Crimora Players supporting cancer patient with fun-filled comedy

The Crimora Players will welcome audiences back to the Crimora Community Center for their new dinner theater show, “You Can’t Get There From Here.”

The play is a comedy about how a fictional small town generates revenue by exploiting a pothole in the road — selling visitors car repairs, bed-and-breakfast stays, and more, rather than fixing the pothole. One day, a reporter checks himself into the bed-and-breakfast to write an exposé on the pothole scam. What follows is love, witchcraft, and Shakespeare quotes.

Bill Clark, playing the role of newspaper chief editor Horace McClintock, has been a part of the Crimora Players for three years.

“[The play] centers around a small town called Shadow Falls, and the women who run an inn at Shadow Falls,” Clark said.

Teresa Stewart, the director of the play, appears in the show as proprietor Liz.

Clark’s character, along with Stewart’s grandson, Ryan, attempts to investigate how the town continues to generate wealth, and chaos and hilarity ensue.

“My favorite part is how my grandson, Ryan, is playing Arthur in the play,” Stewart said. “He’s one of the victims of the pothole.”

Clark likes working with the Crimora Players and said that “they are a lot of fun.”

“It allows me to break loose a little bit sometimes,” he said.

But the real star of the show might not be able to be there on opening night. Money from the ticket sales will go to support 16-year-old Stuarts Draft resident, Brooklyn Beverly. She was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia last year and is currently dealing with the side effects of chemo.

Beverly said the Crimora Players reached out to her five weeks ago to do the play in her honor.

“I was very shocked,” Beverly said.

Beverly’s mother, Heather Jerman, said that Beverly is currently at UVA Medical Center in Charlottesville.

“She’s very excited,” Jerman said about her daughter. “It makes her feel good because she hasn’t had a lot done for her. Nobody owes her anything, I get that, but she hasn’t had a lot done for her, so [this play] is so special.”

Beverly has recently returned to the hospital for inpatient care and hopes she can still see the play. She is currently unable to walk well.

“My daughter’s been sick for over a year now, and we haven’t had a lot of people who have helped her out,” Jerman said. “She gets chemo every week. She has a lot of things going on that she has to go there sometimes twice a week.”

“[I hope this brings] awareness that kids go through this every day,” Beverly said. “There’s a new kid who gets diagnosed with this, and they have to live with it for the rest of their life.”

Stewart said she is glad the troupe can help.

“I love that that’s what we do, to give the money to individuals or families that need a helping hand,” Stewart said. “Because, until you’ve had medical bills, you don’t know how much they add up quickly. Unfortunately, you get charged for every little thing, and insurance doesn’t pay a lot these days.”

“I think it’s fantastic,” Clark said. “All the proceeds, other than expenses, are going to help somebody who at present, or coming up, can’t take care of things financially.”

Tickets can be purchased by emailing [email protected]. The organization’s next show is scheduled for September.

link