Nickeled and Dimed
WILBURTON, OK (Oct. 6, 2011) – It’s honest, funny, passionate and heartbreaking. It’s “Nickel and Dimed,” the first production of the season for Theatre Eastern.
The Joan Holden play is based on the bestselling book “Nickel and Dimed, On (Not) Getting By in America” by Barbara Ehrenreich. It will be presented at Eastern Oklahoma State College in Mitchell Auditorium Oct. 13-15 at 7:30 p.m.
Director Melissa Heath-Lee said the cast includes a mixture of college students, instructors and community members working together in multiple roles to create a multi-dimensional drama sure to keep audiences thoroughly entertained and possibly, enlightened.
“In these economic times, this play is so timely. These are our stories – the stories of people right here in southeast Oklahoma – and I hope that seeing this production gets people talking,” Heath-Lee said. “It’s something a little different than what we’ve done in the past and we’re really excited about sharing it with the greater Wilburton community.”
The play tells the story of Barbara, a socially-conscious writer in the late 1990s who wonders if she can survive undercover as a low-wage worker in America. She takes her experiment to three cities and states where she works five different jobs and struggles to find housing and meet her financial needs. Her time as “unskilled labor” brings her to the realization that low-wage jobs actually require skill and that the working poor of America subsidize the lives of everyone else.
The cast includes: Eastern science instructor Dr. Patricia Bolin Ratliff, as Barbara; Eastern speech instructor Ruth Askew Brelsford as Barbara’s Editor; Eastern English instructors Lee Anne Schweitzer and Ande Davis as The Rich Lady and Pete, respectively; retired Eastern science instructor Maurice Hawthorne as Barbara’s Boyfriend; Eastern Library assistant Maria Gabriela Arroyo as Actress #5; and United Methodist Reverend April Coates as Maddy.
Students include: Marissa Scott, Wilburton sophomore, as Gail; Darrlyn Johnson, New Orleans freshman, as Carlie; Jo Stewart, Hartshorne High School Junior, as George; Sam Harley, Idabel sophomore, as the Winn Dixie Manager; Thomas Trouche, Eufaula freshman, as Hector; Laura Keen, Lamar sophomore, as Melissa; Hailie Dust, Stuart sophomore, as Holly; Hailey Ketchum, Wilburton sophomore, as Joan; Scott Edgar, Cape Girardeaux, MO sophomore, as Philip; and Lacy Dunlap, Wilburton sophomore as Marge.
Tickets will be available at the door one hour before each performance and general admission seating will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and students under 18 and free for Eastern students and employees. Concessions and fundraising t-shirts will be on sale before the show and during intermission.
Following the opening performance on Oct. 13, there will be an open discussion featuring a panel of community members and local business owners. Audience members can ask questions and discuss their own “Nickel and Dimed” situations.
For more information, contact Melissa Heath-Lee at 918-465-1758.
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Cast Photo: (L to R) Scott Edgar, Laura Keen, Marissa Scott, Patricia Bolin Ratliff, Darrlyn Johnson, Jo Stewart, Lacy Dunlap, Rev. April Coates, Sam Harley, Thomas Trouche, and Hailie Dust.
