The Gem Players open their 15th season with Ron Osborne’s comedy First Baptist of Ivy Gap on October 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18 at 7:30 p.m. and October 5, 12 and 19 at 2:30 p.m. at the historic Gem Theater in Etowah, TN.

The play takes place in the fellowship hall of the First Baptist of Ivy Gap, Tennessee.  The “First Baptist Six” gather to roll bandages and plan the church’s 75th anniversary during WWII. Twenty-five years later during the Vietnam War, the six women reunite for the Centennial celebration and find comfort and forgiveness from one another. The audience will know at least one character of the “First Baptist Six” but they will all entertain you with humor and stories from the heart.

The women of First Baptist include Luby played by Gem veteran, Joan Toney. Luby is the distraught mother of a WWII military man. Leneda Laing, another Gem veteran, plays Edith, the minister’s wife who accepts her congregation as family in spite of their faults. Vera is played by Virginia Orr, who appears to be “a pillar of the church” with a secret of her own.

A newcomer to the Gem stage is Jessica Edwards, who has the most fun with the part of Olene.  Olene has dreams of being a Hollywood star and the audience will have to wait until Act Two to see if she makes it.  Heather Standridge is Mae Ellen, the free spirited church organist who also dreams of leaving her small town to achiever fame. Candice Bales plays Sammy, the only newcomer to Ivy Gap, who has a secret of her own concerning Luby’s soldier son.

Humor is laden throughout the play and there are gentle jabs made about religion and of course the women’s personal relationships.  Director Rick Parker invites you to let the ladies of First Baptist of Ivy Gap entertain you through two wars and 25 years of friendship. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children under ten years of age. Advance tickets may be purchased at The Town Squire Menswear on Keith Street in Cleveland, The Iron Horse Antique Store in Etowah and at the box office one hour before show time. For more information call the Gem office at 423-263-3270 or visit our website at gemplayers.com. The Gem Theater is located on Highway 411 in Etowah, TN at the foot of Starr Mountain, The Cherokee National Forest and across from the historic L&N Depot.