REVIEW By Shane Kelley - July 2010
British playwright Peter Quilter’s Celebrity is a walk on the wild side through a script replete with sex tapes, celebrity father-son rivalry, obsession, deception, infidelity, and a handsome bare-behind all rolled up into a hit production at the Hudson Village Theatre.
Alan Coogan (Don Anderson) really misses the years when he was a hot celebrity game show host. Though he seems to live the good life and is married to Helen (Jennifer Morehouse), the 'perfect' wife who gave up a successful singing career for him and their child-star son Jamie (Shayne Devouges), Alan is no longer front page in the checkout-counter tabloids or stalked by paparazzi. Alan's life now revolves around managing Jamie's busy career, and cocktails at 5.
Trouble erupts after Alan, desperate to seize any chance to get back in the limelight, invites George (Andrew Johnston), a documentary filmmaker, to live with them while shooting footage for a reality TV show pilot about their lives. Alan has signed a contract with George that gives him total access to the family's personal life, but Helen and Jamie are not happy about it.
Andrew Johnston is exceptional as the obsessive and voyeuristic George, following Jamie around “like a dog in heat.” Don Anderson, one of my favorite Montreal actors, is terrific as the self-absorbed Alan Coogan. Shayne Devouges is great as his son Jamie, a young man ready to rebel against his controlling father. Director Mary Vuorela also did well casting the multi-talented Jennifer Morehouse as Helen, who sings and plays guitar in her role.
The household is joined by Jamie’s friend Dusty (Jay Thomas), a down-and-out former child star who brings his long-standing crush on the 40-something former singer to an already emotionally charged situation. Jay Thomas does an excellent job in his role as the charming, handsome Dusty, with just the right amount of swagger and a real-life Welsh accent.
Alan has tight control of Jamie's career and the proceeds from his film and commercial work, keeping him in the dark about negotiations and the state of his finances. Things come to a head when George tells Jamie about the Coogan Act, a law drawn up in the 1930s, after child star Jackie Coogan was left near penniless by his parents.
As we watch George stalking the household with his camera, even shooting them with his infrared lens while they are sleeping, we start to wonder who and what George is most interested in filming. Alan is getting more and more excited about the dream of a career revival and return to celebrity status through the reality show pilot that George is filming for the networks, especially when the Hollywood media descends on their front lawn.
Written in 2009, this is Celebrity’s North American premiere and I was fortunate to be able to catch a pre dress (and undress) rehearsal. Vuorela has great rapport with her cast and crew and believes in strong direction with positive reinforcement. (Her comeback to a suggestion for a movement change by Shayne Devouges had all of us laughing when she quipped "I guess this is the time I have to start beating up my actors."
Watching stage manager Evan Harkai remind the actors of lines they forgot during rehearsal, I was reminded how essential a good stage manager is to the successful production of a play. Even when they missed a cue, he didn't. See you there opening night
Opening Thursday, July 15, Celebrity runs until Aug. 1. To book seats, contact http://www.villagetheatre.ca/ or the box office at 450-458-5361
British playwright Peter Quilter’s Celebrity is a walk on the wild side through a script replete with sex tapes, celebrity father-son rivalry, obsession, deception, infidelity, and a handsome bare-behind all rolled up into a hit production at the Hudson Village Theatre.
Alan Coogan (Don Anderson) really misses the years when he was a hot celebrity game show host. Though he seems to live the good life and is married to Helen (Jennifer Morehouse), the 'perfect' wife who gave up a successful singing career for him and their child-star son Jamie (Shayne Devouges), Alan is no longer front page in the checkout-counter tabloids or stalked by paparazzi. Alan's life now revolves around managing Jamie's busy career, and cocktails at 5.
Trouble erupts after Alan, desperate to seize any chance to get back in the limelight, invites George (Andrew Johnston), a documentary filmmaker, to live with them while shooting footage for a reality TV show pilot about their lives. Alan has signed a contract with George that gives him total access to the family's personal life, but Helen and Jamie are not happy about it.
Andrew Johnston is exceptional as the obsessive and voyeuristic George, following Jamie around “like a dog in heat.” Don Anderson, one of my favorite Montreal actors, is terrific as the self-absorbed Alan Coogan. Shayne Devouges is great as his son Jamie, a young man ready to rebel against his controlling father. Director Mary Vuorela also did well casting the multi-talented Jennifer Morehouse as Helen, who sings and plays guitar in her role.
The household is joined by Jamie’s friend Dusty (Jay Thomas), a down-and-out former child star who brings his long-standing crush on the 40-something former singer to an already emotionally charged situation. Jay Thomas does an excellent job in his role as the charming, handsome Dusty, with just the right amount of swagger and a real-life Welsh accent.
Alan has tight control of Jamie's career and the proceeds from his film and commercial work, keeping him in the dark about negotiations and the state of his finances. Things come to a head when George tells Jamie about the Coogan Act, a law drawn up in the 1930s, after child star Jackie Coogan was left near penniless by his parents.
As we watch George stalking the household with his camera, even shooting them with his infrared lens while they are sleeping, we start to wonder who and what George is most interested in filming. Alan is getting more and more excited about the dream of a career revival and return to celebrity status through the reality show pilot that George is filming for the networks, especially when the Hollywood media descends on their front lawn.
Written in 2009, this is Celebrity’s North American premiere and I was fortunate to be able to catch a pre dress (and undress) rehearsal. Vuorela has great rapport with her cast and crew and believes in strong direction with positive reinforcement. (Her comeback to a suggestion for a movement change by Shayne Devouges had all of us laughing when she quipped "I guess this is the time I have to start beating up my actors."
