County Seat production is all about second acts

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again - in life as well as theater. After postponing its performance of "Finishing School" in 2020 because of the pandemic, the County Seat Theater Company will present Elaine Liner's comedy, opening next Friday.

This comedy about life's second act finds older gents Al (Ken Peter) and Wizzer (Michael Rosen) meeting on a park bench every morning to read and mock newspaper obits. Their daily rituals - shooting the bull about sports, women loved and lost, and the many annoyances of aging - are suddenly shaken up by the appearance of a friendly young woman (Elizabeth Klawitter) and her flirty mom (Etta Souder).

Wizzer pep-talks lonely widower Al to convince him to break out of his self-imposed "quantum of solace" and maybe find love again, while also dealing with his own fear of ending up in the memory care unit at their assisted living facility.

"We all face the challenges of growing older," said director Ruthie Breuer. "'Finishing School' takes a glimpse inside the lives of two men and the people who come into their lives, and they come to realize that life is not a race and that we should cherish each day and what it gives us."

Punctuated with true-to-life moments familiar to anyone with an aging parent or spouse, "Finishing School" takes an upbeat attitude toward life after 60, 70 and beyond.

With new guidance, the County Seat Theater will be offering live shows as well as on-demand performances.

"With our last show selling out, it will be nice to be adding more seats back into the house," said general manager Joel Soukkala. "We plan to add only as many seats as needed and still keep some distancing between patrons. We will also be requiring guests to wear masks upon arrival but plan to loosen some of those restrictions as well."

The County Seat Theater Company will present live performances May 28-29 and June 2-4 at 7 p.m. and May 30 and June 5-6 at 2 p.m., at the Encore Performing Arts Center, 2035 Highway 33 South (Frontage Road) in Cloquet.

"We are still offering on-demand performances for those still not comfortable coming back into the space or for those who just live too far away," Soukkala said. On-demand performances will be available for viewing June 4-6.

Tickets for live or virtual performances can be reserved by calling the box office at 218-878-0071 or online at http://www.countyseattheater.com.

The County Seat Theater Company offers a full season of local performances, as well as youth productions and musical acts, and has an art gallery featuring works by local artists.