REXBURG — What would you do if you were accidentally assigned to the same hotel suite as your nemesis?
That’s the hilarious premise of “Suite Surrender,” a play being performed Friday, Saturday and Monday at the Romance Theater in Rexburg. Showtimes are at 7 each night, plus a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday. Tickets are available at rexburgarts.org.
The comedy is part of the inaugural season of the Romance Theater Acting Co., and director Kaatia Larsen says the play is a crowd pleaser.
“I was an actor in this play in California a few years ago, and I remember people in the audience laughing so hard they could barely breathe,” Larsen says. “I told myself if I ever got the chance to put on this show for a new community, I’d do it.”
“Suite Surrender” stars Nicole Stoker of Sugar City and Corina Murdock of Idaho Falls as two Hollywood divas/bitter enemies accidentally assigned to the same hotel suite while traveling for a USO benefit performance in 1942.
Stoker’s professional credits include playing Eponine in the Broadway National Tour of “Les Misérables;” the Narrator in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at Tuacahn Center for the Arts in Ivins, Utah; and Anita in “West Side Story,” also at Tuacahn.
Of her character, Stoker says, “Athena Sinclair is a Hollywood starlet who knows her talent, knows her mind and loves the menfolk.”
Murdock landed the gig after a long break from the world of theater, and says working alongside her castmates has been a growing experience.
“Trying to act after way too long has been so challenging and stretching,” Murdock says. “But trying to do so with this incredible cast has also been an absolute joy. They are not only excellent at what they do, they support me and one another with great kindness and patience.”
Dave Hunt of Rexburg stars as Bernard Dunlap, manager of the Palm Beach Royale where the performers are staying.
“(He) is professional, dedicated, and calm under pressure,” Hunt says of his character. “He takes his job seriously and tries to maintain order in the midst of the chaos at the hotel. However, throughout the play, his control of the situation and his own poise gradually unravel.”
Rounding out the cast are Elyse Norton, Josh Cluff, Audrey Anderson, Sirri Jensen, Philip Elias and Ethan Rhodes. Some are coming back to the stage after a long hiatus while others have been featured in local productions just this summer, but every one of them has experience and serious acting chops, Larsen says.
When asked what attracted the actors to audition for this particular play, the most common response was their excitement at getting to work with Larsen.
“Kaatia Larsen is a joy,” Murdock says. “She is amazing at helping people feel comfortable and confident in exploring their performance interests. I loved the idea of working on a show that she was directing.”
Hunt echoed the sentiment, saying, “I wanted to work with the director, Kaatia Larsen, who is an extremely talented and passionate advocate of theater arts. And she has been wonderful.”
Jensen says that working with Larsen and the rest of the cast has made her return to the stage a joyful experience.
“Kaatia has been one of the best directors I’ve ever worked with,” Jensen says. “And the cast has felt like a second family. It has been an absolute blast to work with them all.”
It’s experiences like those that make Larsen and the rest of the team at Rexburg Arts feel like they’re going in the right direction with the new theater company, which has a goal of providing unique and meaningful shared experiences for the participants and the audience.
“I think it’s wonderful that we are able to use our beautiful, historic Romance Theater to bring people together for incredible, high-quality, shared experiences,” Larsen says. “I’m so proud of this cast and crew for rising to the occasion.”
“Suite Surrender” is the second production of the new Romance Theater Acting Co., after a successful first production of Disney’s “Newsies Jr.” in August. The fan-favorite musical packed the house for each performance and was an exciting way to launch the first season, Larsen says.
After months of early mornings and late nights preparing for “Newsies Jr.” and “Suite Surrender,” one might assume Larsen is ready for a long break. But she’ll be right back at it, holding auditions for the company’s next production, “My Fair Lady.” Auditions will be held Nov. 6 and 7 at the Romance Theater in Rexburg, and the musical will be performed March 8 to 16. To find more information and to sign up to audition, visit rexburgarts.org.
