It’s 1924, and the wedding of the year has been planned in Columbus, Georgia- peanut heir Brewster Tuttle is set to tie the knot with dairy heiress Daisy Doverdill on the shore of Wildwood Lake. Despite the second-class status generally afforded to the mother of the groom, Brewster’s mother Cilla has managed to carve out a leadership role in the festivities, and she’s not letting anything take it away.

But there are a few challenges. Mosquitoes on the stagnant water have caused an outbreak of malaria, taking out the entire wedding party and most of the guest list.

Citing a public health disaster, the Army Corps of Engineers is now threatening to drain the lake, which absolutely cannot happen. Because there’s a secret at the bottom of Wildwood Lake, one that could upend the lives of both families when it reveals… THE BRIDE FROM OUTER SPACE.

Topher Payne’s delightful and unexpected blend of 1920s drawing room farce with 1950s science fiction is a whimsical delight, exploring what it really takes for a mother to let go and send their child out into the world- or perhaps to other worlds entirely. “Defiantly and winningly wears both silliness and implausibility as badges of honor.

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There’s a charming, lighter-than-air, confectionary quality that’s maintained throughout the show, and its structure and pacing are actually solid as a tank. ”ARTS ATL.