‘Calendar Girls’ ripple effect reaches Sequim

When the ladies of Rylstone Women’s Institute produced their calendar of sepia-toned nudes in 1999, they couldn’t have known the actions they took would resonate so strongly with the public that they’d raise more than six million pounds for Blood Cancer UK and their story would inspire countless interviews and articles, more calendars, books, a movie, a musical.

And also a play, which local thespians and crew say has affected their own lives and perspectives on the female body and story — in all its variations.

Olympic Theatre Arts’ “Calendar Girls,” written by Tim Firth and directed by Ellen Butchart, opens on April 28 and runs through May 14, with showtimes at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays.

The 14-person cast features both new actors and veterans of the OTA stage in what representatives say is “about coming-of-age at any age.

“It’s a charming, funny, ribald tale of the enduring power of sisterhood, friendship and long-lived relationships. It is also a story about ambition unrealized, the inevitability of loss and the distinct possibility that we all grow better as we grow older.”

Tickets are $20 and available online at olympictheatrearts.org or by calling the box office (360-683-7326) between 1-4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday.

The two-act dramedy resembles the movie of the same name, which was inspired by the real-life story of the ladies of Rylstone, Yorkshire, England, but has “lots of differences,” said Butchart.

“This is so much more economical. It covers a shorter span of time.”

Butchart said that as soon as she heard that “Calendar Girls” had been voted for as the OTA Members’ Choice play for 2023, she asked to direct it.

“I don’t think there are enough plays about women,” she said. “This is really a narrative centered on women’s stories. It’s such a privilege.”

Butchart has a extensive background in film, but said this is her first time directing a play, and that Marissa Meek has been helping her learn her new role.

“I think of her as a journey-woman of the theater,” Butchart said.

“Theater is all about collaboration,” she said. “It’s been a great collaboration.”

‘Empowerment a theme’

Butchart praised the dedication of the cast and their willingness to work through their own discomfort to portray the evolution of their characters.

“This group of middle-aged and older women live in a small rural community. Their lives have been defined by narrow cultural expectations and limited by the opportunities open to them,” said Butchart, noting that though the play is set in England, following the playwright’s instructions the actors are not changing their accents.

“When the husband [John] of one of the ‘girls’ dies from cancer, they decide to step way, way out of their comfort zones, and the safe spaces that they’ve inhabited, to raise money for a comfortable couch in the family sitting room of their local hospital. In their courageous and generous act of raising money by posing nude in their Women’s Institute calendar, they learn confidence, body positivity, and support each other through other difficult life events.”

Both crew and cast members spoke of “empowerment” as a major theme of this play.

“At the end of the day, the takeaway is the empowerment of women,” co-director William Stone said. “The play has been eye-opening for me. I’ve learned a lot.”

Stone said that the play is fast-moving, with lots of props and a big cast, including complete newcomers to the stage, making for a challenging and fun learning experience.

Merrin Packer, who plays the musician Ruth, said the play, “is about females loving their bodies where they’re at, women supporting women, about validating women’s experiences and their bodies showing that experience.

“Going into these characters, none of us were very comfortable, but by opening night, we will be,” she said.

Tara Dupont, who plays the outgoing character Chris, said that in the past, “I never felt that I fit the mold of what a woman should be,” but she has come to accept her own unique appearance.

The play, Dupont said, is about appreciating the body one has, not an abstract ideal. She said that her character comes to realize that “friendship and the journey are more important than fame and glory.”

Dupont said that performing at OTA since auditioning for the first time in 2021 has dramatically increased her confidence level.

“I started appreciating myself,” she said. “I have to go out and pursue my dreams. I’ve met fantastic people here, made friendships and really grown as a person.”

Real life ‘Calendar Girl’ and photographer

In an email, Patricia Stewart of the original “Calendar Girls” wrote about the sequence of events which has led to this moment for OTA’s cast, crew and audiences:

“When I had the initial idea for the calendar, it was a joke at a WI [Women’s Institute] meeting a long time before John was ill.

“The idea came back when John was ill and I thought it would help distract him while he had his treatment. After he died, I thought we should just do it and dedicate it to John’s memory. I did not feel courageous or empowered, but happy that we were doing something positive after such a tragedy and could perhaps raise £5,000 for research into blood related cancers. Everything fell into place like it was meant to happen.

