Easley's Chuck W. Chapman in "1959 Pink Thunderbird"

“It ain’t easy when you got a name like Skeeter.” – Cletis T. Fullernoy in “Lone Star” from “1959 Pink Thunderbird” by James McClure

Chuck W. Chapman of Easley is appearing in “1959 Pink Thunderbird”, the upcoming production at Electric City Playhouse (ECP) in Anderson.

“1959 Pink Thunderbird” consists of two comedic one-acts set in a small town in Texas. The first one-act, “Laundry and Bourbon”, focuses on three women – Elizabeth, Hattie, and Amy Lee – and the hot summer afternoon they spending drinking bourbon and gossiping. The second one-act, “Lone Star”, is the guys’ side of the story which unfolds as brothers Roy and Ray are hanging around outside a local bar at night. Ray’s friend Cletis stops by and the evening takes a turn.

Chuck is playing Cletis T. Fullernoy in the “Lone Star” segment of “1959 Pink Thunderbird”. Chuck describes the show overall as a “moment in time…real world situation in a comical situation”. The comedy definitely comes through for the three actors, with Chuck noting that during rehearsals “we make each other laugh a lot.”

Chuck’s character Cletis is the husband of Amy Lee and friend to Ray. Chuck describes Cletis as “kind of a foil to (Ray’s brother) Roy”. Roy served in Vietnam and has had trouble adjusting to being home. As sedate as Roy is wild, Cletis has settled down and is running a local store.

As with all of the characters in “1959 Pink Thunderbird”, Cletis is not without his issues. Chuck is enjoying finding the relatable, funny moments while being aware that the material can be a challenge: “It’s a pretty raw show. (It) deals with a lot of emotions and has a lot of rough language but is hilariously funny.”

“1959 Pink Thunderbird” may be the first time for audiences to see Chuck on the ECP stage this season, but he is certainly not new to performing. He notes that he has “worked across the Upstate in (the) Greenville, Anderson, and Clemson areas.” Chuck counts Peter in “Jesus Christ Superstar”, Billy Nolan in “Carrie the Musical”, and Prince Dauntless in “Once Upon a Mattress” amongst his favorite roles. Chuck is also working in film and television as an “actor, director and writer”.

Chuck notes that he likes performing at ECP as the space is “so small and intimate”. Audiences are encouraged to attend “1959 Pink Thunderbird” for the entertainment value, and to support ECP’s partnership with Battle Buddies. The theatre will be collecting donations for Battle Buddies during all “1959 Pink Thunderbird” performances. Battle Buddies trains service dogs “for veterans suffering with PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injuries” (https://battlebuddiessc.org). Battle Buddies volunteers will be at the Playhouse for the March 22 opening night and both Sunday matinees.

ECP is serious about supporting this worthy cause, but there is fun to be had with "1959 Pink Thunderbird". As Chuck says, audiences should see the show “If they want to laugh. A lot.”

“1959 Pink Thunderbird” performances are at 7:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays and at 3pm on Sundays from March 22-31, 2019. Tickets are $12 each. Audiences are advised that the show has adult language and humor. Within "1959 Pink Thunderbird", the “Laundry & Bourbon” cast is Leigh Burton of Anderson as Elizabeth, Evelyn LeTeshia of Simpsonville as Hattie, and Sue Slayton of Anderson as Amy Lee. The “Lone Star” cast is Philip Hiott of Hartwell, GA as Roy, Cordie Kale of Clemson as Ray, and Chuck W. Chapman of Easley as Cletis. Marc Ludena is directing “1959 Pink Thunderbird”, with Anne Spake as Assistant Director/Stage Manager and Polly Ludena as Producer.

Electric City Playhouse (ECP) is a Non-Profit Theatre located at 514 North Murray Avenue, Anderson, SC 29625. Purchase tickets at https://ecplayhouse.com/ticket...
or by calling 864.224.4248.

ECP’s 2019 season includes: “The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)” (auditions are March 31 and April 1); “The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood”; “Moon Over Buffalo”; and “Messiah on the Frigidaire”. Additionally, the season includes two ECP Plus Productions for Mature Audience: “Life’s Stages” (four one-acts) and “The Santaland Diaries”. Individual and season tickets are available. Visit https://ecplayhouse.com or call 864.224.4248. Follow on Twitter @Ecplayhouse.