‘Getting Sara Married’ to Premiere at PowPAC

For a night of lighthearted romance and laughs, attend a production of Getting Sara Married—a comedy that features the tumultuous love life of a lawyer in her mid-30s.

The show will run at the  from April 20 to May 20. There are Friday and Saturday performances that begin at 8 p.m., while Sunday shows begin at 2 p.m.  

Director Jay Mower said the play touches him in two ways.

“One is that it’s incredibly funny—there’s a sitcom feel to it. It’s almost on the verge of being outrageous, but it’s still grounded. And there’s a real cute love story in it. I like the combination of the two.”

The comedy—written by well-known playwright Sam Bobrick—is about Sara Hastings, an unmarried lawyer who is too busy to have a love life in New York.

Marriage is her lowest priority, but yet her eccentric Aunt Martha takes on the role of matchmaker to find her a husband. Unluckily, she finds Brandon Cates, a financial planner who is already engaged.

“You never know where love is going to come,” Mower said. “In this case, it’s really trying to push the girl to fall in love with this man, but he’s already engaged. So he’s, quote-unquote, in love with someone else. They try to stay apart for the whole play and eventually, they end up being attracted. You see this love blossom in an unlikely situation, with two people who really have their eyes elsewhere.”

In one scene, Cates is knocked unconscious and taken to Sara’s apartment. Cates’ engagement does not prevent Sara’s aunt from pairing them together.

Mower points out one of his favorite scenes of love and affection in the storyline.

“The lead actress drops of tray of dishes on the floor. She kneels down on the floor to clean it up. The lead actor, who starting to be attracted to her, but neither of them really know it yet. He starts talking to her (and) starts inching towards her. By the end of the scene, he’s sitting really close to her. And all of a sudden, they turn and their eyes meet.”

There are about seven weeks of rehearsal, in which cast and crew members practice for three hours every weekday.

“This week, we’re in dress rehearsal—they’re in full make-up and costume, with full lights and sounds too,” Mower said.

In addition to a lead actor dropping out a few weeks ago, Mower points out the challenges in organizing a comedy production.

“When you do comedy, you don’t want to be too outrageous with it. But you really need to work on the timing and pace. That’s more of a interesting and enjoyable challenge than with a drama.”

Mower hopes viewers will enjoy the show.

“I think the audiences will come away with a lot of laughs and an enjoyable evening of theatre,” Mower said.

General admission is $18, but seniors and students tickets cost $15. The theater is handicap accessible. To make a reservation, call (858) 679-8085 or email boxoffice@powpac.org.

• April 19 is the first day of the at the . The free event is open to children and adults, who are asked to illustrate the chapel in celebration of the church’s 125th birthday on June 23.

The deadline for submission is May 15. For rules and more information, visit the website or call (858) 748-3304.

• Also on April 19, there will be a at 8:30 p.m. at  . The weekly free event features the group Gomez Blues Project.