Watching stage manager Evan Harkai remind the actors of lines they forgot during rehearsal, I was reminded how essential a good stage manager is to the successful production of a play. Even when they missed a cue, he didn't. See you there opening night
Opening Thursday, July 15, Celebrity runs until Aug. 1. To book seats, contact http://www.villagetheatre.ca/ or the box office at 450-458-5361
CELEBRITY'S NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE A HIT AT VILLAGE THEATRE
Review by Shane Kelley - July 15, 2010
Celebrity Director Mary Vuorela (in cap center-right) and cast: Andrew Johnston (George - back left in cap), Jennifer Morehouse (Helen Coogan - back middle), front row left to right; Shayne Devouges (Jamie Coogan), Don Anderson (Alan Coogan - centre), Director Mary Vuorela (in cap) and Jay Thomas as Dusty (right).
Celebrity Director Mary Vuorela (in cap center-right) and cast: Andrew Johnston (George - back left in cap), Jennifer Morehouse (Helen Coogan - back middle), front row left to right; Shayne Devouges (Jamie Coogan), Don Anderson (Alan Coogan - centre), Director Mary Vuorela (in cap) and Jay Thomas as Dusty (right).
FOR CRYING AND LAUGHING OUT LOUD! - HUDSON GAZETTE Review By Shane Kelley
Review by Shane Kelley - June 30, 2010
I love a great story that runs deep enough through the gamut of
emotions so that I'm laughing out loud during one scene, and then
fighting back a tear in the next. Mending Fences is a brilliantly crafted
play that zeros in on the extreme discomfort that isolates many men
from their true natures and intimate relationships.
Gifted playwright Norm Foster gives us Harry (Bill Rowat), an
uncommunicative man who hides his fear of true intimacy, hurt and
disappointment, behind an ornery, bad-tempered, stubborn bravado,
Drew (Paul Van Dyck), his long estranged son who is a lot more like
his father than he realizes, and Gin (Melanie Doerr), the widow next
door who loves Harry and sees beyond his gruff exterior.
After 13 years away, Drew now 29, has traveled 32 hours to visit his
father at their old family cattle ranch in rural Saskatchewan. Cold
and tired after the long journey and an hour's wait at the closed and
frozen train station, Drew is bristling with resentment from the
first moment of his reunion with his emotionally cold and
unapologetic father. But Drew is also desperately trying to forge a
reconnection with his father. He wants his father's approval of the
man he's become, and to find some answers both from the past, and
from his father in the hopes it will help him figure out his own life.
All three actors do a great job playing off each other and their
timing of lines is really terrific, especially during the back and
forth cursing between Harry and Drew. Bill Rowat's characterization
of the stoic Harry is so good and rises so far above cliché because
he so subtly shows us glimpses of Harry's tender heart beneath the
armor. Paul Van Dyck is a superb young and diversified actor well
known to the Montreal theatre scene. Van Dyck causes you to be so
involved with Drew's frustrations, pain, and struggles with his
father that you will feel your heart ache every now and then.
Gin ends up refereeing Harry and Drew's frequent confrontational and
awkward conversations, and often steps in to break up the heated
moments between father and son and redirect the play back to its
comedic heart. At the same time she adds her own tragic elements to
the story, and though she loves Harry, she is also struggling with
his inability to commit to the relationship and admit his feelings.
Gin's strong character and Doerr's great delivery offers up some of
the funniest and most priceless dialogue in the play.
Foster uses flashbacks from the ranch kitchen of now to the unhappy
period years ago when Harry chose farm over family when his former
wife could no longer endure the isolated prairie lifestyle, and
returned to the city with their son Drew. Doerr expertly fulfils the
multiple roles of Harry's compassionate, understanding and often
witty and playful lover, and during the flashback scenes also plays
Harry's former wife. In one telling scene she plays a third role and
appears as his alcoholic mother. Her roles help us see why Harry has
such a seemingly tough protective exterior, and also explains his
extraordinary discomfort and struggle in trying to show and tell both
her and Drew that he cares.
A thoroughly entertaining production for
fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives and girlfriends.
Directed by the theatre's Artistic Director Andrew Johnson, Mending
Fences opened to a full house June 24 as part of Hudson's Village
Theatre's 2010 season opening gala.
All of the summer season's plays are under the expert stage
management of Heather Bowser and she did a great job keeping the pace
and energy of the play moving. The farm kitchen set was dramatically
and interestingly lit by lighting designer Gordon McVicar and
lighting Tech Kevin McVicar. Costume Designer Maggie Macaulay
dressed the three characters and their alter-egos right on the mark
and as always, Peter Vatsis's Set Construction and Chris Brown's set
design were superb and created a welcoming setting for our 'visit' to
Harry, Drew and Gin's imaginary but true-to-life complicated lives.
After the opening play Mending Fences comes the North American
premiere of Peter Quilter's Celebrity (July 15-Aug. 1). Celebrity's
train date is July 17.
The third play is Alan Ayckbourn's Snake in the Grass (Aug. 5-Aug.
22). The train date is Aug. 7. The fourth much anticipated
production of the 2010 season is Wake of the Bones, October 28 to
November 7.
Don't miss the next two train dates, when you can hop aboard from
downtown Montreal or Beaconsfield and spend a lovely day in Hudson.
The Hudson Village Theatre train leaves the Lucien l'Allier train
station at 12:30 p.m. and the Beaconsfield train station at 12:50
p.m., June 26, July 17 and Aug. 7. The train leaves for the return
trip at 8 p.m., sharp. The train-ride/ play package costs $55, taxes
included. Passengers can choose either the 2 p.m. performance or the
5:30 p.m. performance. All ticket packages are available only through
the AMT (Montreal's transportation agency). For reservations,
514-287-7866, escapadesentrain@amt. qc.ca.For Hudson Village Theatre
info, 450-458-5361 or www.villagetheatre.ca
I love a great story that runs deep enough through the gamut of
emotions so that I'm laughing out loud during one scene, and then
fighting back a tear in the next. Mending Fences is a brilliantly crafted
play that zeros in on the extreme discomfort that isolates many men
from their true natures and intimate relationships.
