Nicholls graduates are continuing their love of the stage in May with Alan Ball’s “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress.”
The play is set during a flamboyant wedding reception at a high society estate in Knoxville, Tenn. While waiting for the reception to start downstairs, the five bridesmaids in their identical dresses retreat to the bride’s younger sister’s bedroom. While they retouch their makeup and remove their tacky wedding shoes, the women realize how much they have in common, including various histories with the groom.
Blake Petit, director and Nicholls mass communication graduate, said this play combines a unique amount of emotion and humor to form an engaging script.
“Throughout the course of the day, they learn that they all sort of hate the bride,” Petit said. “It’s about forging friendships in the face of adversity; in this case, the fact that they all wish they were somewhere else.”
Laura Pierce, Nicholls languages and literature graduate, plays Trisha, one of the bride’s former friends.
“She is the slut,” Laura said. “She has a bad reputation, but she doesn’t see anything wrong with that.”
Joey Pierce, Nicholls languages and literature graduate and Laura’s husband, plays Tripp, an usher who falls for Trisha.
“My character comes on with the intent of hooking up with Trisha’s character,” Joey said. “In the end, I think she kind of falls for me.”
Petit said this show is definitely not for children.
“It’s different from what we usually do at the playhouse,” Petit said. “It’s a way to branch out.”
While at Nicholls, Petit was a member of the band, choir, Nicholls Players and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity, as well as entertainment editor at The Nicholls Worth.
“My journalism degree helped me get a job as a reporter and, later, an editor,” Petit said. “After a few years of that, I realized it wasn’t for me, and NSU helped me work as a teacher while getting certified.”
Petit currently teaches at Central Lafourche High School.
Joey said that in college, he spent most of his time with The Nicholls Players.
“I performed in eight plays and directed four student works while there,” Joey said. “One of my favorite things about college was its ability to bring together groups of like-minded people.”
After graduation, he was chosen as one of 30 people to attend Springboard, NYC, a professional acting “boot camp” through the American Theater Wing in New York.
Joey and Laura currently work together at Laurel Valley Plantation.
Laura will also direct the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as The Thibodaux Playhouse’s summer musical.
Other characters include Meridith, the bride’s pot-smoking, sarcastic sister, played by Anna Davaine.
Frances, played by Katie DeHart, is the bride’s sweet, religious cousin, and Mindy is the groom’s lesbian sister, played by Melanie Bird. Georgeanne, played by Leah Hood, was the bride’s middle school sidekick.
