HONKY TONK HISSY FIT

Another Doublewide Texas Comedy

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

Presented by CAT – Chamberlayne Actor’s Theatre

At: The Bradley Theatre at Hanover Tavern, 13181 Hanover Courthouse Rd., Route 301, Hanover, VA 23069

Performances: June 6-22, 2025

Ticket Prices: $34.00 General Admission. $30.00 Seniors 60+

Info: (804) 362-2950 or www.cattheatre.com

Honky Tonk Hissy Fit is the third in the trilogy of Doublewide comedies written by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten. Published in 2021, HHSF as supposed to have its world premiere at CAT, but COVID happened. The play had its world premiere April 30, 2021 at the Lake Country Playhouse in Mineola, TX, but the published book carries the following dedication:

            HONKY TONK HISSY FIT was originally scheduled to receive

its world premiere at Chamberlayne Actors Theatre, Richmond,

Virginia, on September 18, 2020. Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic,

the premiere had to be cancelled. We dedicate this play to Kelly

St. Clair and all the members of CAT Theatre who tirelessly sought

to find a way to produce this comedy.

The earlier parts of the trilogy have been presented in Richmond and you can find my reviews of Doublewide, Texas performed by CAT Theatre in June 2018 (https://jdldancesrva.com/2018/06/05/doublewide-texas-a-hoot-n-a-hollar/) , followed by A Doublewide, Texas Christmas in November-December 2018 (https://jdldancesrva.com/2018/06/05/doublewide-texas-a-hoot-n-a-hollar/) both at CAT’s former Wilkinson Rd. location.

In the first part of the trilogy, the tiny town of Doublewide is threatened with annexation by the nearby town of Tugaloo. The Christmas show found the little town – population 10 – facing complications as they awaited their incorporation papers. Having survived all of that – plus COVID – Honky Tonk Hissy Fit now finds the town has grown from 4 trailers and a shed to 17 doublewide mobile homes and proudly hosts a weekend farmer’s market. Just when things are looking up, here comes another attack, this time from a corporation in Austin that wants to buy them out and turn the whole town into an immersive experience for tourists. Once it becomes known that the plan would force everyone to relocate, the fight is on, led, once again, by Mayor Joveeta Crumpler, played, for the third time, by Crystal Oakley.

Also returning are Laura McFarland-Bukalski as Big Ether Satterwhite, director of the local senior residence, Stairway to Heaven Retirement Center, Lisa Piper as Georgia Dean Rudd, and Wally Jones as Haywood Sloggett.

The southern-styled comedy is not short of laughs, from “Baby” Crumpler’s dance moves to Haywood Sloggett’s pursuit of the local celebrity and town matriarch Caprice Crumpler. Georgia Dean is still in charge of the local diner, Mayor Joveeta Crumpler maintains her position as the town’s solo voice of reason, and free-spirit Larken Barken trades in her fresh pressed juices for a caffeine kick.

Crystal Oakley owns her character of Joveeta with a deliciously southern genteel passion, while Rebekah Spence plays up the larger-than-life character of Joveeta’s mother, Caprice. Harper Channing, making her CAT debut as the villainous Stacy Parker, introduced a precarious balance between “bless-your-heart” and heartless   businesswoman clawing her way to a promotion.

While Honky Tonk Hissy Fit is a stand-alone play, knowing the background of the previous Doublewide shows provides helpful information and sets up ground level expectations. There were, indeed, laughs aplenty, but…

Overall, Honky Tonk Hissy Fit fell a bit flat. The set looked tired, worn-out, drab. The laughs were genuine, but the delivery seemed at times to be lackluster. The pacing wasn’t too slow, but the delivery sometimes felt…forced? I’m not saying I didn’t have a good time, but I don’t believe CAT pulled out the good company dishes for this one.

———-

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County. When not writing about theater, she teaches dance history at VCU and low impact dance fitness classes to seasoned movers like herself and occasionally gets to perform.

HONKY TONK HISSY FIT:

A Doublewide Texas Comedy

Written by Jones Hope Wooten

Directed by Mike Fletcher

Cast

Big Ethel Satterwhite          …..      Laura McFarland-Bukalski

Georgia Dean Rud              …..      Lisa Piper

Nash Sloggett                      …..      Michael Edward McClain

Larken Barken                      …..      Payton Vernier

Caprice Crumpler               …..      Rebekah Spence

Haywood Sloggett              …..      Wally Jones

Joveeta Inez Crumpler       …..      Crystal Oakley

Norwayne “Baby” Crumpler …..      Chris Yarbrough

Harper Channing                 …..      Stacy Parker

Creative Design Team & Crew

Producer –  Crystal Oakley

Hanover Tavern Executive Director – David Deal

Lighting Design – TJ Washington

Scenic Design – Scott Bergman

Costume Design – Alison Eichler

Sound Design – CC Corrieri

Properties Design – Sandi Bergman

Lights and Sound Operator – CC Corrieri

Publicity – Jason Lucas

Photography – Daryll Morgan Studios

Set Construction – Charles ax, Sandi Bergman Kerrigan Sullivan, Scott Bergman, Crystal Oakley, CC Corrieri

Setting

Doublewide, Texas. The present. The play takes place over 8 days in late spring.

Run Time

Approximately 2 hours, including one 15-minute intermission