The Sweet Delilah Swim Club is a heartfelt and humorous play that explores the enduring bond of friendship among five women who first met as members of a college swim team. Set over the course of several decades, the story follows their annual reunions at a North Carolina beach cottage, where they navigate life’s triumphs, heartbreaks, and unexpected turns together. Filled with warmth, wit, and poignancy, the play beautifully captures themes of lasting friendship, the passage of time, and the resilience of the human spirit.
To delve deeper into these themes and the process of bringing this touching story to life, we asked the cast of TheaterWorks' production, which was just recently extended through August 10th, to sit down and answer some questions about the roles they play. From their answers, it's easy to see how each actress brings a unique perspective to her role, revealing the layers of humor, love, and vulnerability that make these characters feel so real and relatable. Their answers also provide insights into their characters’ journeys, how they relate to the strong bond portrayed on stage, and the ways the play resonates with their own lives.
We also asked the cast about the challenges they face in balancing the play’s comedic moments with its more emotional beats, as well as how they approached portraying characters over such a long span of time. Their reflections shed light on the collaborative process, the joys of working on an ensemble piece, and the rewarding experience of telling a story that celebrates friendship in all its messy, beautiful complexity.
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| Amy Garland |
Amy Garland
What can you tell us about the character you play, and how you connected with her on a personal level?
"I play Dinah Grayson, who sort of runs on sarcasm and vodka. She is an accomplished lawyer, career driven, but prioritizes her time with these four women that she loves fiercely. Sarcasm is definitely my love language! I really connect with Dinah's ability to find the humor in a situation, to find the lighter side even in the midst of some enormous challenges."
This play explores the lifelong bond between five women- did you have any prior offstage relationships with your castmates that helped influence the onstage chemistry?
"I have the great fortune of being friends with Carrie Ellen Jones, who plays Jeri Neal. Carrie and I became fast friends when we did a production of God of Carnage a few years ago and I could not be more grateful for having her in my life. Being friends and having worked onstage together gives us a kind of short hand that I feel enriches our characters. I also have to say that every single one of these women is an absolute rock star and they give everything they have every show. It's amazing to feel so safe and supported onstage."
What was the most challenging scene or moment for you to perform, and how did you prepare for it?
"I have a serious exchange in Act II with one of the characters and I really want it to feel genuine every single time. I don't have any real preparation, we're all sort of in a mad dash to change costumes and hair and makeup for most of the show. For me, this prevents getting too in my head. I just have to (literally) pull on my big girl pants and get onstage, then really listen to all the beautiful, hilarious stuff everyone is sending my way."
How did you approach balancing the humor and emotional depth that the play requires?
"When doing a show that has so many wild, funny moments, it can be challenging to trust that it's ok to slow down and let a scene breathe. The freedom I feel to do this is built on the talent and engagement of the other actresses - we're all taking this leap together."
What message or theme in the play resonates most with you, and why?
"This show for me is about the power of friendship, female friendship in particular. It really moves through different stages of these women's lives and presents them with honesty, humor and so much love. We have had a number of audience members tell us that they see themselves and their friends reflected onstage and for me that means we are really doing our jobs."
Do you have a favorite line or scene in the play that you feel really captures its spirit?
"Every entrance by Vernadette is my favorite moment. There's always a story behind it, it's always nutty, and there's always an element of 'this is why coming together every year for this sacred weekend is so important'. "
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| Carrie Ellen Jones |
Carrie Ellen Jones
What can you tell us about the character you play, and how you connected with her on a personal level?
"I play Jeri Neal who became a nun right after college graduation. Jeri Neal is sweet and supportive. Though Sheree is the team captain, I find Jeri Neal to be its own little cheerleader. She is the peace seeker in the group and deeply devoted to the friendship. While Jeri Neal has a very different personality than I do :) I relate to her in her desire for peace between people and in her embracing of God's voice in her life and her ability to embrace change. "
This play explores the lifelong bond between five women- did you have any prior offstage relationships with your castmates that helped influence the onstage chemistry?
"I did! I have worked with Virginia Olivieri, our director before as a director and stage partner in 2018... albeit in a VERY different role! Amy Garland, who plays Dinah, is one of my real-life off-stage besties! I became her fan after seeing her in a 2015 production. We officially met at an audition within a year and in 2018 did a show together. She's been stuck with me ever since! We are both really busy wives, moms, daughters, employees...all the things and very much wanted to do this summer show together. We did the journey of auditions and callbacks together, ultimately being excited to both be cast. I have enjoyed getting to meet the other amazing women in this show, but it has definitely been a special experience for me doing it with Amy. "
What was the most challenging scene or moment for you to perform, and how did you prepare for it?
