‘Church Basement Ladies’ staged at Timber Lake Playhouse

MOUNT CARROLL – In rural Minnesota in 1965, the ladies of the local church fortify their flock with love, wisdom and, of course, the food they prepare in the church’s basement kitchen. Inspired by the best-selling book “Growing Up Lutheran,” “Church Basement Ladies” mixes together original music, endearing characters, and side [dish]-splitting scenes to yield a deliciously funny musical comedy.

The play will be performed from Sept. 8 to Sept. 17 at TLP, 8215 Black Oak Road, Mount Carroll.

The comedy, centered in a rural Minnesota church, features characters seemingly every churchgoer knows: those ladies who faithfully labor in the church kitchen among the casseroles and cast iron. While serving meals for weddings, funerals and fundraisers, they also solve problems, debate recipes and offer a big dollop of laughter.

“Church Basement Ladies,” a celebration of the church basement kitchen and the women who work there, features four distinct characters and their relationships as they organize the food and the problems of a rural Minnesota church. From the elderly matriarch of the kitchen to the young bride-to-be learning the proper order of things, the book and music give a touching, funny look at their lives. They stave off potential disasters, share and debate recipes, instruct the young, and keep the pastor on course while thoroughly enjoying (and tolerating) each other.

The cast of “Church Basement Ladies” features Judi Mann (Mavis), Carrie Neal (Karin), Marcia Sattelberg (Vivian), Lydia Prior (Signe) and C.J. Langdon (Pastor E. L. Gunderson). “Church Basement Ladies” was written by Jim Stowell and Jessica Zuehlke, with music and lyrics by Drew Jansen. The show is directed by Courtney Crouse, with choreography by Dawn Trautman and music direction from Oliver Townsend. The creative team includes Dan Danielowski, Tammy Long, Dillon Allen, Jeff Creath and Lydia Krause.

Information and tickets for all Timber Lake Playhouse events are available online at www.timberlakeplayhouse.org or by calling the box office at 815-244-2035. The box office is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and show days until intermission.