Gifted playwright Norm Foster gives us Harry (Bill Rowat), an
uncommunicative man who hides his fear of true intimacy, hurt and
disappointment, behind an ornery, bad-tempered, stubborn bravado,
Drew (Paul Van Dyck), his long estranged son who is a lot more like
his father than he realizes, and Gin (Melanie Doerr), the widow next
door who loves Harry and sees beyond his gruff exterior.
After 13 years away, Drew now 29, has traveled 32 hours to visit his
father at their old family cattle ranch in rural Saskatchewan. Cold
and tired after the long journey and an hour's wait at the closed and
frozen train station, Drew is bristling with resentment from the
first moment of his reunion with his emotionally cold and
unapologetic father. But Drew is also desperately trying to forge a
reconnection with his father. He wants his father's approval of the
man he's become, and to find some answers both from the past, and
from his father in the hopes it will help him figure out his own life.
All three actors do a great job playing off each other and their
timing of lines is really terrific, especially during the back and
forth cursing between Harry and Drew. Bill Rowat's characterization
of the stoic Harry is so good and rises so far above cliché because
he so subtly shows us glimpses of Harry's tender heart beneath the
armor. Paul Van Dyck is a superb young and diversified actor well
known to the Montreal theatre scene. Van Dyck causes you to be so
involved with Drew's frustrations, pain, and struggles with his
father that you will feel your heart ache every now and then.
Gin ends up refereeing Harry and Drew's frequent confrontational and
awkward conversations, and often steps in to break up the heated
moments between father and son and redirect the play back to its
comedic heart. At the same time she adds her own tragic elements to
the story, and though she loves Harry, she is also struggling with
his inability to commit to the relationship and admit his feelings.
Gin's strong character and Doerr's great delivery offers up some of
the funniest and most priceless dialogue in the play.
Foster uses flashbacks from the ranch kitchen of now to the unhappy
period years ago when Harry chose farm over family when his former
wife could no longer endure the isolated prairie lifestyle, and
returned to the city with their son Drew. Doerr expertly fulfils the
multiple roles of Harry's compassionate, understanding and often
witty and playful lover, and during the flashback scenes also plays
Harry's former wife. In one telling scene she plays a third role and
appears as his alcoholic mother. Her roles help us see why Harry has
such a seemingly tough protective exterior, and also explains his
extraordinary discomfort and struggle in trying to show and tell both
her and Drew that he cares.
A thoroughly entertaining production for
fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives and girlfriends.
Directed by the theatre's Artistic Director Andrew Johnson, Mending
Fences opened to a full house June 24 as part of Hudson's Village
Theatre's 2010 season opening gala.
All of the summer season's plays are under the expert stage
management of Heather Bowser and she did a great job keeping the pace
and energy of the play moving. The farm kitchen set was dramatically
and interestingly lit by lighting designer Gordon McVicar and
lighting Tech Kevin McVicar. Costume Designer Maggie Macaulay
dressed the three characters and their alter-egos right on the mark
and as always, Peter Vatsis's Set Construction and Chris Brown's set
design were superb and created a welcoming setting for our 'visit' to
Harry, Drew and Gin's imaginary but true-to-life complicated lives.
After the opening play Mending Fences comes the North American
premiere of Peter Quilter's Celebrity (July 15-Aug. 1). Celebrity's
train date is July 17.
The third play is Alan Ayckbourn's Snake in the Grass (Aug. 5-Aug.
22). The train date is Aug. 7. The fourth much anticipated
production of the 2010 season is Wake of the Bones, October 28 to
November 7.
Don't miss the next two train dates, when you can hop aboard from
downtown Montreal or Beaconsfield and spend a lovely day in Hudson.
The Hudson Village Theatre train leaves the Lucien l'Allier train
station at 12:30 p.m. and the Beaconsfield train station at 12:50
p.m., June 26, July 17 and Aug. 7. The train leaves for the return
trip at 8 p.m., sharp. The train-ride/ play package costs $55, taxes
included. Passengers can choose either the 2 p.m. performance or the
5:30 p.m. performance. All ticket packages are available only through
the AMT (Montreal's transportation agency). For reservations,
514-287-7866, escapadesentrain@amt. qc.ca.For Hudson Village Theatre
info, 450-458-5361 or www.villagetheatre.ca
BITE-SIZED THEATRE PLEASES CROWD
PHOTO
Clockwise starting with Karen Cromar (back-center), director Glen Bowser (back-right),
Evy Kartus, John Elliott, Kelsey Allen, Clive Brewer
Review by Shane Kelley - July 7, 2010
The One-Acters are at it again with two weekends of great comedy and drama opening this Friday night at St. James Church in Hudson. I caught up with this busy and entertaining group of thespians during rehearsal last week to see how the plays were progressing.
Professional actors Glen Bowser and Karen Cromar (Bowser also directs this series), started the One-Acters to provide an inexpensive evening of quality theatre, and an extra venue where actors can practice their craft. This is the duo's fourth One-Acters production and they will be performing alongside talented actors Kelsey Allen, Clive Brewer, John Elliott and Evy Kartus. Following great reviews from previous productions music will again be provided by Dan Gallant and Brian Gallagher, the other half of Nightshift, their band with Bowser and Cromar. In addition to accompanying music during certain segments of the skits, the audience will be treated to a mini concert during intermission and before the show. The last One-Acters production was in June 2009 where they performed nine plays; including the hilarious Dinner For One with Bowser as the drunken butler, I'm Herbert with Cromar and Bowser as forgetful seniors, and Brights with all the actors and action in a car. This year's show will feature the six actors performing eight plays and skits. Since I promised to keep the names of the pieces a secret, all I can say is that it promises to be fun-filled evenings of comedy and poignant moments.
