The play, “In This House,” produced on Broadway, is taking temporary residence in the Sager Creek Arts Center in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.
“In This House,” a musical comedy with only four characters, centers around two couples who are forced to confront underlying issues in their relationships while unexpectedly encountering one another in a deserted house on New Year’s Eve.
Go Strealy and Gary Guinn play the elderly couple in their 60s who are visiting their old run down home like they do every year. The younger couple, played by Scott Carrington and Liesl Dromi, are stranded in the house for the night due to car problems.
On this one night, memories are refreshed, stories are told and hearts are mended as the elderly couple struggles to move on from the past, and the younger couple attempts to progress to the future.
Because of the differences in age group, the play connects with a range of viewers.
Christy Agee watched the show at the dress rehearsal viewing on Feb. 22. She called the play “realistic.”
“I identified with Annie [played by Dromi] who wasn’t traditionally wanting to get married and have children,” she said.
When choosing to produce and direct a play, Ben Hill said he wanted a small and thought provoking musical.
“It is an appealing play because there are two couples in their 60s and 30s. The older couple has experience and wisdom to share and answer questions,” said Hill. “People with long experience in a relationship make a difference in other relationships.”
Fourteen musical numbers throughout the play and in between lines help progress the story along by showing the emotions of a character or even a past memory.
Mike Reid, a Grammy award-winning songwriter, wrote the music to this play.
Jackson McKinnon provides the accompaniment in the Siloam Springs showing.
“I would describe the music as soft pop. It is pretty easy to listen to and fun to play,” he said.
All the actors sing, and Strealy and Dromi have professional experience. Strealy sung opera in New York, and Dromi teaches private voice lessons in Fayetteville.
“In this house dreams would serve us … what’s good will last…. No house can ever keep the world away,” said Strealy as Louisa Arden and Guinn as Henry Arden.
Showings will be on March 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m.