"Bwahahahaha. Jeri Neal is full of surprises in this show! But...overall....just being Jeri Neal was a challenge for me. I typically play very dramatic, serious, and strong roles with long speeches and/or big devastations and tears. Jeri Neal is so sweet and innocent overall. She has a softer type of strength and is really different yet fun to play! I prepared for her by trying to dig into the most patient, most sweet parts of who I am and thinking about what I feel like around people who have similar personalities to Jeri Neal because those people are precious unicorns!"
How did you approach balancing the humor and emotional depth that the play requires?
"This part wasn't too hard for me. I think life is made up of ALL the moments. Laughter and tears, hate and love, trial and triumph....the two sides of the coin are always only a breath away from each other. Just embracing this reality helped to bring that to our Sweet Delilah story. "
What message or theme in the play resonates most with you, and why?
"This show reminds me of the beauty found in relationships with people who aren't just like you. If you have a shared core value or a shared bond, other differences should never break that. The way these women love each other for who they are, even in spite of who they are :) is really special. "
Do you have a favorite line or scene in the play that you feel really captures its spirit?
"I have two! One is my own Jeri Neal's line when she says "I look at you and see the 18 year olds I met at the pool that day in Winston Salem". It's so sweet how she returns to where their friendship began in a difficult moment and reminds them all of how they started and where this current relationship stemmed from. Sometimes we need to be reminded of our "roots" when the plant is shaking!
The second is a line of Lexie's when she says near the end Oh my goodness! "If these walls could talk...." There is a sense of home in that cottage for these women. The walls hold a treasure trove of memories both shared there and created there. Sweet Delilah lets the audience hear the walls talk for four moments in time so that line resonates with me. "
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| Bridgette Martinez |
Bridgette Martinez
What can you tell us about the character you play, and how you connected with her on a personal level?
"My character Vernadette is a (barely) walking disaster. Everyone loves Vernie and just wants the best for her. Unfortunately for her, every turn is one more unlucky catastrophe. Beyond the physical and emotional insanity, she always shows up for her friends. I connect with Vernie because I also tend to trip, spill, and cause chaos while maintaining intense loyalty to those I love."
This play explores the lifelong bond between five women- did you have any prior offstage relationships with your castmates that helped influence the onstage chemistry?
"I did not know any of the women when I first auditioned, but within that audition room I knew they had to be the ones. Ever since we have laughed, cried, shopped, and screamed (there was a bug in my hair) together. "
What was the most challenging scene or moment for you to perform, and how did you prepare for it?
"The most challenging scene to prepare for was scene 3. This scene has laughter, anger, dry wit, and quite a bit of lines to get through. It also happens to be the scene that I became most proud of in the end. I prepared with repetition, repetition, repetition."
How did you approach balancing the humor and emotional depth that the play requires?
"I love using physical humor and dry wit on a daily basis so the hard part was not the humor. The emotional depth took more practice, but these ladies made it easier than ever because of how real they are. I constantly feel like I’m on set of a sitcom/drama."
What message or theme in the play resonates most with you, and why?
"Friendship. I started the year off knowing I wanted to invest more in my friendships with women who I have common values with. This show gave me excellent girl friends and taught me the value of keeping those valuable friendships."
Do you have a favorite line or scene in the play that you feel really captures its spirit?
"My favorite line is a spoiler so I’ll keep that one to myself! Bring those tissues."
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| Vanessa Nelson |
Vanessa Nelson
What can you tell us about the character you play, and how you connected with her on a personal level?
"My family will be the first to tell you that Sheree and I are very similar. We both love a plan, and organized fun. She is Type 'A' through and through and takes being a team captain to a whole new level. She loves to be needed and loves to do things for the people she loves. She can come off as intense but it is truly all out of love. As someone who has been called 'intense' on multiple occasions I instantly felt a kinship with Sheree. We can be a lot but we love fiercely and are the first to go to bat for the people we love. Selfishly, I think having these people in your life is not only a privilege but a necessity. "
This play explores the lifelong bond between five women- did you have any prior offstage relationships with your castmates that helped influence the onstage chemistry?