Glen Bowser has several film and television credits to his name including many years of stage performance and direction experience. This fall Bowser will appear in Arthur Miller's great classic A View From The Bridge at the Segal Center in Montreal. Karen Cromar has appeared in many stage productions including Inherit The Wind at The Segal last winter. Cromar will also perform in the much-anticipated thriller A Snake In The Grass, this August at The Village Theatre in Hudson. Clive Brewer has performed in Hudson Village Theatre's successful productions of Mousetrap and A Flea In Her Ear, and Evy Kartus played Mickey the cop in Lakeshore Players flip-side female version of one of my favorite plays and film, The Odd Couple. Brewer's portrayal of a sinister and mysterious stranger in Mousetrap was perfectly creepy, making me thankful he was smiling the last time I photographed him. Both Brewer and Kartus are familiar faces in the much-loved Hudson Village Theatre's Christmas pantomimes and many Lakeshore Players productions. Actor John Elliott, also a Lakeshore Players regular and audience favorite, performed in12 Angry Jurors and in Having Hope at Home where I enjoyed his excellent portrayal of crusty, curmudgeonly grandpa Russell, whose lines and delivery had me laughing out loud. Glen Bowser discovered Kelsey Allen some years ago when he cast her for the Hudson Music Club's production of The Wizard of Oz. Since then she has been a popular performer in numerous Music Club productions.
Actor Sandy Ferguson man's the lights for the One-Actors shows, and is well known from the Hudson Village Theatre stage including her memorable role in Steel Magnolias.
Don't miss this great deal in summer entertainment at only $15. per ticket, available at the door. Shows are only two weekends; Friday and Saturday July 9th-10th, Friday and Saturday July 16th-17th. Shows Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays 2pm and 8pm. Reservations for group seating of 10 or more call 514-916-5037
Fact or fiction, Lakeshore Theatre’s Milli enthralls
Review by Shane Kelley
In 1936, the world was rocked by the news that England's King Edward VIII abdicated the throne for love. Was Mrs. Simpson Edward's true love, or second choice?
Two weeks after Edward’s death in 1972 at age 78, an 80-year-old former teacher in Cambridge (formerly Galt), had her tombstone engraved with the words Millicent A. M.M.M, wife of Edward (VIII), Duke of Windsor 1894-1972. The romance and marriage is unlikely, but possible. The young prince did visit Galt, Ontario in 1919, and was known to occasionally balk at the constraints and responsibilities of his official duties.
Milli was a broken-hearted war widow who preferred her garden to the pomp and circumstance surrounding the prince’s royal visit. Did Milli and Edward cross paths one day when the prince ducked out of an official ceremony and went for a walk? Did they fall in love and secretly marry against the king’s orders? Award winning playwright, Gary Kirkham, visited Millicent Milroy’s gravesite and found inspiration to write a play about the real or imagined star-crossed lovers.
Edward did visit Gault and was introduced to Milli’s father. Some visitors to Milli’s home claim to have seen numerous photographs of the prince and a marriage certificate, but, there are no known witnesses to verify the relationship. Mysteriously, Milli’s house was vandalized after her death and most of her papers and photographs vanished.
Actor Rebecca Croll was so believable as Milli, that I not only admired the character’s inner strength, but wanted to shake her and tell her not to give up on someone that loved her, no matter who he was. Playwright Gary Kirkham told me that “Milli” has been presented by seven theatre companies and that in his opinion, Rebecca Croll’s Milli, was the best, by far. “Most had the spunk and softness of Milli, but Rebecca was the only one that really showed the inner strength that I attempted to write into the character.” I don’t think you could find a more princely Edward than Mark Waters. Waters both looked and acted the role of the prince with such subtle grace and innocent charm, that I left thinking I knew a little more about the real Edward.
I loved playwright Kirkham’s dialogue for Milli and Edward and the verbal sparring between the witty and unimpressed small-town teacher “you’re a pompous nit-wit” and the spoiled Prince “you’re a venomous snake.” Their banter ightened the mood and proved that opposites often attract as we watch the couple fall in love.
Kirkham said “I’m very happy with Waters’ portrail of Edward as he showed us the sad and neglected boy within the Prince more than any of the other actors that have played him and this really enhanced the dynamic of the character.” Milli’s mother and Royal groupie, Mrs. Milroy (Sandy Ferguson), was amusing as she bubbled over in awe of the prince. “I liked the way she played the character from ditzy to thoughtful and caring, as it played nicely off the more sensitive moments” commented playwright Kirkham. I liked Clive Brewer as an elegant and believable Godfrey who wishes to be more like a friend to Edward, but is stoicly penned in by his training and social standing. Neglected since early childhood by his own father, the king, Edward has only Godfrey as a father-figure. Claire Shamy Kirshner did a nice job as Milli’s glitzy dressed and eppervesant friend Mona. The two-scene set was effective (Steve Gillam) with creative lighting and back-lit effects (Seamus Ryan) and attention-to-detail sound design (Peter Cook). Makeup and hair by Deirdre Drum. I thought the costuming (especially Edward) by Pamela Lee was terrific and perfectly period, but would have preferred to see Milli in more appealing/less dowdy dresses. Mary Vuorela's directorial debut with Lakeshore players earned a standing ovation opening night. Don't miss this unique play, on for another week at John Rennie Theatre in Pointe Claire. www.lakeshoreplayersdorval.org, box office 514-631-8718.