“However, the effect was to change the image of the Women’s Institute, alter the perception of the older woman [not that is I considered us to be older women], encourage more charity calendars, raising millions for great causes and giving opportunities to older actresses — for which they thanked us profusely.

“I think that the actors, either professional or amateur realize our story is about so much more than nudity when they become involved. The calendar seems to have a life and a magic of its own.”

The character of Chris was based on Stewart.

She said, “I knew we had to let our story go — that it was not a documentary — only about 50 percent of the movie is true. I accepted that I was portrayed as a bit of a megalomaniac!

“I didn’t challenge anything, even though I disliked the American advert part — we have never done anything distasteful in 24 years. We allowed them to make a movie that would work.”

Among the major differences between real life and the movie/play was the role of the calendar photographer.

The “professional and artistic experience” of Terry Logan, the original photographer “were indispensable to the success of the projects,” Steward said. “Without his photos, the calendar would not have been this huge success — he made it a work of art.”

“They thought that my background was not very believable,” Logan wrote in an email. “Before I retired to my career as an artist here in Yorkshire in the ’60/’70s I was an art director with J.W. Thompson Advertising, in Vancouver, B.C.”

His experience made him “the natural choice as a photographer for that ‘Calendar’ here in Yorkshire,” but Logan said that it was decided that an amateur photographer who worked as a hospital porter was more believable for the movie/play.

“It shows just how much their appreciation of the quality of the photos and the important part they played in the success of the ‘Calendar’ was … because all proceeds were going to Leukaemia Research I had to let it go.”

Said Logan, “My wife Lynda [who was Miss July in the Calendar] and I wish everyone involved with the play every success and if we had lived closer we would have loved to attend.”

Olympic Theatre Arts’ ‘Calendar Girls’

When: 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, April 28-May 14

Where: Olympic Theatre Arts, 414 N. Sequim Ave.

Tickets: $20 adults, $15 students

On the web/more info: olympictheatrearts.org, 360-683-7326

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen / Front, from left to right, Merrin Packer, Taryn Dupont, Cheryl DiPietro, and behind, Cheryl Tamblyn, Jamie Pauley and Amy Henry participate in a poignant scene in “Calendar Girls,” Olympic Theatre Arts’ newest production, scheduled to run from April 28 to May 14.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen / Front, from left to right, Merrin Packer, Taryn Dupont, Cheryl DiPietro, and behind, Cheryl Tamblyn, Jamie Pauley and Amy Henry participate in a poignant scene in “Calendar Girls,” Olympic Theatre Arts’ newest production, scheduled to run from April 28 to May 14.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen / From lfet to right, actors Merrin Packer, Jamie Pauley, Amy Henry, Cheryl Tamblyn, Ron Rager, Tara Dupont, Ken Burland and Cheryl DiPietro rehearse a Christmas Scene for Olympic Theatre Art’s upcoming production Calendar Girls, scheduled to run from April 28 to May 14.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen / From lfet to right, actors Merrin Packer, Jamie Pauley, Amy Henry, Cheryl Tamblyn, Ron Rager, Tara Dupont, Ken Burland and Cheryl DiPietro rehearse a Christmas Scene for Olympic Theatre Art’s upcoming production Calendar Girls, scheduled to run from April 28 to May 14.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen / Cheryl DiPietro and Ken Burland, playing married couple Annie and John in OTA’s newest production “Calendar Girls”, share a private moment on the eve of his passing.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen / Ann Burland plays a small role as presenter Brenda Hulse in “Calendar Girls,” an OTA production based on the true story of a group of Yorkshire women and a local professional photographer who produce a discretely nude calendar to raise money for cancer research 24 years ago. Currently they have raised more than 6 million pounds.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen / marilyn snook plays Marie in “Calendar Girls,” an OTA production based on the true story of a group of Yorkshire women and a local professional photographer who produce a discretely nude calendar to raise money for cancer research 24 years ago. Currently they have raised more than 6 million pounds.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen / Cheryl Tamblin as Ruth and Tara Dupont as Chris share an comedic interaction during OTA’s “Calendar Girls,” OTA’s upcoming production.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen / Although she has an extensive background in film, “Calendar Girls” is Ellen Butchart’s directorial debut. She says, “I would love to be involved in more women centric plays, and I am committed to community theater as a gathering and sharing space. Representation is so important. The dramatic arts offer us a wonderful space to showcase not only women, but all folks who feel their lives have been underrepresented.”