City dwellers vs. country dwellers. Adjusting to the rustic joys of country life. Although many people know this theme has been explored through the popular television show "Green Acres," starring Eva Gabor and Eddie Albert, this cultural clash is also the subject of the Providence Players' latest production.
During late May and early June, the Providence Players will present "George Washington Slept Here," a comedy written by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman.
The action takes place in the 1940s. City-dwelling couple Newton and Annabelle Fuller have just purchased an old farm in rural Pennsylvania. Hilarity ensues as the city-dwellers receive guests in a house that has no roof, water, or roads leading up to it.
"It's upbeat, it's really funny," said cast member Tina Thronson, who by day works as a nurse at Inova Fairfax Hospital. "It's cute. The sets are tremendous, and it's a play that kids and adults will enjoy. It's a goofy, good time."
Cast and crew members volunteer their time to mount this production, as well as other productions produced by the Providence Players. For this show, over 50 people are involved as cast or crew.
The group started out in 1998 as the Mantua PTA Players, whose purpose was to raise money for Mantua Elementary. In 1999, the company moved to the stage at Frost Middle School. They hope to work with Fairfax County to find a permanent theatrical home, and they stage as many as five productions each season.
"They're so much fun," said Cathy Smith, who was working on finding costumes for the cast. "They're so nice to work with." Smith's husband, Providence District supervisor Gerry Connolly (D), is in the production.
Director Chip Gertzog encouraged Fairfax residents to see the comedy, which opens Memorial Day weekend and runs for three weekends.
"Do your barbecues, and come see the show afterward," Gertzog said.