SHIRLEY VALENTINE Plays Town Hall Theater 9/30

A middle-class, middle-agEd English woman is trapped in a life that didn't work out as planned. Her husband barely acknowledges her; her children are crazy. She's only 42, but somehow she feels that "the only good things are things in the past."

Willy Russell's brilliant comedy, Shirley Valentine, picks up the story of this woman who somehow finds her life to be a dead-end street. "What happened?" she says. "Did something happen or was it just that nothing happened?"

But just when she hits bottom, an unexpected trip to Greece changes everything. Shirley rediscovers the vibrant young woman she used to be, and sets sail on a whole new life.

The Middlebury Actors Workshop production, starring Karen Lefkoe, opens at Middlebury's Town Hall Theater on September 30. A hit in London and on Broadway, Shirley Valentine" has been hailed by critics as "hilarious", "deeply moving", and "an absolute joy".

The one-woman play is a tour de force for an actor. "It's an amazing challenge for any performer," says director Douglas Anderson. "You're on-stage alone for 90-minutes, experiencing just about every emotion you can think of. You have to find the humor - and there's a lot of it - but you also have to find the pain and wild jumble of emotions that make up this woman. It's a real pleasure to work with Karen Lefkoe, who is just sensational in the role."

Karen Lefkoe stars in the title role. Lefkoe has been a core actor with Middlebury Actors Workshop since 2002, when she returned to the stage after a 10-year hiatus. Since then she has worked annually with "some of the finest actors and directors in Vermont." "I fell in love with Shirley three years ago when I read the play," says Lefkoe. "And to work with Doug with his enormous vision and incredible eye for comedy, it's just an amazing opportunity."

Shirley Valentine opens on Thursday, September 30, at 8 pm. The second night, October 1, is the annual Town Hall Gala, featuring a reception before the show at 7 pm, and dessert and champagne at intermission. Proceeds benefit Town Hall Theater. Regular performances continue with an 8 pm performance on October 2. and a 2 pm matinee on October 3.

Tickets, $17 and $35 for the Gala, are available at www.townhalltheater.org, 802 382-9222, or at the THT Box office (Monday-Saturday, Noon - 5 pm.)

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