WATERVILLE
“The Secret of Comedy”
by Michael Kimball
Directed by Jeralyn Shattuck

“The Secret of Comedy” finds mother and daughter, Emily and Carey Petrocelli, polishing their comedy routine against their best straight man, husband and father, Dave Petrocelli. When Dave wins the lottery it should be a happy day, but all the money in the world can’t cure his wife’s cancer. Carey copes by trying to enlist her mother’s help in writing a comedy routine about death. But through it all, Emily has her own mission — to lead her family through the five stages of grief, from denial to acceptance, before she dies. But the Petrocellis are a family not easily led.

Characters:
Emily, 51, freelance writer of humorous greeting cards; former stand-up comic
Dave, 55, airline pilot, Emily’s husband
Carey, 32, Emily and Dave’s daughter; struggling stand-up comic
Katie DeLong, 49, Emily’s best friend; overworked single mom; house-cleaner
Chenille DeLong, 16, Katie’s Jamaican adopted daughter
Dr. Milton Jennison, 55, oncologist
Bernice, 70, Emily’s Mother

, Monday
Audition dates: 2-5 p.m. Sunday, June 30; 6:30–9 p.m. Monday, July 1; Waterville Opera House Dance Studio, third floor, 93 Main St., Waterville.
Performance dates: Sept. 6-8, 13-15.