Hillbilly heaven: Valley Center Playhouse dishes out knee-slappin' fun with 'Possum City, USA'

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Jody Renstrom just wants to have a little clean fun.

At least that's the idea behind the Valley Center Playhouse in Lindon.

For more than 30 years now, Renstrom and her husband have been offering family-oriented entertainment to Utah Valley.

"Possum City, USA" is no different. Written by Renstrom herself, the play is a hillbilly comedy filled with slapstick humor and lively music, and nothing that will leave anyone blushing.

"There aren't a lot of really good clean plays out there," Renstrom said. "So when I was teaching, I refused a lot of plays because of dirty [content], and just decided to write my own."

That was a decision that has proved successful, especially this year.

Of the 10 plays that the Valley Center Playhouse will produce this year, eight were written by Renstrom. But even with such a wealth of plays under her belt, Renstrom still labels "Possum City, USA" one of her favorites.

"It's just a lot of fun the whole time and kind of a little mini-Broadway production," she said. "By intermission, everyone is laughing."

The play is the story of Ralph Ratcliff, a popular boy who comes to Possum City looking for a new act for the Grand Ole Opry. To his surprise, he finds that Possum City is full of talent -- and a whole lot of silliness. The play was inspired in part by the fun and silly antics of Daisy Mae and Li'l Abner, comic strip characters that Renstrom saw depicted in a play years ago.

"I just thought, oh this is so much fun to watch these hillbilly folk, and it's so fun and full of life and energy and toe-tapping music, and I thought I'd really like to write my own," she said.

But Renstrom couldn't use the same character names, so she thought of her own: Lulla Dawn, Ella Mae and Peaches Monroe are just a few of the endearing characters audiences will meet in "Possum City, USA."

The production is now open and will run through Aug. 6. An hour and a half of hillbilly silliness, this play is sure to delight those who attend.

If You Go

Possum City, USA

When: Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays through Aug. 6 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: Valley Center Playhouse, 780 N. 200 East, Lindon

Tickets: $6, $5 for students, seniors and children, $25 per family. No babes in arms or children under 4.

Info: 224-5310, www.vcpnews.com

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