Spinsters find love, aliens in new Atlantic Beach Experimental Theatre comedy

A Southern comedy that tells an offbeat story of romance, murder and alien abduction is up next at the Atlantic Beach Experimental Theatre.

"The Sugar Bean Sisters" by Nathan Sanders will open Friday for a three-weekend run. Caryl Butterley is directing.

Butterley, who lived in New York for many years, is friends with the playwright and attended one of the play's first readings about 15 years ago. She is in contact with Sanders but it is unknown if Sanders' schedule will allow him to visit the area to see ABET's production. Butterley said "The Sugar Bean Sisters" is a play she has always wanted to direct.

"'The Sugar Bean Sisters' is a comedy, but it is so much richer and darker," Butterley said. "There is a lot of pain and despair underneath the comedy."

Set in a fictional Florida town, the play tells the story of the Nettles sisters, who are determined to escape spinsterhood. Events take a turn after they are visited one summer night by a mysterious stranger.

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"There are some really interesting takes on the characters," Butterley said.

The cast features Deborah Hurm and Karen Garrett as the Nettles sisters. Maggie Martin, Okwuoma Blandin and Daniel Adam Osofsky are also in the show.

"This is the best character I have ever played," said Hurm, who was raised in the South. "It's so real to me. It takes me back to experiences I had as a child."

Butterley's goal is to create a live storytelling experience for the audience. She said the show will be full of surprises for the audience.

"Part of the play's charm is how the story unfolds," Butterley said.

Audience members will feel as though they are sitting in a swamp when they see the set designed by Jen Fortune. Jennifer Latka is the stage manager and Katie Berry is the assistant stage manager. Costume design is by Cheryl and Kiernan O'Connor, who are Butterley's sister and niece. Bryan Frank is designing the lights and sound.

Butterley and Hurm describe "The Sugar Bean Sisters" as "Southern salty" and say the show is appropriate for a PG audience.

For reservations, call 249-7177 or visit www.abettheatre.com.