Camille Terilli, Iris Haik and Kimberly Harper star in “Hollywood Arms” at the Pawtucket Community Players. Photo by Robert Emerson.

By Frank O’Donnell, WPRO Arts and Entertainment Contributor

Pam Jackson pitched “Hollywood Arms” to the Production Committee at Pawtucket’s Community Players last year. The play, written by Carrie Hamilton and her mother, Carol Burnett, is adapted from Burnett’s memoir.

“I am a child of the 70’s,” says Jackson, “and I was a fan of ‘The Carol Burnett Show.’ I remember seeing some of the first family skits that featured Momma and Eunice. When I first read the script, I realized that these characters were based on the relationship between her grandmother and her mother. I found these relationships fascinating and wanted to bring them to life on stage.”

Camille Terilli plays Nanny. “She’s a complex woman who has survived many hardships over the years. She’s a realist who never deludes herself about the truth, no matter how bitter that may be. She never lives in denial. I would like to be that woman one day.”

Despite having Burnett as the author, don’t go in expecting a lot of comedy. “There are dramatic points throughout the show,” says Jackson. “And many poignant moments too.”

Jackson provides a quick synopsis: The show is loosely based on Carol Burnett’s life from approximately 1941 to 1951. The main characters are Nanny, Momma, and Helen, plus Helen’s father Jody, her stepfather Bill and her younger sister Alice. The first act deals with the re-introduction of young Helen to both her mother and father after a three year absence. The second act shows an older Helen who has persevered and is on the precipice of achieving her dreams.

Terilli enjoys the challenge of making Nanny more than a one-dimensional character. “She has many facets to her personality under that gruff exterior. Also, Nanny is the basis for the Vicki Lawrence character in ‘Mama’s Family,’ yet I did not want to be just a mimic of this persona. Nanny has to face many choices and situations during the course of the play, and it would have been a disservice to play her otherwise. Yes, her antics are comedic, but she shows great courage and conviction throughout this show.”

Jackson admits it’s not easy staging a show in the summer in Pawtucket. The Community Players use the auditorium at Jenks Junior High School, across from McCoy Stadium. “Working rehearsal schedules around end-of-year activities at the school, pre-arranged vacations by the cast members, PawSox home games and numerous fireworks displays. But we’ve managed to work through it all.”

“This is the quintessential rags-to-riches story that inspires all of us,” says Terilli. “No matter how trite this theme may be, or how overdone these stories are, it still gives all of us hope that a star such as Ms. Burnett had to overcome as many hardships and obstacles as most of us face on a daily basis.”

The Community Players present “Hollywood Arms,” July 12 – 21. Call their box office at 401-726-6860 or visit their web site at www.thecommunityplayers.org for complete details.