The Floridians

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Steve Noll

Andrew Lonsdale, Danielle Dresden and Krystal Lonsdale (from left) in the TNW Ensemble Theater production "The Floridians."

Russian money-launderers working as travel agents would prefer to be in musical theater; retirees looking for something, anything, to do decide to become amateur investigators and run afoul of an FBI agent on a similar track. Comedy ensues, as written by TNW Ensemble Theater co-founder Danielle Dresden in the new play The Floridians. The company produces the new play at the restored, historic Governor's Mansion Inn; performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays; and 2:30 p.m. Sundays.

press release: Little old ladies turned spies and an intrepid FBI agent tangle with Russian money-launderers who’d rather be doing musical theater in this zany new comedy.

The Floridians is the latest production from TNW Ensemble Theater, premiering Thursday, April 21, and running for a total of 10 performances at the Governor’s Mansion Inn, 130 East Gilman Street in Madison.

A send-up of cloak-and-dagger exploits, retirement living, and trying to keep it together during a pandemic, this show celebrates the quirky and good-hearted, even in difficult times. Performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, 7:30 pm, April 21 – 23 and April 28 – 30, with matinees at 2:30 pm, Saturday and Sunday, April 23 – 24 and April 30 – May 1.

The Governor’s Mansion Inn is an added attraction for this production. Home to 17 Wisconsin governors from 1885-1950, the Inn’s drawing room may be where Governor Robert M. La Follette first imagined The Wisconsin Idea. Proprietors David Waugh and Bob Klebba say they bought the building and oversaw its beautiful restoration to make sure it remains a hub for community life.

In the show, the Governor’s Mansion Inn becomes various locations in Sunny Isles Beach, an actual community in North Miami Beach, Florida, often referred to as Little Moscow, due to the many Russians buying high-priced property there.

Russian money launderers Boris and Natasha hope their undercover operation as travel agents will help them work off their debt to sinister higher-ups, while they dream of working in musical theater. Retirees Florence and Sadie are frustrated and bored in the pandemic. They get suspicious of the inexplicably busy travel agents and decide to investigate, but get caught by Louise, an FBI agent tracking the dirty money flowing through Florida. Throw in Florence’s son, a young man at a crossroads, and Rhumba Rudy, whose advice is surprisingly with it, even if his jokes aren’t, and the stage is set for capers and comedy.

Written by Danielle Dresden and directed by Francisco Torres, The Floridians features Krystal and Andrew Lonsdale, Megan Mori, Joshua Paffel, Nelson Zane Eisman, Donna Peckett, and Dresden. Shane Heim is stage manager.

Tickets are $25.00 for adults, available through brownpapertickets.com. Seating is limited. The company will donate 10% of all ticket sales to GlobalGiving Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund. Contact TNW Ensemble Theater at info@tnwensembletheater.org or at 608.244.2938 for more information.

This production is supported, in part, by Arts Midwest, in collaboration with the Wisconsin Arts Board, with funds allocated by the National Endowment for the Arts through the American Rescue Plan; the Madison Arts Commission, with Funds from the Wisconsin Arts Board; Dane County Arts, with additional funds from the Endres Mfg. Company Foundation, The Evjue Foundation, Inc., charitable arm of The Capital Times, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation, the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation; the Neil Allen Memorial Fund; and RoseDot.