call 243-8877 or visit www.cascadetheatre.org.

Riverfront Playhouse is located at 1620 E. Cypress Ave. in Redding.

Jon Lewis is a freelance writer living in Redding. He has more than 30 years experience writing for newspapers and magazines. Contact him at jonpaullewis@gmail.com.

Jon Lewis

Jon Lewis is a freelance writer living in Redding. He has more than 30 years experience writing for newspapers and magazines. Contact him at jonpaullewis@gmail.com.

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