Lovely Sarah Lovy is Adorable as Audrey in Leading Ladies

Sarah Lovy as Audrey is No Dumb Blonde

Ken Ludwig’s play Leading Ladies is set in Pennsylvania Dutch country in 1952.  It was a more innocent time and people were willing to believe the world as presented to them in the movies, theater and TV.  Of all the characters, Audrey, a 20 year-old blonde bombshell, best represents that blend of innocence and naïveté, but she turns out to be much more than the stereotypical “dumb blonde.”   In the Farmington Players production, Sarah Lovy plays Audrey with wit, charm and intelligence, bringing a depth and maturity to her character beyond her years.

Sarah says, “I love playing Audrey! She’s a little like me in the sense that she likes to try out new big words and is always open for learning. What I love about Ken Ludwig characters is that a lot of them don’t fit into a standard character archetype (ex; the brains, the muscle, the beauty).  Sometimes the pretty one is the klutzy one, or the smart one does something outlandishly stupid to achieve something. They’re human, and these silly high stakes are real and important to them.  With Ken Ludwig shows, you’re always in for fun farce!”

Audrey’s character has even been the subject of a master’s thesis!  In Beyond Blonde: Creating a Non-Stereotypical Audrey in Ken Ludwig’s Leading Ladies (2009), Christine M. Young described Audrey as follows:  “For Audrey in Leading Ladies, understanding the dumb bombshell stereotype allowed for a mix of two stereotypes: the bombshell and the girl-next-door, and the opportunity to develop a nuanced performance. Mixing the two created an interpretation of Audrey that refrained from overt sexuality, allowing Audrey and Jack to fall in love based on story line and personal traits instead of proximity and superficiality.  Her mistakes are made out of innocence instead of unintelligence. This also made her jokes funnier; instead of laughing at a stereotypical dumb blonde, the audience was engaged with an innocent, slightly wacky character who made endearing mistakes.”

In the play, Audrey makes an immediate connection with Jack when she collides with him on rollerskates.  I asked Sarah if she had ever experienced love at first sight like Audrey.  Sarah answered, “Of course I’ve experienced love at first sight, I’m 20!  Every love is a big deal to me right now. I think something foolish I do for love is try to make myself into a totally different person so they will love me back, and I’m slowly learning – very slowly – that me is enough. That’s kinda what I like about my character. Herself is enough.”   Audiences are sure to find Sarah’s adorable portrayal of Audrey to be way more than “enough.” She steals several scenes, including playing Shakespeare with a Marlon Brando accent!

Sarah hails from West Bloomfield, and moved to Berkley last year.  She works for the Murder Mystery Company performing murder mystery dinners.  She’s also a part of the digital series Wicked City Girls.  By day, she works at Panera Bread and “sings Paul Simon SUPER LOUD when I’m in the back.”   Sarah has really enjoyed her first show at the Farmington Players, saying, “This cast and crew and director is so much fun to be around and they could not have been more welcoming! I come for the theater and stay for the people. They are what make the process relaxing and fun!

The Farmington Players' production of Leading Ladies opens November 28 and runs through December 20.  The show is proudly sponsored by Cadillac Travel Group. Tickets can be purchased online at www.farmingtonplayers.org or by calling the box office at 248-553-2955.