"I am so lucky to have known our Lexie, Stephanie Vlasich, from one of my other favorite shows with five women, 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche. Knowing Stephanie definitely helped our onstage chemistry. Lexie and Sheree have a crossroads in scene 2 and we were able to perform that scene with such honesty from the beginning. Me and Stephanie both also lost our fathers late last year and having someone going through something like that at the same time as you brings you together on another level.
I was also so honored to have known our director, Virginia Olivieri, for over 10 years. This is actually the third, all-female show I have had the pleasure of doing with her. First, Love Loss and What I Wore, then 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, and now The Sweet Delilah Swim Club. There is a reason I have worked with Virginia so many times. As a person, she is amazing and a joy. As a director, Virginia is unmatched. The trust I can put in her, and the trust she puts in her actors leads to magic onstage."
What was the most challenging scene or moment for you to perform, and how did you prepare for it?
"Scene 4 for sure. It is the accumulation of a lifetime of friendship between these women. I think I can speak for everyone when I say we not only need, but want to do that justice. The best thing I can do before preparing for this scene is to sit and listen and really be in the moment, and not let my mind wander. Our incredible sound team set up waves that continue through the entire show to establish the beach house, the speaker is right where I enter so I stand and I listen to the sounds of the waves and let me mind settle, then I think about my friends and relationships that mean as much to me as these women do to each other. "
How did you approach balancing the humor and emotional depth that the play requires?
"I think this is something you learn just going through life, and as actors, we may just be more aware of it since we are so used to telling human stories. As I mentioned before, I lost my dad late last year, and I think my family and I did an excellent job honoring him and taking the time to be sad, but also laugh about everything he used to do that would make us laugh, or even drive us crazy. The emotional depth gives you the opportunity to see the humour. Its okay to laugh, and its necessary. Not to 'hide' your emotions, but just because it is human nature to feel conflicting emotions, even if they are opposite. "
What message or theme in the play resonates most with you, and why?
"Life has no schedule, the universe doesn't match your 'plan', but if you have the right people to go through life with you, you can get through anything. And to enjoy every moment, because it will be over before you know it."
Do you have a favorite line or scene in the play that you feel really captures its spirit?
"For me this is scene 2, we have people roaring with laughter and, without giving anything away, it comes to a head where we are all having an honest conversation about aging. I have seen audience members nodding in their seats and I even heard a woman finish my sentence at one point. That is what this show is about, telling real stories about five women, their friendship, and the thief of time. "
What can you tell us about the character you play, and how you connected with her on a personal level?
"Lexie Richards is such an amazing character to play. She’s more complicated than she seems, and she is spicy and sweet at the same time. I connect with Lexie in that way - I am sweet and loving, but I can be a spicy pepper when I need to be!"
This play explores the lifelong bond between five women- did you have any prior offstage relationships with your castmates that helped influence the onstage chemistry?
"Yes! Vanessa and I shared the stage in a previous TheaterWorks show, 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, and Virginia also directed that show. That was a cast of 5 women, too - so of course we all bonded. That bond with Vanessa is really what makes that on stage chemistry shine.
Virginia and I met a little over 10 years ago when we did Wizard of Oz together and we have been best friends since. Virginia is part of my 1% crew - someone I can tell anything to without judgement. I know I can always count on her to be supportive, but also call me out on my BS. We already know that we are going to have a Golden Girls living situation when we are older, and I can’t wait!"
What was the most challenging scene or moment for you to perform, and how did you prepare for it?
"I struggle with the final scene. Without giving anything away, it’s a heartwarming and emotional moment. Preparing for that emotional/mental state comes easy to me as I am an emotional gal who loves hard."
How did you approach balancing the humor and emotional depth that the play requires?
"It’s always a fine balance between humor and deep emotion. I try to not be too serious and find the humor, even in the worst situations, so I try to bring that real life to the stage in this beautifully written production."
What message or theme in the play resonates most with you, and why?
"Value the time that you have with your loved ones. Hold them close, be there, show up, support and love them fiercely. Those are the ones who will always be there for you, no matter what."
Do you have a favorite line or scene in the play that you feel really captures its spirit?
"It’s so hard to pick one, but my favorite scene would have to be Act 1, Scene 2. The scene shows the real bond between friends who have known one another for decades. It shows that through ups and downs, friendships like theirs can never be torn apart."