In 1936, the world was rocked by the news that England's King Edward VIII abdicated the throne for love. Was Mrs. Simpson Edward's true love, or second choice?
Two weeks after Edward’s death in 1972 at age 78, an 80-year-old former teacher in Cambridge (formerly Galt), had her tombstone engraved with the words Millicent A. M.M.M, wife of Edward (VIII), Duke of Windsor 1894-1972. The romance and marriage is unlikely, but possible. The young prince did visit Galt, Ontario in 1919, and was known to occasionally balk at the constraints and responsibilities of his official duties.
Milli was a broken-hearted war widow who preferred her garden to the pomp and circumstance surrounding the prince’s royal visit. Did Milli and Edward cross paths one day when the prince ducked out of an official ceremony and went for a walk? Did they fall in love and secretly marry against the king’s orders? Award winning playwright, Gary Kirkham, visited Millicent Milroy’s gravesite and found inspiration to write a play about the real or imagined star-crossed lovers.
Edward did visit Gault and was introduced to Milli’s father. Some visitors to Milli’s home claim to have seen numerous photographs of the prince and a marriage certificate, but, there are no known witnesses to verify the relationship. Mysteriously, Milli’s house was vandalized after her death and most of her papers and photographs vanished.
Actor Rebecca Croll was so believable as Milli, that I not only admired the character’s inner strength, but wanted to shake her and tell her not to give up on someone that loved her, no matter who he was. Playwright Gary Kirkham told me that “Milli” has been presented by seven theatre companies and that in his opinion, Rebecca Croll’s Milli, was the best, by far. “Most had the spunk and softness of Milli, but Rebecca was the only one that really showed the inner strength that I attempted to write into the character.” I don’t think you could find a more princely Edward than Mark Waters. Waters both looked and acted the role of the prince with such subtle grace and innocent charm, that I left thinking I knew a little more about the real Edward.
I loved playwright Kirkham’s dialogue for Milli and Edward and the verbal sparring between the witty and unimpressed small-town teacher “you’re a pompous nit-wit” and the spoiled Prince “you’re a venomous snake.” Their banter ightened the mood and proved that opposites often attract as we watch the couple fall in love.
Kirkham said “I’m very happy with Waters’ portrail of Edward as he showed us the sad and neglected boy within the Prince more than any of the other actors that have played him and this really enhanced the dynamic of the character.” Milli’s mother and Royal groupie, Mrs. Milroy (Sandy Ferguson), was amusing as she bubbled over in awe of the prince. “I liked the way she played the character from ditzy to thoughtful and caring, as it played nicely off the more sensitive moments” commented playwright Kirkham. I liked Clive Brewer as an elegant and believable Godfrey who wishes to be more like a friend to Edward, but is stoicly penned in by his training and social standing. Neglected since early childhood by his own father, the king, Edward has only Godfrey as a father-figure. Claire Shamy Kirshner did a nice job as Milli’s glitzy dressed and eppervesant friend Mona. The two-scene set was effective (Steve Gillam) with creative lighting and back-lit effects (Seamus Ryan) and attention-to-detail sound design (Peter Cook). Makeup and hair by Deirdre Drum. I thought the costuming (especially Edward) by Pamela Lee was terrific and perfectly period, but would have preferred to see Milli in more appealing/less dowdy dresses. Mary Vuorela's directorial debut with Lakeshore players earned a standing ovation opening night. Don't miss this unique play, on for another week at John Rennie Theatre in Pointe Claire. www.lakeshoreplayersdorval.org, box office 514-631-8718.
REVIEW - Neil Simon's Rumors at Hudson Village Theatre - March/April 2009
by Shane Kelley
Neil Simon's Rumors is a farce based on the absurdities of some not-so-sophisticated urban professionals who, when faced with unexpected events, quickly revert to their neurotic, insecure selves. A master at finding humour in human weaknesses, Simon shows how easily things get blown out of proportion when emotions run wild.
A gunshot greets the first guests arriving for a formal dinner party celebrating the hosts' wedding anniversary. Guests Chris and Ken Gorman, (Christine Davet and Charles Raywood), both lawyers, force their way into the house to find hostess Myra and the 'help', missing and their city councillor host Charlie bleeding and unconscious on his bedroom floor.
Preoccupied with avoiding scandal, Chris and Ken fabricate outrageous stories to hide Charlie's apparent suicide attempt from the other equally neurotic, insecure guests as they arrive. Before long, everybody is in on the coverup and trying to figure out how to keep the events secret from the media and police.
Andrew Johnston is hilarious as hyper-accountant Lenny Ganz, who arrives holding his neck from an accident involving his new BMW. Lenny's ditzy wife Claire, played well by Debbie Wrenshall, arrives giggling and more concerned with the other women's dresses than her husband's whiplash.
Though suffering from continuous back spasms, TV Chef Cookie Cusak (a hilariously suffering Susan Bain) and her clueless psychologist husband Ernie (charismatic new talent Steve Eastman) decide they will rescue dinner, only to have Ernie burn all his fingers.
Ambitious politician Glenn Cooper (the ever expressive and funny Dave Fisher) and his sexy wife Cassie (played perfectly by Karen Burgan), arrive in the midst of a marital spat which soon progresses to a wrestling match over Cassie's obsession with her precious crystal. In revenge, Cassie decides to throw herself at the other men as everyone tries to ignore her.
At the height of the frenzy of lies and pathetic coverups, one's mind spins trying to remember who is who and what's going on until the events are brought to an even more ridiculous head by the arrival of police officer Welch, (Brooklyn native Joe Dineen) and his sidekick Officer Pudney (cartoon-funny Christine McCaffrey).
