DEKALB, ILL, April 29, 2021 – Everyone loves a good reunion with friends or family, and Stage Coach Players (SCP) would like to invite you to a reunion of sorts. It’s been quite a while since SCP has been able to invite patrons to come into their theatre to see a live production onstage, but on Thurs., May 20, 2021, the theatre group opens its doors for the first time in over a year for the comedy-drama, Come Back To the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, by Ed Graczyk.
The story revolves around a 20-year reunion celebrating the life and death of famous actor, James Dean, which becomes a life-altering gathering of one of his fan clubs at a diner in the small town of McCarthy, Texas. Directed by David W. Booth, the play runs from Thurs., May 20 through Sat., May 29, 2021. Calling themselves “The Disciples of Jimmy Dean,” this group of women come together in 1975 to mark the anniversary of the actor’s death.
The ladies’ reminiscences mingle with flashbacks to their youth. One even claims to have gotten pregnant from Jimmy Dean while she was a film extra on the set of the movie Giant. Then a stunning-but-familiar stranger arrives, setting off a series of confrontations that smash their delusions and expose bitter disappointments.
The Broadway production of Come Back To the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean opened on Feb. 8, 1982 and ran for 52 performances. Graczyk said the inspiration for the play came from his visit to Marfa, Texas, where some of the filming for Giant took place, and where the youth of the period traveled to experience a more vivid recollection of their idol, James Dean. The play was made into a film, which starred much of the original Broadway cast including Cher, Sandy Dennis, Kathy Bates, and Karen Black.
Performances for Come Back To the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean are Thurs. – Sunday, May 20 – 22, 2021 and Thurs. – Saturday, May 27 – 29, 2021, with a curtain time of 7:30 p.m. along with a Sunday matinee on May 23, 2021 with a curtain time of 2:00. Tickets are $15 each or $13 for seniors and children aged 13 and under. Online ticketing is not currently available. Please order your tickets by phone at (815) 758-1940. In-person ticket sales are limited due to COVID-19 mitigations and will not not be available at the door after 6:30 p.m. on the dates of performances. For more information, please see the ticket section on our website. Thank you for being patient as SCP navigates through its first show with the State of Illinois “Restore Illinois” COVID-19 Mitigation Guidelines.
For this production, audience members must wear a mask at all times while in the theatre. Each individual’s mask must cover both their nose and mouth. Seating will be done in a manner that ensures proper social distancing in groups of no more than four. There will be no exceptions to the mask requirement at this time, even with proof of vaccination.
To purchase tickets or if you have any questions about the COVID-19 mitigations, please contact the box office which opens Saturday, May 1, 2021. The phone number is 815-758-1940. Come back to SCP by coming back to the “5 & Dime” and help us celebrate our 75th year!
