Little Theatre to offer lights, camera, onions

Food and insults will fly at the latest Watertown Little Theatre production.

"The Kitchen Witches," a comedy, will be presented as stage shows only and as dinner theater productions, beginning Thursday.

"We read the script and we knew it was the kind of show people around here would love," said Jane Bowman Jenkins, who co-directs the show with Daniel Allington. "They love the comedy."

Mrs. Jenkins is a veteran of Little Theatre productions, but "Kitchen Witches" is giving her new challenges. This is the first time where she not only had to prep the actors, but also the food, which plays a big role in the comedy.

The food, such as onions and dough, is real, as are the messes it creates, which leads to a wardrobe problem.

Mrs. Jenkins spoke from her town of Hounsfield home a few hours before leaving to try to find a "Scarlett O'Hara type" dress at area thrift stores for one of the characters.

"We thought about renting," Mrs. Jenkins said. "But there is a problem of getting them soiled every night."

"Kitchen Witches," written by Canadian playwright Caroline Smith, gets cooking when two hostesses of separate cable-access cooking shows find themselves on the same televised cooking program. The hostesses have hated each other for 30 years.

"It also calls for audience participation in a couple of places," said Mrs. Jenkins. "There's also lots of action. There's lots of moving around and doing stuff like chopping onions and talking at the same time."

Jennifer L. Mentry of Watertown plays hostess Dolly Biddle, and Amber Crone of Deferiet plays hostess Isobel Lomax. Erin LaLonde of Clayton plays Stephanie Biddle, the TV producer who tries to keep the peace between the two hostesses. Brian Sweeney of Watertown plays "Rob the camera guy."

This will be the first Little Theatre production for Miss Mentry, an English teacher at Watertown High School.

"I love comedy," she said. "It's always fun to make people laugh."

She added that Dolly's character appeals to her.

"Dolly is a very strong character," Miss Mentry said. "She sticks to her guns. I like that about her."

She said the play can get messy at times with various food items. "But it adds to the humor and entertainment of the show," she said. "These two characters love to hate each other."

She hopes her students will have a chance to see "Kitchen Witches."

"I'm always encouraging my students to get out and to experience new things," she said.

WHAT: “The Kitchen Witches,” presented by Little Theatre of Watertown.

WHEN/WHERE: There will be two stage shows and five dinner theater shows, all in the auditorium at Trinity Episcopal Church, 227 Sherman St.
The stage shows: 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Feb. 12.
Dinner theater: 7 p.m. Feb. 6, 7, 8, 13 and 14, with the show following dinner, except on Sunday, Feb. 8, when a buffet brunch will be served at 12:30 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for the shows only. Dinner theater tickets are $27.50.

Reservations are required for the dinner-theater shows. Call Little Theatre at 782-2347.

OF NOTE: Proceeds for the show’s opening-night dinner theater performance on Feb. 6 will benefit the National Kidney Foundation.