VALDOSTA – Josh Robertson recalls seeing a stage production of “Enchanted April” about 20 years ago at Valdosta State University.

“I wanted to either act in it or direct it some day,” Robertson said, standing in The Dosta Playhouse. He directs Theatre Guild Valdosta’s “Enchanted April” opening this weekend.

It’s been a long time coming. He joined the Guild in 2010 and has since acted in numerous shows. He last directed a Theatre Guild play, “Leaving Iowa,” in 2016.

“Enchanted April” leaves an impression.

It is a romantic comedy with an emphasis on comedy and the romance being four women’s discovery of the magic within themselves and their lives.

Playwright Matthew Barber penned a quick-moving play based on Elizabeth Von Armin’s novel of the same name.

The story follows two women looking for an adventurous escape from their dreary lives in rainy England, their dull marriages, their personal heartaches and the disappointment they have found in their day-to-day lives in the years following World War I.

They believe a month-long holiday to sunny Italy may be the cure.

There, the high-spirited Lotty and the more introspective Rose gather with Mrs. Graves, a grumbling, grouchy and demanding woman, and the lovely Lady Caroline Bramble who has great depth behind her striking demeanor. Together, all four women blossom as individuals in a deepening relationship.

Robertson said “Enchanted April” is the rare play that opens with a shorter first act – in dreary post-war England – then moves into a longer second act – in sunny, vibrant Italy.

“It’s about four women who are kind of downtrodden by life,” Robertson said. “Nothing is working out like they thought it would. Their marriages are falling apart. … and they find each other and themselves.”

Alijah Patterson, the show’s assistant director, designed the set and lighting that opens in dour England and transforms into beautiful Italy.

“Enchanted April” is the closing show of the 2023-24 Guild season. “A Night of a Thousand Stars,” an in-between season show, is scheduled for late May and early June. Following The Rosies, the Guild’s annual awards banquet in early June, The Dosta Playhouse will replace the flooring of its well-trod stage after 30 years, Robertson said.

Theatre Guild returns in late August with the 36th season opener, “The Hallelujah Girls.”

But for now, the Guild presents an “Enchanted April” in the month of May.

THE CAST: Rachael Price, Ella Hallmark, Sommers Coleman, Dalton Bell, Lindsey Clanton, Patti Cook Robertson, Caleb Andrus, Pame Arteaga.

DIRECTION/PRODUCTION: Josh Robertson, director; Alijah Patterson, assistant director, set design, lighting design; Brawdy Gupton, stage manager; Alan Sanderson, producer, show photography; Jeannie Gupton, showcase; Dana Welch, master builder and set dresser; Mary Ann Green, Alijah Patterson, Isabel Williams, Dena Rogers, Rick Patrick, Kassandra Morris, Mary Helen Watson, Linda Stikkel, costumes; John Gromada, sound design and original music; Mia-Rae Barajas, light operator; Sunny Lee, sound operator; Kelly Barbour and Myan Montgomery, crew; Lu Williams, press coordination; Micaiah Barajas, social media; Dana Welch, cast and crew, set construction; June Bell, cast and crew, props.

Theatre Guild Valdosta’s production of “Enchanted April” plays 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, May 9-11; 2 p.m. Sunday, May 12; 7:30 p.m., May 16-18, The Dosta Playhouse, 122 N. Ashley St. Tickets, more information: Visit http://www.theatreguildvaldosta.com or call (229) 247-8243.