“Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks”

Olympic Theatre Arts, 414 N. Sequim Ave.

In the Gathering Hall June 7-16

7:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays

Pay-What-You-Will Thursday, June 13

Tickets: $18 general public; $16 OTA members; $10 students with ID

Available 1-5 p.m. at the box office weekdays and online at www.OlympicTheatreArts.org.

For more information, call 360-683-7326.

Perceived polar opposites learn to dance in unison for Olympic Theatre Arts’ latest show “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks.”

Cheryl DiPietro’s Lily, wife of a Southern Baptist minister, looks to take up dance lessons in her new St. Petersburg Beach, Fla., condo where she meets gay instructor Michael, played by Michael Sickles.

Director Greg Scherer says the hook is that their acquaintanceship begins as a professional arrangement and you wonder what’s to come next of their interactions.

“It’s about avoiding loneliness and friendship,” he said.

“Ultimately, it’s what this community is about — staying active and making friends later in life,” Sickles said. “I’m not even 40 and it’s hard to make new friends.”

For two weekends, “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks” runs June 7-16 in OTA’s Gathering Hall.

Sickles and DiPietro said the play investigates people’s biases and stereotypes well.

“It’s super-relevant,” Sickles said.

“I like how they both come into it with biases and he has his own preconceived biases of how conservatives are and how he’s going to be received in a conservative house. He’s already on edge, ready to lie, ready to shield, lie about who he is to save his job.”

But both have secret backgrounds, the pair say.

DiPietro said they’re leery at first but blossoms into something else.

“I like the fact that it’s a really sweet story about two people you wouldn’t expect to become friends,” she said.

“We’ve both been through a lot,” Sickles said.

“She ends up looking out for him and he ends up looking out for her,” DiPietro said.

Two to tango

“Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks” is the actors’ first leading roles and both said they’re loving the experience.

Sickles, a Port Angeles resident, has acted in four plays in six months between OTA and the Port Angeles Community Players.

“This has been such a comfortable environment,” he said. “It’s been great and a very, warm fun experience.”

Sickles said he’s fairly new to acting and the local theater community has been very welcoming.

“It’s been a great ride,” he said. “Theater out here has been lifesaving.”

DiPietro follows her role in last year year’s “Leaving Iowa” for “Six Dance Lessons” while this is Scherer’s second directorial effort at OTA.

“(The show) is a tour de force for these two people,” he said.

Sickles said he appreciates that his character doesn’t come across as a caricature.

“I think that’s my biggest irritant when I see gays on TV when they’re all typecast. But even portraying a gay man on stage, it can be hard to not typecast myself. I had one gay friend my entire life who acts like how you see on TV. So this is a proud moment for me to represent the community and play a gay man.”

Snowfall and retirement

This show was originally scheduled for March but February’s record snowfall pushed some of OTA’s plays back some.

Scherer said it was unusual to have such a long rehearsal time especially since he and DiPietro began rehearsing soon after casting.

“It’s good though because we got a good basis for Lily,” he said.

“Greg helped me figure out the perks and character development for her,” DiPietro said.

“He helped me find ways to develop (Lily) in ways I didn’t know how to do because I’m not a professional actor.”

The actress and director find a special significance in the show because DiPietro’s maternal grandmother retired to St. Petersburg like Lily, and Scherer’s stepfather retired in Florida, too.

“I just feel blessed to be able to play this character,” DiPietro said.

OTA advises the play is for adult audiences only.

For more information on tickets, visit www.olympictheatrearts.org or call 360-683-7326.

Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.

Secrets come out for both Michael Sickles and Cheryl DiPietro’s characters in “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks.” However, DiPietro said it’s a “really sweet story about two people you wouldn’t expect to become friends.” Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

The comedy-drama “Six Dance Lessons for Six Weeks” runs weekends at Olympic Theatre Arts from June 7-16 starring Michael Sickles and Cheryl DiPietro. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash