If you like television shows like “Evening Shade”, “Designing Women”, and “The Golden Girls”, and plays/films like “Steel Magnolias” you will be very pleased with The Playhouse at McConnellstown’s season opener “The Dixie Swim Club” written by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten. Directed by Terry Ayers, performances are June 12, 13, 18, 19, 20 at 8:00 PM, Sunday matinees are June 14th and 21st at 2:30 PM.

Five Southern women, whose friendships began many years ago on their college swim team, set aside a long weekend every August to recharge those relationships. Free from husbands, kids and jobs, they meet at the same beach cottage on North Carolina’s Outer Banks to catch up, laugh, and meddle in each other’s lives.

“The Dixie Swim Club” focuses on four of those weekends and spans a period of thirty-three years. Sheree, the spunky team captain (Shelby Metz of Petersburg), desperately tries to maintain her organized and “perfect” life, and continues to be the group’s leader. Dinah, the wisecracking overachiever (Anita Burkhart of Huntingdon), is a career dynamo. However, her victories in the courtroom are in stark contrast to the frustrations of her personal life.

Lexie, pampered and outspoken(Mary Garvey of Huntingdon), is determined to hold on to her looks and youth as long as possible. She enjoys being married—over and over and over again. The self-deprecating and acerbic Vernadette, acutely aware of the dark cloud that hovers over her life (Jeanne Nagurny of Huntingdon), has decided to just give in and embrace the chaos. And sweet, eager-to-please Jeri Neal (Susan DeMetrick of State College) experiences a life changing moment that takes them all by surprise.

Director Ayers ventures, “It has been a joy to work with five outstanding actress on such a wonderful show. Watching the set and characters grow with each rehearsal has put a spring in my step. We have all worked as a “team” and we have been truly blessed to have character development direction from the wonderful Jeanne Allen. I’m going to really miss working with all of these truly fine ladies.”

As their lives unfold and the years pass, these women increasingly rely on one another. With advice and raucous repartee, they get through their challenges — men, sex, marriage, parenting, divorce, and aging. When fate throws a wrench into one of their lives these friends, proving the enduring power of “teamwork,” rally around each other with the strength and love that takes this comedy in a poignant and surprising direction, and proves that true “families” are not always biological.

The playhouse is located at 11680 Raystown Road (Route 26), five miles south of Huntingdon. For reservations and information, please call (814) 627-0311.