Overview
Synopsis
A dysfunctional Southern family comes together to plan a funeral in this character-driven ensemble comedy. When the Turpin family patriarch Bud suddenly dies of a stroke, his sons Ray-Bud and Junior, sister Marguerite, and widow Raynelle do their best to ensure a dignified memorial, but familial squabbles quickly get in the way. Junior’s wife Suzanne (correctly) accuses him of infidelity, a resentful Ray-Bud drinks to deal with his resentment over footing the bill for a service being handled by the funeral home of his arch rival, and Raynelle seems more concerned with ensuring that Bud’s legacy as “mean and surly” is quite literally carved in stone. Dearly Departed is a side-splitting ensemble comedy that’s at once a parody of and a love letter to life in the Deep South.
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Characters
Showing 8 of 16 characters
Character Portrayals
See StageAgent members who have performed roles in Dearly Departed.
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Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A group of performers who function as a unit in a production rather than as individuals with leading roles.
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Guide Written By:
Kevan Dunkelberg
Oklahoma-based drama teacher, actor and playwright