This show is a benefit, with everyone involved generously donating more than 250 hours of time and talent, but the production is as professional as it comes. Lenny's storytelling monologue at the end of the second act is a comedic highlight. Charles Raywood had me laughing throughout the show with his "rubber face" and talent for physical comedy. Christine Davet made me want to find her some tranquilizers with her cigarette-withdrawal induced shakes and hysteria over the situation.
Robin Brain's stage setting was one of the best I've seen at the Hudson Village Theatre, with furniture donated by Luxe rentals.
Directed by Irene Arseneault and stage managed by Heather Bowser, with lighting by Gordon McVicar and costumes by Karen Pearce, Rumors is one of those don't-miss productions. I loved every minute of this show as did my 18 and 21 year old sons and their dates. See http://www.villagetheatre.ca/ for times and dates.
OF MICE AND MEN REVIEW
by Shane Kelley
Hudson Gazette
CASGRAIN THEATRE
AUGUST 28 TO SEPTEMBER 13
We know we’ve been reading a great book or watching a great film or play when it ends and we experience that disorientated, snapped back to reality sensation. Great characters jump to life from the page to our imaginations or in front of us on screen or stage. We cheer them on, share their joy or pain, feel afraid for them or of them. We want more. Terry Donald’s production of legendary writer John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” at the Casgrain Theatre has that effect.
Written in 1937 “Of Mice and Men” is about about hope, dreams, loss and our primal need for companionship and connection. The story revolves around the friendship of Lennie, an innocent and lovable simpleton with dangerous strength when frightened, and George, his protector.
Penniless drifters, George and Lennie come to work on a ranch in Monterey County, California, the area where Steinbeck was born and raised. Lennie and George dream of earning enough to buy a small piece of property where they can “live off the fat of the land” and be free from tyrant bosses and slaving away 11 hours a day. Soon after arriving, their hopes, like “the best laid schemes o mice an men,” begin to go awry.
While most thoughts vanish from Lennie’s damanged brain like water through his fingers, he never forgets George’s committment “we’re not like those other guys, you’ve got me to take care of you and I’ve got you to take care of me.” The story touches on our universal fear of being “alone in the world.”
Steinbeck said “I wrote Of Mice and Men to be a play that can be read or a novel that can be played," a new concept at the time. Many of us knew it first as a required reading novella in high school. Since then, I’ve seen it on stage in Toronto and New York but neither effort really moved me the way the book did...until now. Peter Vrana & Adam LeBlanc, have brought Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” two main characters “Lennie” and “George” so simply and honestly to life, that I can’t imagine thinking about this story without seeing their faces.
Almost immediately after arriving at the ranch, Lennie recognizes they’ve come to a bad place where he will get in trouble. Chris Moore’s perfect “yellow jackets in his pants” Curly, the bosses mean spirited son, is consumed with jealousy over his flirtatious new wife and like some small guys, hates big guys like Lennie. As Curly’s desperate and neglected wife, Rebecca Croll does a wonderfully convincing and delicate tip toe between tart and sweetheart as she looks for any excuse to hang around the ranch hands in the hopes of talking to someone.
Bill Fletcher gives a heart-wrenching performance as Candy, a pathetic old one-handed man who wants to buy in on George & Lennie’s dream. The only thing Candy really cares about is his arthritic and blind old sheepdog played by Georgia, the actor’s own 15 year old geriatric lab who nearly upstages everyone.
In his deep, soothing voice and confident but approachable demeanor, Alex McCooeye displays the wisdom and decency of Slim, the foreman. Slim really runs the ranch and has the difficult job of helping a diverse range of male personalities work together and live in the same bunk house room.
Among the other ranch hands, Arron Turner plays the callous jerk Carlson, who has fun at the expense of those around him and is hell bent on doing away with Candy’s old dog. Matthew Raudsepp as Whit, grabs your attention as he moves with the sometimes frenetic and nervous energy of a boy, as the youngest ranch hand trying to fit in with older guys. Herschel Andoh unearths the sadness, intelligence and acceptance of the lonely and bitter outcast Crooks without resorting to stereotypical affectations of poor black men of the era. Award winning director Terry Donald not only delivers a top notch production but gives an authentic performance in the small roll of The Boss.
The casting is exemplary and the production crew has done a great job with dramatic set and lighting design by Hudson Village Theatre’s resident lighting designer Peter Vatsis. A perfect play for the generously sized but intimate Casgrain stage. I saw not a squirm nor heard a cough from the audience during the entire performance. Director Terry Donald and his MTLTE (Montreal Theatre Ensemble) production company delivers a true-to-the-book production which is greatly appreciated. Of Mice and Men sticks in the mind. A bargain for a professional theatre production of this caliber at $10. to $15. per ticket, I recommend that you get over to the Casgrain Theatre (JAC campus in St. Anne de Bellevue) August 28 - September 13th and experience it yourself. Information and tickets www.mtlte.com or 514.515.9140 http://www.shane-kelley.com/
by Shane Kelley
Hudson Gazette
CASGRAIN THEATRE
AUGUST 28 TO SEPTEMBER 13
We know we’ve been reading a great book or watching a great film or play when it ends and we experience that disorientated, snapped back to reality sensation. Great characters jump to life from the page to our imaginations or in front of us on screen or stage. We cheer them on, share their joy or pain, feel afraid for them or of them. We want more. Terry Donald’s production of legendary writer John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” at the Casgrain Theatre has that effect.
Written in 1937 “Of Mice and Men” is about about hope, dreams, loss and our primal need for companionship and connection. The story revolves around the friendship of Lennie, an innocent and lovable simpleton with dangerous strength when frightened, and George, his protector.
