Review: “Fireflies” is a love story that will entertain audiences

Published 5:45 pm Monday, July 29, 2024

lance.gaither@bluegrassnewsmedia.com

The play “Fireflies” opened last week at the Pioneer Playhouse and will continue to run through Aug. 10.

“Fireflies” is a play by Matthew Barber based on the novel “Eleanor and Abel” by Annette Sanford.

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The play tells the story of Eleanor Bannister (played by Patricia Hammond), a retired schoolteacher who enjoys living a quiet life and sticking to her routine. When a storm damages her roof, a mysterious drifter named Abel Brown (Shawn Dodd) offers to fix it. Bannister soon starts to tangle with feelings of romance when it becomes clear that Brown is interested in being more than a handyman.

Bannister prides herself on her reputation, and she is a highly regarded woman in the small Texas town she calls home. Rumors start to spread, and Bannister has to decide if she will risk her reputation for a chance at love. To make matters more complicated, she is unsure if someone her age can even have a new romance.

Not everyone in town trusts Brown, including Bannister’s nosy neighbor and friend, Grace Bodell (Rita Hight), who is eager to cast doubt about Brown’s intentions. Also giving opinions is Eugene (Lewis Wright), Bannister’s former pupil, who is now a cop.

Things are not all as they seem when it appears Brown has secrets in his past that he is hiding from Bannister.

Not only an entertaining love story with a dash of mystery, “Fireflies” offers comedy throughout, with the stage presence and chemistry of Bannister and Bodell having an energy reminiscent of  “The Golden Girls” with some Southern charm sprinkled on top.

Despite the much smaller cast than the playhouse’s previous show, “That Book Woman,” this play is no less intriguing.

Playing the leading role is longtime playhouse actress Patricia Hammond, who is in her 27th season at Pioneer Playhouse. She began when playhouse founder Eben Henson was still running the playhouse, and Hammond comes down every summer from out of state.

Acting alongside her is Rita Hight, who has appeared in several playhouse favorites including last year’s “Farce of Nature.” Returning actor Lewis Wright plays Eugene; and Shawn Dodd, playing Abel, is a playhouse newcomer.