Money is short for four women of a certain age in “Old Ringers.” They use their gift of gab to make ends meet by opening a phone sex service in the Chicago premiere of Joe Simonelli’s comedy at James Downing Theatre in Edison Park.
Director Rhys Read was attracted to this project because, “It’s really funny and it’s got some very meaty roles for older women. It’s a warm show, too.”
The “ring” leader Diane, who devised the scheme, is played by Mary Ellen Sanchez of Edison Park. “Diane grew up in the Bronx, she’s had some hard times, like a lot of women, and she’s overcome a lot of them, trying to be strong and independent, and raising a daughter by herself,” Sanchez said.
Diane is struggling financially because her Social Security has been cut. “She’s 65 years old and kinda feeling her age,” Sanchez said. “On the other hand, she’s still having a relationship with a guy and sex is an important part of life and she can still enjoy that part of life.”
Diane was inspired to create that phone sex service after answering a wrong number and discovering the caller was willing to pay $50 for a sexy five-minute conversation. The next step was convincing the other three women to join her in the enterprise. Diane’s persuasive powers work on the trio of fellow seniors, played by Christine Podgorski of Park Ridge (Verna), Julie Mitre (Kathy Ann) and Arlene Arnone Bibbs (Rose).
Brittany Rodda plays Diane’s daughter Amanda, a 30-something virgin who is a born-again Christian. “She’s very polite, very righteous,” Rodda said. “She’s entitled a little bit to believe in what she only believes in and tries to force that onto others.”
Obviously, she would not welcome a phone sex service in her home. On the other hand, “There’s a side of her that wants to break through,” Rodda said. “She wants to find someone who shares the same beliefs, shares the same ideals, and that she can fully love.”
She thinks, mistakenly, that a detective named Tony (Mark Myers) may meet those requirements.
“He’s someone who used to be a ladies’ man but it seems like he wasn’t very assertive, so he became a police officer to kind of toughen up,” Myers said. “He’s at a point in his life where he wants to leave those ladies’ man days behind him and maybe find someone to settle down with. That’s when he meets Amanda.”
This role is a comfortable fit for Myers, who noted, “I’ve been a police officer or a soldier in almost every single thing I’ve done.”
Diane’s live-in boyfriend is played by Tom Krettler. “Harry’s a happy-go-lucky guy,” the actor said. “I feel that Diane and I are two souls that found each other. We’re friends, we’re lovers. I enjoy the dialogue we have.”
His relationship isn’t quite as warm with Diane’s daughter. “She’s a religious person and she kind of looks at me as someone who debauched her mother,” Krettler said.
Considering Diane’s budding enterprise, it’s obvious the entrepreneur is no innocent.
James Downing Theatre presents ‘Old Ringers’
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturdays and 1:30 p.m. Sundays, Sept. 9-24
Where: Edison Park United Methodist Church, 6740 N. Oliphant Ave., Chicago
Tickets: $20; $15 students and seniors
Information: (224) 725-3696; www.jamesdowningtheatre.com