Penniless drifters, George and Lennie come to work on a ranch in Monterey County, California, the area where Steinbeck was born and raised. Lennie and George dream of earning enough to buy a small piece of property where they can “live off the fat of the land” and be free from tyrant bosses and slaving away 11 hours a day. Soon after arriving, their hopes, like “the best laid schemes o mice an men,” begin to go awry.
While most thoughts vanish from Lennie’s damanged brain like water through his fingers, he never forgets George’s committment “we’re not like those other guys, you’ve got me to take care of you and I’ve got you to take care of me.” The story touches on our universal fear of being “alone in the world.”
Steinbeck said “I wrote Of Mice and Men to be a play that can be read or a novel that can be played," a new concept at the time. Many of us knew it first as a required reading novella in high school. Since then, I’ve seen it on stage in Toronto and New York but neither effort really moved me the way the book did...until now. Peter Vrana & Adam LeBlanc, have brought Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” two main characters “Lennie” and “George” so simply and honestly to life, that I can’t imagine thinking about this story without seeing their faces.
Almost immediately after arriving at the ranch, Lennie recognizes they’ve come to a bad place where he will get in trouble. Chris Moore’s perfect “yellow jackets in his pants” Curly, the bosses mean spirited son, is consumed with jealousy over his flirtatious new wife and like some small guys, hates big guys like Lennie. As Curly’s desperate and neglected wife, Rebecca Croll does a wonderfully convincing and delicate tip toe between tart and sweetheart as she looks for any excuse to hang around the ranch hands in the hopes of talking to someone.
Bill Fletcher gives a heart-wrenching performance as Candy, a pathetic old one-handed man who wants to buy in on George & Lennie’s dream. The only thing Candy really cares about is his arthritic and blind old sheepdog played by Georgia, the actor’s own 15 year old geriatric lab who nearly upstages everyone.
In his deep, soothing voice and confident but approachable demeanor, Alex McCooeye displays the wisdom and decency of Slim, the foreman. Slim really runs the ranch and has the difficult job of helping a diverse range of male personalities work together and live in the same bunk house room.
Among the other ranch hands, Arron Turner plays the callous jerk Carlson, who has fun at the expense of those around him and is hell bent on doing away with Candy’s old dog. Matthew Raudsepp as Whit, grabs your attention as he moves with the sometimes frenetic and nervous energy of a boy, as the youngest ranch hand trying to fit in with older guys. Herschel Andoh unearths the sadness, intelligence and acceptance of the lonely and bitter outcast Crooks without resorting to stereotypical affectations of poor black men of the era. Award winning director Terry Donald not only delivers a top notch production but gives an authentic performance in the small roll of The Boss.
The casting is exemplary and the production crew has done a great job with dramatic set and lighting design by Hudson Village Theatre’s resident lighting designer Peter Vatsis. A perfect play for the generously sized but intimate Casgrain stage. I saw not a squirm nor heard a cough from the audience during the entire performance. Director Terry Donald and his MTLTE (Montreal Theatre Ensemble) production company delivers a true-to-the-book production which is greatly appreciated. Of Mice and Men sticks in the mind. A bargain for a professional theatre production of this caliber at $10. to $15. per ticket, I recommend that you get over to the Casgrain Theatre (JAC campus in St. Anne de Bellevue) August 28 - September 13th and experience it yourself. Information and tickets www.mtlte.com or 514.515.9140 http://www.shane-kelley.com/
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OF MICE AND MEN ARTICLE
This Sunday, August 24, the cast and crew of the Montreal Theatre Ensemble’s (MTE) Of Mice and Men will be in Hudson for some serious method acting in anticipation of their upcoming production of John Steinbeck’s Depression-era classic.
They’ll be clearing the brush, stacking logs and branches, carting off rocks, weeding and hoeing around the century-old structure at 541 Main, the property recently acquired by the Town of Hudson for a new parking lot, tourist information office and to house the Hudson Historical Society.
Ten actors will spend the day in character and costume, working as farmhands would in 1937, for only their food. Lunch will be an authentic meal; cabbage, beans and bread, in keeping with the type of food labourers would have eaten during the depression.
This interaction will give the actors something concrete to draw from when playing roles that modern actors might have trouble relating to. While doing this physical labour, the cast can experience one another as they would in the play, without the confines of the script.
The MTE production runs from August 28 to Sept. 13 at the Casgrain Theatre, in the Casgrain Building of John Abbott College, 21,275 Lakeshore Road, Ste. Anne de Bellevue. Reservations: (514) 515-9140
THE METHOD OF MICE AND MEN
Article and photographs by Shane Kelley
I recently met talented young actors Adam LeBlanc, Peter Vrana, Becky Croll and their award-winning director Terry Donald at Hudson’s Pine Lake for the first of our four shooting locations for publicity photos for the upcoming MTE production of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.
My subjects of the photo shoot were Adam LeBlanc and Peter Vrana, who play the two lead roles. "George" and "Lennie" are two drifters working as migrant ranch hands in Depression-era Northern California. "Lennie" is a large, powerful man but a simpleton, prone to getting in trouble. "George" has taken "Lennie" under his wing and is his protector. The pair dream of a better life and hope to earn enough to strike a claim on their own piece of land free from the whims of tyrannical farm bosses.
Rebecca Croll plays Curly’s Wife (Curly is the bad-tempered boss of the hired hands and the ranch owner’s son) in this cast of 10, the only female role in the play. I have seen Rebecca's wonderful stage talents in several productions and I look forward to seeing her play the “misunderstood tart” in Of Mice and Men.
