“The Charitable Sisterhood of the Second Trinity Victory Church" at the Richmond Hill Barn Theatre -- April 16 through 26.
Thursday, April 16, through Sunday, April 26
Richmond Hill Barn Theatre, 600 Robinson Drive, Geneseo IL
With the Richmond Times-Dispatch insisting that while the title "might suggest another church lady play ... the charitable sisters are more like the women of Steel Magnolias, with a few unexpected twists," author Bo Wilson's The Charitable Sisterhood of the Second Trinity Victory Church opens the 2026 season at Geneseo's Richmond Hill Barn Theatre with an area-debut April 16 through 26 run.
At the start of playwright Wilson's comedy, the roads are flooded, the bridges are washed out, and less-generous souls are staying safely indoors. But it takes more than a little rain to keep the ladies of the Charitable Sisterhood from fulfilling their sworn mission. When these ladies meet to organize a relief effort for homeless Guatamalans, they are greeted with a small mountain of community donations – but one woman's junk is another woman's treasure, and that pile of stuff in this small church basement is hiding a thing or two. With The Charitable Sisterhood of the Second Trinity Victory Church, audiences are invited to sit in on this church-basement meeting, where five angels of mercy will leave you breathless with laughter as they do their best to help the victims of global disaster, spiritual deprivation, and, most of all, one another.
Directing The Charitable Sisterhood of the Second Trinity Victory Church for the Geneseo Barn Theatre is venue veteran Mike Skiles, a frequent on-stage presence whose directorial credits include Exit Laughing, Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some), and the fan favorite Escanaba in da Moonlight, Skiles' creative team includes stage manager Cali VanZandt, light and sound designer (and daughter) Dana Skiles, light and sound operator David Shaffer, and set builder (and son) Jim Skiles. The show's cast, meanwhile, is composed of Melanie Gillespie, in her Richmond Hill debut, alongside Elissa Dyes (84 Charing Cross Road), Larry Lord (Dearly Beloved), Jalayne Riewerts (Marjorie Prime), Tifany Simosky (My Son Is Crazy, but Promising), and Dana Skiles (The Tell-Tale Farce.)
The Charitable Sisterhood of the Second Trinity Victory Church will be performed at Geneseo's Richmond Hill Barn Theatre April 16 through 26, with performances Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. The show is not recommended for children under 12, with a warning for discussion of child loss, and late seating is not permitted; no one will be admitted to the theatre after the show has started.
Admission is $12, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)944-2244 and visiting RHPlayers.com.
