Enter the colorful world of cable access TV hostess, Earlene Hoople, the self-proclaimed ``Queen of Rural Media,`` as she tapes her Christmas Special in front of a live audience. Letters to Mrs. Clause, an an outrageous family slide show, fresh-baked snickerdoodles and a visit form the church hand bell choir set the stage for a picture perfect evening of theatre. Buckle up because Earlene is dangerously close to crafting her way out of her mind and into your heart this holiday season.
Meet the Cast
John McGivern
is a member of Milwaukee’s #1 Morning Radio show with Dave and Carole on 96.5 WKLH. John is best know for his PBS Special, John McGivern’s Home for the Holidays and the Emmy-Award-Winning Special, The Early Stories of John McGivern. He can be seen in the Emmy-Award-Winning Weekly Series: Around the Corner with John McGivern, which airs on all Wisconsin PBS Stations and PBS Stations in Minnesota and Chicago’s WTTW. John is proud to have been part of We’re Funny That Way on HBO and Out There II on Comedy Central. He was seen sitting next to Sally Field on Politically Incorrect and knighted by Julie Andrews in the hit film The Princess Diaries.
Jay Byrd
began performing in an original old-time country folk duo called Y'all, for which he donned a dress, told tall tales and sang songs with his partner Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer. Y'all made national television appearances on Jon Stewart's first talk show for MTV, as well as on Comedy Central and MTV's sister station M2. The duo spent two years in a twenty-foot travel trailer with a third man and his dog, which became the basis for the independent documentary film, "Life in a Box.” Nowadays, Jay lives in Austin, Texas, performing in local theater productions with the likes of the Rude Mechanicals and Salvage Vanguard Theater.
Marianne Curan
studied and performed sketch comedy at LA’s Groundlings and has made numerous appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno with her spot-on portrayals of Martha Stewart, Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin. Marianne’s impressions have been featured on The Frank Caliendo Show as well as in the National Lampoon film Totally Baked. Other TV credits include HBO’s Big Love, Malcolm in the Middle on Fox and the VH-1 entertainment news spoof Hollywood Tonight. Marianne’s been the hostess with the mostest on numerous talk, lifestyle and game shows for ABC, Fox, HGTV, USA, and PBS. She currently co-hosts Bob & Marianne In the Morning on Warm 98 with her husband Bob Goen.
Videos
Reviews
She’s Funny; She’s Friendly; She’s Charming; She Bakes.”
The result is a holiday nirvana for McGivern fans, a gift box of cleverly staged sight gags, folksy insight and seasonal humor wrapped with just enough social realism to make it relevant. This is a slickly produced piece of theater, and its inventiveness extends beyond the witty script and McGivern’s polished delivery.
McGivern winds us up like a toy soldier; we are just about limp with laughter and then, at the end, he gives us not just Earlene’s humor, but her slightly broken heart. And he leaves us with the message that family is the one place you can go to heal. Even if, as she puts it, “the people you love the most are the ones you want to spend the least time with.”
Contact Us
info@sweetwoodproductions.com or 985-373-5157