By Ed Karvoski Jr., Contributing Writer
Shrewsbury – The Worcester County Light Opera Company (WCLOC) continues its Neil Simon season with “Proposals” directed by Sally Holden. Two of the nine cast members are Shrewsbury residents. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m., from Feb. 6 through 22 at the Grandview Playhouse, 21 Grandview Ave. in Worcester.
Set in 1953, “Proposals” is a memory play that recalls the last time the Hines family gathered at their retreat in the Poconos. Burt Hines is a recovering workaholic, who had his second heart attack and is still in love with his ex-wife.
Their daughter Josie is portrayed by Julia Short, who relocated this past fall from the North Shore to Shrewsbury. She brings to this production theater experience in Beverly, Boston, Lunenburg and Saugus.
“It’s been a lot of fun working with this cast and crew,” she said.
Short sees some similarities between herself and the character.
“Josie is kind of headstrong, which she struggles with as a good quality and a bad quality, and I can relate to that,” she said.
Much of the storyline humorously follows the transformation of a mother and daughter relationship, Short noted.
“One of Josie’s big struggles in the play is with her mother,” she said. “It’s an interesting dynamic, the mother/daughter tensions. Even when there’s strife between us, the scenes are funny because it’s a comedy.”
She’s glad that “Proposals” is being produced locally.
“It’s a very funny script,” she said. “A lot of people know Neil Simon, but have never seen or heard of this play. It’s great to be able to see a play that’s not overdone.”
Billed as “a salute to America’s most successful playwright,” WCLOC’s current season has already presented “Barefoot in the Park” and “Brighton Beach Memoirs.” After “Proposals,” WCLOC will stage “They’re Playing Our Song.”
Short appreciates working onstage with fellow Shrewsbury resident Jackie Fashjian, who plays her character’s mother, Annie Robbins.
“Even before Jackie’s character, Annie, comes onstage, you’ve heard quite a bit about her through my eyes,” Short explained. “It’s challenging for Jackie to have her character defined by someone else before she enters.”
Among Fashjian’s recent community theater credits are “Steel Magnolias” at the Calliope Theater in Boylston, and “Chicago” and “Fox on the Fairway” at Theater at the Mount in Gardner. She’s pleased to be making her WCLOC debut.
“They have a great reputation,” she said of WCLOC. “I saw a couple shows there and heard great things about the company from a lot of theater people.”
Fashjian also relates with her character.
“I connect with her love for her daughter,” she said. “And I really connect with the character Burt being a workaholic because my husband is, too.”
She finds less similarity between her fashion style and that of her circa-‘50s character.
“I would probably overdress rather than underdress for an occasion, but I think she’s a little more over the top than I am when it comes to that,” she noted.
Fashjian is enjoying the experience of exploring Simon’s diverse script.
“It’s like a rollercoaster,” she said. “It has a really good mix of comedy and drama, and I like the way it’s paced. One scene will be extremely funny, and then the next scene will be extremely emotional and a little heavier. You always have that comedic relief, up and down throughout the show. It’s as well-rounded show that anybody would like.”
Tickets to “Proposals” can be purchased by calling 508-753-4383 or online at wcloc.org.