Written by MaryAnn Lyons
This June, join us at The Academy Theatre (TAT) for the latest Adult Drama Program production! We will be staging Virgil Wins the Lottery, written by Eddie McPherson. This play is a sequel to Virgil’s Wedding, a play performed at TAT back in 2019!
What’s it about?
“Everyone dreams of striking it rich by winning the lottery except Virgil’s wife, Margaret. Margaret thinks it’s a waste of money until Virgil wins the $10,000 Lickskillit Lottery. As soon as Margaret and Virgil get the news, Virgil quits his job, they join the posh (well, posh for Lickskillit) social club and overnight start living in high cotton. And then they get more news: They didn’t actually win the $10,000 lottery. Shamefully exposed, Margaret and Virgil start eatin’ crow and learn that life is good, with or without the winnings, and then they get the biggest surprise of all.”
Cast member Juliette Vallender describes the story as “fun” with “lots of laughs and good heart” at its core.
Who’s in it?
Cast member Ben Lyons returns to the stage for the second time after appearing in House on Haunted Hill in 2024. In that show, he played a sneaky doctor, but this time he plays one of the Sludges’ uppity neighbors. When asked what keeps him coming back to TAT, Ben said, “I like that it’s a way to get out of the house and go do something social with other adults.” While acting alongside friends has its benefits, any acting comes with its challenges. “The same as with the last play,” Ben says that, “getting the blocking down along with remembering my lines” is what he is most focused on in this play. Does it help that he’s once again acting opposite his wife, MaryAnn Lyons? “Yes!”
Meanwhile, Juliette Vallender portrays, in her own words, “a southern mama who knows what is most important in life – family.” Juliette has appeared in several plays at TAT over the years, often alongside her husband, Charles Lamb. In Virgil Wins the Lottery, Juliette plays Mama Hooper. This character is “aware of how outsiders perceive her and her family but doesn’t care a lick.” A pretty admirable character trait to say the least!
Fun at rehearsal
One thing all cast members seem to agree on is how fun rehearsals can be. MaryAnn says, “it is difficult to stop laughing onstage sometimes. Sometimes I have to literally bite my tongue to avoid breaking character.” Ben agrees. “I know everyone will laugh at Sal Arredondo’s character, because every time I see him onstage I know he’s going to have me cracking up.” It’s a joy to watch “the cast flesh out their characters’ quirks and personalities,” says Juliette. “Each time we meet, the characters seem less and less generic and more and more their own special selves.”
Another part of rehearsals that amuses the cast is a figurative hole in the floor. In one scene, every character has to avoid stepping in the hole in the Sludge family house’s floor. Juliette explains how funny it is to see “how each one of us is deciding to manage the hole in the floor.” Some tiptoe, some hug the wall, and others still take huge steps around it. Watching each actor’s decision “gives me the giggles!” says Juliette. MaryAnn adds that “it tests your imagination. There isn’t an actual hole in the floor, so it’s easy to just step on the spot when you’re not supposed to.”
Ticket information
Tickets are on sale now at https://www.academytheatre.net/.Come see the show on Friday, June 19th at 7pm, Saturday, June 20th at 7pm, or Sunday, June 21st at 2pm. Tickets start at just $11!
Shaping Successful Futures through Performing Arts, Arts Education and Leadership Proficiency 
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