TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Students Learn About Party Lines In 'Pillow Talk' Rehearsals

ADVERTISEMENT

By BARBARA ROUTEN, Tribune correspondent

Published: February 6, 2008

PLANT CITY - Durant High School's drama department, under the direction of Edward Mason, will present "Pillow Talk," adapted by Christopher Sergel from the screenplay written by Stanley Shapiro and Maurice Richlin, at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday in the auditorium at Durant High School, 4748 Cougar Path.

"If the name sounds familiar," Mason said, "you may remember the movie of the same name starring Rock Hudson as Brad and Doris Day as Jan."

The protagonist of the story, New York City interior decorator Jan Morrow, cannot make a phone call from her apartment because singer Brad Allen ties up the party line these strangers share.

"One of the hardest things to explain to the actors was what a party line was," Mason said. "When I said the words, 'party line,' most of them had no idea what I was talking about. The closest thing they could relate to was a conference call."

Starring in the high school production is John Carlos as Brad and Ashleigh Powell, a Durant drama newcomer, as Jan. Other cast members include Na'iyma Thompson as Alma, Steven Penaranda as Jonathan Forbes and Christopher Tousignant as Peroit.

Tickets are $7 for adults and $6 for students and seniors. To reserve tickets, call Mason at (813) 757-9075, Ext. 280, or e-mail Edward.Mason @sdhc.k12.fl.us.

Anglicans Plan Lenten Services, Meals

RIVERVIEW - St. Matthew's Anglican Church, 10701 Bloomingdale Ave., will observe Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting and abstinence, at a Mass with the Holy Eucharist and the imposition of ashes at noon and 7 p.m. today.

Other Lenten services will follow. Beginning at 7 p.m. Feb. 13 and every Wednesday through March 19, the church will conduct the Stations of the Cross, which traces Jesus' final hours.

A recitation of the Holy Rosary will begin at 9 a.m. Feb. 16. At 6 p.m. Feb. 20, a Lenten soup and salad dinner will be served. And at 5:30 p.m. March 14, the annual Lenten fish fry and bingo will take place.

Call the church office at (813) 663-0334.

WAVES Welcomes U.S.S. Taylor

TAMPA - Shirley Dawley, Anne Laing, Barbara McGuire, Phyllis Gallant and President Jouay Koppari of the Tampa Bay WAVES Unit 55 welcomed the frigate U.S.S. Taylor into the port at Channelside on Jan. 18.

"Our intent was to show support for our naval forces," said Jeannette Green, publicity chairwoman. "The ship's home port is in Mayport, and it was here for a four-day stay as part of Tampa Navy Week, held each year as a lead-in to the Gasparilla pirate fest.

"Security was extremely high on this occasion," Green said. "Our ladies watched the ship arrive and dock and waved their welcome from a point as close as they were permitted to stand. This did not include the actual dock area. No naval personnel departed from the ship at that time."

The WAVES unit is a local group of female Navy veterans. Membership is open to any woman who served honorably in the military sea services: Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Maritime Service or related reserves.

Call McGuire at (813) 571-2098 or Green at (813) 657-9164.

Library To Offer Free Tax Preparation

BRANDON - The Hillsborough County Health and Social Services Department and the AARP will sponsor free tax-preparation assistance for low- to moderate-income individuals from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays through February at the Brandon Regional Library, 619 Vonderburg Drive. Tuesday sessions will be Tuesday, Feb. 19 and Feb. 26. Wednesday sessions will be today and Feb. 13, 20 and 27. For information, visit www.hcplc .org.

DAR To Hold Annual Luncheon

SUN CITY CENTER - The annual luncheon meeting of the Col. George Mercer Brooke Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will be held at noon Feb. 20 at Club Renaissance, 2121 S. Pebble Beach Blvd. Susan Bottoms, in character as "The Remarkable Mercy Otis Warner," will be the guest presenter.

Chapter members, members of other DAR chapters and women interested in joining DAR may attend. The cost is $20. Checks may be mailed to Jo Prater, P.O. Box 5544, Sun City Center, FL 33571. Reservations are required by Wednesday. For information or to make reservations, call Prater at (813) 633-7168.

Snippets

The Laureate Epsilon Beta Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi gathered to share a meal with guests and exchange gifts Dec. 15. On Dec. 18, members held their regular meeting at the home of Carol Fezzey. The sisters exchanged gifts, enjoyed a buffet dinner and crowned Fezzey the 2008 Valentine Queen. Fezzey was honored at outgoing Valentine Queen Mary Lee Bentley's home Jan. 19. The annual sweetheart dinner will be held in February. For information about joining a chapter, visit www.betasigmaphi.org.

Send news and photos of community interest to Barbara Routen at The Tampa Tribune, 505 W. Robertson St., Brandon FL 33511, e-mail neighbors@tampabay.rr .com or call (813) 657-4531.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT