Divorce Me Darling Brings Song, Dance, Comedy to CCES Stage
Students Work With New York Choreographer on Dance Numbers
by Molly Hoffman Aiken, Upper School Music Instructor

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Original poster designed by junior Mary Orogvaniova

Under the direction of Upper School music teacher Molly Hoffman Aiken, the Cavalier Players presented Sandy Wilson's Divorce Me Darling. This musical sequel to The Boyfriend reunites Madame Dubonnet's finishing school students ten years after their respective marriages to their boyfriends.

Cast members included an impressive ensemble of characters: junior Smyth McKissick as the smooth American Bobby Van Husen; senior Haley David as his wife, the flirtatious Maisie; junior Taylor Sterling as the proper Hon. Tony Brockhurst; and sophomore Elizabeth Beeson as his wife, the lovely, wistful Polly.

Senior Mary Beth McCall as Bobby's irrepressible sister Hannah injected the show with her outstanding energy and vocal talent. Polly's and Maisie's old school chums, Nancy (sophomore Caitlin Evins), Fay (sophomore Jen Kotrady), and Dulcie (sophomore Kelli McLane) spice up the show with charm, song, and dance reminiscent of "the three little maids from school," as they encounter their husbands, apparently on the loose, played energetically by freshmen Jonathan Pierce, Drew Brandel, and Will McAbee.

In the style of Marlene Dietrich, junior Carina Arlt captures our hearts with song and style as she pretends to be the elusive Madame K, when she is really Madame Dubonnet, aka Mrs. Percival Browne. Junior songstress and actress Sarah Evert plays a charming Hortense, coupled with senior Gauthier Guicherd as the affable owner of the Hotel Paradise, Monsieur Gaston.

Senior Jayme Hendershot turns in a rip-roaring performance as the "woman with a cause," Lady Brockhurst, and Carl Sykes, CCES Dad and "man-about-our-theatre," guests as the ladies' man Lord Brockhurst.

The cast included a lot of new faces and, especially, a host of aspiring freshmen and sophomores. This is truly an "ensemble" cast. The players are well-balanced, and,this is a show without the traditional leads.

Other members of the cast included seniors Ellis Bridgers, Story Cosgrove; junior Beverly Duvall; sophomores Katie Atkinson, Alex Moser, Smedes Scovil, and George Washburn; freshmen Elizabeth Blake, and Bailey Davis; eighth-graders Cody Cobb, John Flanagan, and Dexter Rogers; and Garrison Carpenter, all in featured supporting roles.

For this production, Ms. Hoffman brought in guest artists to choreograph the dance segments of the production. Aaron Salazar, CEO of Jacob Morgan Entertainment from New York City worked with students for four weeks choreographing the bulk of the dance numbers. His associate, Ginger Merritt, was here for one week choreographing the tap segments of the show.

Aaron enjoyed learning about our southern hospitality, staying with the Beesons, the Cosgroves, the McLanes, and the Everts (the Everts also hosted Ginger). He most appreciated learning about sweet tea and southern fried chicken!