The play's director Terry Donald is the 2008 recipient of the Black Theatre Workshop's Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award (the first white man to ever receive the award and eligible as a graduate of Syracuse University). Terry, a JAC teacher, brought up the idea for Stage II, a training program similar to that used by most USA colleges to bring together professional theatre companies and theatre students (or professional sports teams and college or university-level athletes) to help students bridge the gap between training and professional work. In the United States, colleges and universities use their theatre and sports departments as "jewels of the school" as a way to promote themselves
Everyone with the company helped make the shoot a success, Terry helping set up the shots and direct Adam and Peter in bringing out the characters of "George" and "Lennie" in the photographs and even wading into the Vivery Creek with me to hold up my light reflector and then climbing a tree to hold back an in-the-way branch. Rebecca’s makeup skills gave "George" (Adam) and "Lennie" (Peter) that added touch of realism as they played for my camera in costume and in character most of the afternoon and early evening.
After photographing Adam and Peter around a giant weathered stump at Pine Lake, we moved to the marshland reserve off Olympic. Sitting with Peter on the small dock "George" (Adam) revealed one of his other talents by showing "Lennie" (Peter)...and Peter, Rebecca and I how to make "music" by blowing against a large piece of grass held between his thumbs.
Our third photo location was along and in the Vivery Creek off St. Charles. We all got wet up to our knees as I insisted looking for the perfect light. Peter showed off his frog-catching prowess by catching a submerged small green leopard frog for some of the photographs ("Lennie" loves little animals and wants to raise rabbits on the farm that he and George hope to own).
We completed the final photographs on the train tracks by the Hudson Village theatre in the last golden light of a perfect summer's day. Posing for my camera for four hours is hard work. The fatigue on the faces of Adam and Peter for the play’s main photograph is real.
After spending four hours playing with my camera and saying "just one more photo" the sun, the actors and the director called the curtain on our photo shoot. I was sad to step back into 2008 and put my gear away but anxious to get back to my computer and download the photographs. Legendary method actor and teacher Lee Strasberg would be pleased with this group.
For more information and ticket reservations see www.MTLTE.com
They’ll be clearing the brush, stacking logs and branches, carting off rocks, weeding and hoeing around the century-old structure at 541 Main, the property recently acquired by the Town of Hudson for a new parking lot, tourist information office and to house the Hudson Historical Society.
Ten actors will spend the day in character and costume, working as farmhands would in 1937, for only their food. Lunch will be an authentic meal; cabbage, beans and bread, in keeping with the type of food labourers would have eaten during the depression.
This interaction will give the actors something concrete to draw from when playing roles that modern actors might have trouble relating to. While doing this physical labour, the cast can experience one another as they would in the play, without the confines of the script.
The MTE production runs from August 28 to Sept. 13 at the Casgrain Theatre, in the Casgrain Building of John Abbott College, 21,275 Lakeshore Road, Ste. Anne de Bellevue. Reservations: (514) 515-9140
THE METHOD OF MICE AND MEN
Article and photographs by Shane Kelley
I recently met talented young actors Adam LeBlanc, Peter Vrana, Becky Croll and their award-winning director Terry Donald at Hudson’s Pine Lake for the first of our four shooting locations for publicity photos for the upcoming MTE production of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.
My subjects of the photo shoot were Adam LeBlanc and Peter Vrana, who play the two lead roles. "George" and "Lennie" are two drifters working as migrant ranch hands in Depression-era Northern California. "Lennie" is a large, powerful man but a simpleton, prone to getting in trouble. "George" has taken "Lennie" under his wing and is his protector. The pair dream of a better life and hope to earn enough to strike a claim on their own piece of land free from the whims of tyrannical farm bosses.
Rebecca Croll plays Curly’s Wife (Curly is the bad-tempered boss of the hired hands and the ranch owner’s son) in this cast of 10, the only female role in the play. I have seen Rebecca's wonderful stage talents in several productions and I look forward to seeing her play the “misunderstood tart” in Of Mice and Men.
The play's director Terry Donald is the 2008 recipient of the Black Theatre Workshop's Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award (the first white man to ever receive the award and eligible as a graduate of Syracuse University). Terry, a JAC teacher, brought up the idea for Stage II, a training program similar to that used by most USA colleges to bring together professional theatre companies and theatre students (or professional sports teams and college or university-level athletes) to help students bridge the gap between training and professional work. In the United States, colleges and universities use their theatre and sports departments as "jewels of the school" as a way to promote themselves
Everyone with the company helped make the shoot a success, Terry helping set up the shots and direct Adam and Peter in bringing out the characters of "George" and "Lennie" in the photographs and even wading into the Vivery Creek with me to hold up my light reflector and then climbing a tree to hold back an in-the-way branch. Rebecca’s makeup skills gave "George" (Adam) and "Lennie" (Peter) that added touch of realism as they played for my camera in costume and in character most of the afternoon and early evening.
After photographing Adam and Peter around a giant weathered stump at Pine Lake, we moved to the marshland reserve off Olympic. Sitting with Peter on the small dock "George" (Adam) revealed one of his other talents by showing "Lennie" (Peter)...and Peter, Rebecca and I how to make "music" by blowing against a large piece of grass held between his thumbs.
Our third photo location was along and in the Vivery Creek off St. Charles. We all got wet up to our knees as I insisted looking for the perfect light. Peter showed off his frog-catching prowess by catching a submerged small green leopard frog for some of the photographs ("Lennie" loves little animals and wants to raise rabbits on the farm that he and George hope to own).
We completed the final photographs on the train tracks by the Hudson Village theatre in the last golden light of a perfect summer's day. Posing for my camera for four hours is hard work. The fatigue on the faces of Adam and Peter for the play’s main photograph is real.
After spending four hours playing with my camera and saying "just one more photo" the sun, the actors and the director called the curtain on our photo shoot. I was sad to step back into 2008 and put my gear away but anxious to get back to my computer and download the photographs. Legendary method actor and teacher Lee Strasberg would be pleased with this group.
For more information and ticket reservations see www.MTLTE.com
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