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By LIZZIE BOWEN | Staff Writer

PELHAM – South City Theatre will soon present Don Gordon’s romantic comedy, Panache, directed by Clay Boyce.

“Seven letters. Two people. One vanity plate. Kathleen, a Scarsdale socialite, wants something Harry, a short-order cook from Brooklyn, already has. Harry has his reasons for refusing to exchange plates,” read a Panache press release. “Kathleen resolves to use her feminine charms and her checkbook to make Harry fork over the goods. But nothing is simple, and what begins as a ridiculous squabble over a seemingly unimportant matter turns into a poignant, funny and bumpy ride toward the mending of two broken lives. A must see.”

Show dates and times are April 14 and 15, April 20-22 at 7:30 p.m. and April 16, 2023 at 2 p.m. The production will be starring Alan Ashman, David Gauntt, Patrice Headington, Keith Ngo and Elane Barlow.

“This is the first time this script has been produced at this theatre,” Boyce said. “(My favorite part is the) meaning behind it. That everyone has pain in their lives. We can’t escape it. But we can learn from the pain and then grow into what God brings our way. We never plan on the souls we meet but we can listen with open hearts and let others see our “panache”, our souls.”

When asked about his favorite part of production, Boyce said his favorite is the cast.

“And yes, a director says that about every show they direct,” Boyce said. “But, this story could not be told without the actors and each one of the actors in this production has brought a piece of themselves to their roles. The humanity that they have given these characters is amazing.”

Boyce shared that in a 1903 speech French poet Rostand described the production “panache” as: “A little frivolous perhaps, most certainly a little theatrical, panache is nothing but a grace which is so difficult to retain in the face of death, a grace which demands so much strength that, all the same, it is a grace…which I wish for all of us.”

“That is exactly the story this production hopes to tell,” Boyce said.

In terms of what audiences can expect when viewing this production, Boyce said, “The joy of finding love where you least expect it and how we can connect to others who come into our lives can be expected upon viewing.”

More information on Panache can be found at the official South City Theater Facebook page at Facebook.com/Southcitytheater. Tickets can be purchased at Southcitytheatre.com/get-tickets.