Elmira Little Theatre is bringing humor and heart to the stage with The Sweet Delilah Swim Club, a comedy by the playwrighting team of Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten.
“They’ve written many, many shows—very funny, with some touching moments,” said cast member Robin Gaige. “Behind the humor are some truths that really stay with you.” Gaige noted she previously appeared in the trio’s Christmas Belles, calling their work “full of comedic truths that strike you as you’re watching and linger afterward.”
The play follows five women who formed a college swim team and reunite each summer at a North Carolina beach cottage. “It’s five women—and only five women—in the show,” explained Michelle Benjamin. “We meet every August at the Sweet Delilah cottage, and the story follows our friendships, our highs and lows, over the years.”
Spanning more than three decades, the production challenges its performers to portray the passage of time. “Hopefully with some good makeup and hair people,” Gaige joked, “but also in the way we walk, the way we hold ourselves, even how we phrase things. Life happens to these characters, and we try to show how they age gracefully.”
Benjamin emphasized the camaraderie among the cast, which also includes Melissa Norton, Kimberly Canale, and Gail Meyer Lewis. “This is the first time all five of us have been together in a show,” she said. “The bonding is amazing—we’ve truly become friends during rehearsals.”
Both actors bring long histories with community theater. Gaige described herself as “addicted” to performing, recalling how she was “hooked” after her first audition years ago. Benjamin, who spent two decades directing high school productions, recently returned to the stage. “I decided it was my time,” she said. “I’m so excited to be back, and this is my first show with Elmira Little Theatre.”
The production is directed by Anna Beth Wheaton, whom both actors praised for her collaborative approach. “She’s committed to putting on the best show possible, but she wants her actors to be comfortable,” Gaige said. Benjamin added, “She brings a creative, supportive team and really guides us in the right direction.”
The Sweet Delilah Swim Club will be performed April 17–19 and 24–26, with Friday and Saturday performances at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. at Mandeville Hall in the Clemens Center. For tickets and more information, visit the Clemens Center. website.