Southern Fried Funeral

By J. Dietz Osbourne & Nathan Eppler

Comedy

Directed by Ann Davis

October 17th, 2026 at 5:30pm- 8:30pm

After her husband passes away, Mississippi native Dorothy Frye just wants to have a nice funeral. But when her meddling family and unexpected guests arrive, Dorothy just wants to survive the day! Centered around her and her daughters, including the wild child Harlene, Southern Fried Funeral is a heartwarming look at the importance of family, love, and community.

*Content Warning: Mild Adult Language and Inuendo.

Recommended for those 13 Years and Up.

Characters

Performers of ALL ethnicities, physical abilities, and gender identities are encouraged to audition.

Dorothy Frye: The recently widowed, sharp-tongued yet sweet matriarch trying to hold the family together.

Sammy Jo Frye-LeFette: Dorothy's high-strung daughter who thrives on control and conflict, particularly with the church committee.

Harlene Frye: The youngest daughter, a "wild child" returning from Dallas with a rocky past that creates tension.

Dewey Frye Jr.: The youngest child; described as kind, helpful, and not "the brightest bulb," possessing a childish wisdom.

Dub Frye: Dorothy's brother-in-law, the primary antagonist—sleazy, overconfident, and looking to take charge.

Atticus Van Leer: The family lawyer who has been pining for Harlene since kindergarten.

Beecham LeFette: Sammy Jo’s husband, armed with a sarcastic mouth to match her high-strung nature.

Martha Ann Fox: Dorothy's sweet, loving best friend.

Fairy June Cooper: A friend of the family since high school, described as a confused but not entirely ditzy soul.

Benny Charles Greenwood: A down-to-earth family friend who works with his hands and is rarely seen without pork rinds.

Ozella Meeks: The intense chairwoman of the church's SonShine committee, frequently clashing with Sammy Jo.

*Accents do not need to be perfect but dialogue needs to be clear and understood by the audience.

Audition Information:

When: October 17th, 2026 at 5:30pm- 8:30pm

The show will run Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from February 4th-14th.

What: Auditions will consist of cold reads from the script.

Where: Ghostlight Theatre, 13541 West Camino Del Sol, Sun City West, AZ 85375.

Video auditions can be sent to admin@ghostlightaz.com and will be accepted until end of day October 16th for anyone who cannot attend in person.

For questions, please email us at productionmanager@ghostlightaz.com.

Callbacks will be held by invitation October 18th, 2026 5:30pm- 8:30pm.