‘Ghost of a Chance’ debuts at Strand

Published 12:30 am Thursday, March 5, 2015

DEBUTING: Cathy Sanford, left, Stacie Schrader and Caroline Gent rehearse their roles for the Westside Theatre’s upcoming production of “Chance of a Ghost.” The two-act play opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Strand Theatre. Shows will continue Saturday and March 13 and 14.

How frustrating for Bethany when her husband, Chance, shows up at his hunting cabin just as she is about to put it on the market to sell. What is even more maddening is Chance has been dead for three years.

“Ghost of a Chance” will open at the Strand Theatre this weekend and the two-act play will showcase six actors that have become regulars on the Westside Theatre Foundation stage including Jack Burns, the group’s founder.

Burns, who is playing the role of the prospective buyer for the cabin, said “Ghost of a Chance” has been a collaborative effort from the beginning.

“We decided to do a play with a small cast and looked at about 20 to 25 scripts,” Burns said.

After narrowing the options down to a couple, Nicholas Ford, one of the six actors in the play said the group took a vote and decided on “Ghost of a Chance,” written by Cindy Marcus and Flip Kobler, the husband and wife team who co-wrote several Disney animated films including “Lady and the Tramp 2 “and “The Lion King 2.”

“This is a story about love lost and redemption,” Burns said, adding that even though it is a comedy the play also has serious components as well.

Along with Burns and Ford, cast members include Stacie Schrader, Alex Hill, Cathy Sanford and Caroline Gent.

Chance, played by Hill, has been killed in a hunting accident, and he is not ready to pass on to the after life. He tries to convince his wife, played by Schrader, that she just needs to live in the cabin with him.

Poor Bethany, she becomes torn between Chance and her new fiancé, Floyd and decides to call in a psychic.

Antics get crazier when Bethany tries to hide the fact she has called in someone to communicate with her dead husband and Verna, Bethany’s future mother-in-law, is not making the cover up any easier with all of her questions.

“There is parity in the lines of the play,” Burns said, and added that by the end of the show each of the characters have undergone an emotional transformation.

“Ghost of a Chance,” the WTF’s first 2015 onstage play will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will run Friday and Saturday and March 13 and 14 at 717 Clay St. Tickets are $10 and are available at the Highway 61 Coffeehouse, 1101 Washington St. and at the door.

Following Saturday night’s performance, “Patrick’s Day” an Art House film will be shown. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door.

For more information, call 601-301-3158.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

More by Terri Cowart