Miniature village, a holiday treasure

 

Audiences ‘checking in’ to Hotbed Hotel, Upper Canada Playhouse’s 2012 summer season opener, can anticipate a ‘stay’ that’s filled with zany guests, colossal misunderstandings and impossibly funny situations.

The only guarantee at this one-star hotel is that you won’t actually die laughing: it may just be a near thing. 

The production, which features a large and talented cast of nine, is being directed by Playhouse artistic director Donnie Bowes, and opens on June 7 running until July 1.

“This is a very funny Michael  Parker farce,” Bowes said. “It’s the third one we’ve produced at the Playhouse by Parker. The other two, which audiences thoroughly enjoyed, were the Amorous Ambassador and the Sensuous Senator. 

Parker, an Englishman now living in the United States, has all the gags and the crisp dialogue of traditional English farces in his very popular plays.”

Bowes has assembled a stellar cast for the Playhouse’s summer opener. 

“This show demands every skill an actor has,” Bowes said. “The pace is vital. The characters never have time to stop, think or reason, because that, of course, would destroy the humour.”

As the owners of a  dilapidated ‘one star’  hotel in the Florida Keys, Terri and Brian Cody are desperate to convince a New York buyer to commit. The problem is, he hasn’t actually seen the property. He is also under the impression that there are lots of paying guests staying at the hotel as well as a functioning and efficient staff.

And he is showing up to inspect the site within the hour, not in two weeks as originally planned. 

“That sets up the problem,” director Bowes laughed. “The characters begin making decisions that they will definitely come to regret. Those hasty decisions lead to ever increasing misunderstandings and confusion.”

Debra Hale, who plays Terri Cody, explained that her character “wears the pants”  where this husband and wife are concerned.  She is determined to see the sale through and ropes some of the hotel’s more colourful characters into the scheme. 

“I’m the manager in name only,” laughed Timm Hughes. “Poor Brian, the husband, has no control over anything at this hotel. He just ends up going along.”

Retuning to the Playhouse is AnnaMarie Lea, in the role of maid Maureen. “I think she’s just off the cabbage farm, in her first job, with no idea how to do it. When they also make her room service and reception, well, it’s more than she can handle.”

New comer to the Playhouse but a renowned stage veteran is Mo Bock, as maintenance man Hopkins. 

“Hopkins’ primary objectives in life are to stay employed, to stay drunk and to get it on with the ‘Barracuda’,” Bock grinned.

“The Barracuda” is played by Susan Greenfield. “She is actually a real guest at the hotel, who returns yearly for a week pursuing any and every man within reach.  They’re all fair game,” Greenfield said.

“The Barracuda is a character totally unlike Susan, of course,” Bowes immediately said, to much cast laughter.

Doug Tangney returns to the stage in the role of the long-winded, often befuddled Major Posenby, a retired guest staying at the hotel. “He really wants to help the Codys, it just goes very wrong,” Tangney explained.

Richard Bauer is Sam Lewis, “the prospective New York buyer and a bit of a prude. Although he does have a secret or two of his own.”

“I’m one of those secrets,” laughed newcomer Erin MacKinnon, who plays Sam’s travelling companion, Ashley. “While I can’t say too much, through no fault of her own, Ashley keeps misplacing her clothing.”

Brenda Quesnel, as Dorothy, also can’t “say too much. I’m sweet and charming. Is that cryptic enough?”

The impressive set for this show was designed by John Thompson, with lighting by Sean Free. 

Backstage at Hotbed Hotel is “almost as exciting as on stage in a farce,” Bowes explained. “There are a number of physical gags that have to be rigged (audiences love these) and the set itself is very complex with multiple doors leading to multiple areas. It takes a long time to lift this kind of show off the page.”

“There are complicated props and tricks and hand-offs,” said stage manager Liz Campbell. With ASM Alice Barnett and production intern Liam Collins, this crew is very busy. “Timing is vital, and everything has to be precise, everyone in place. It’s like trying to track a pinball at times.”

What this all means for audiences, however, is side splitting fun in a top notch theatre production. 

Contact Upper Canada Playhouse (613-543-3713) and check in to Hotbed Hotel.

[…]

“I encourage all residents of South Dundas to participate in the Community Cafés this week,” said South Dundas Mayor Steven Byvelds on March 19th.

Dillon Consulting Limited, on behalf of the township of South Dundas, is holding four Community Vision Cafés beginning today, March 21st. 

Today’s cafés will take place at Matilda Hall in Dixon’s Corners from 2 to 4 p.m. and at the Morrisburg Meeting Centre from 7 to 9 p.m.

Tomorrow, March 22nd, there will be an afternoon café from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Iroquois Civic Centre and an evening café from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Williamsburg Oddfellows Hall. 

According to Economic Development Officer Nicole Sullivan, organizers continue to take reservations for the cafés and will do so up until the final café. Those who want to come, but haven’t made a reservation, are encouraged to attend regardless.

And, “if you can’t make it,” said Byvelds, “please go to the South Dundas website and follow the links to fill out the survey.”

“This is your opportunity to have your say on where South Dundas should be in the next 10 years.”

The online survey can be found at www.surveymonkey.com/s/DL7QZWF where there are seven questions to be answered:

•What are we doing well in South Dundas?

•If I left my community and returned in 10 years, what would I want to see?

•What external influences affect South Dundas?

•What are our community’s assets?

•What is unique in South Dundas that no other municipality has?

•What will be the most important thing to ‘get right’ in creating South Dundas’ future?

•What partnerships are needed to get things done?

According to Sullivan, the survey will be available online for two weeks following the café consultations. Anyone who hasn’t done so already, is encouraged to visit the website and complete the survey.

In addition to the online survey, the township of South Dundas is also creating an online photo journal. To submit photos, email the photo with a description to photos@southdundas.com

Going forward, Chief Administrative Officer Stephen McDonald explained that a status report based on the information gathered from the public will be ready for council to consider in April. 

In June, an implementation plan will be presented to council for consideration. 

[…]

 Family reunions are always memorable. However, when the Lundeen family gets together for Thanksgiving dinner in The Playhouse’s upcoming  show, A Nice Family Gathering, by Phil Olson, the meal won’t be the main event. 

It’ll be the hilarious and heart-warming chaos that erupts when conflicting family members try to cope with each other’s differences and a ghost! The play is set just months after Dad has died, and the usual tensions among family members are higher than ever before the meal is even served. 

Brothers Michael and Carl have never seen eye to eye, the former a successful doctor, the latter an easy-going would-be writer working odd jobs. 

Then there’s Stacy, the younger daughter, who is always ignored and feels left out of the picture. Add to that Michael’s wife, Jill, who’s going through an emotional time because she can’t get pregnant. And Mom is struggling with the pressures of trying to hold the family together long enough to enjoy a civil dinner. 

There’s an elephant in the room, so to speak. 

The chances of this nice family gathering succeeding are blown out of the water when Dad’s ghost decides to make an appearance, not to haunt anyone, but to try to direct the proceedings and settle some old scores. 

To complicate matters, he only appears to one of the family members, son Carl, who’s charged with the task of helping him get his wish. Dad and Carl’s battle of wits, as they attempt to accomplish this, makes for an hilarious and touching experience for all, especially after the arrival of another guest that Mom has told no one about. 

“This show has everything: comedy, conflict, a great story and very strong characters,” says Artistic Director Donnie Bowes. “I think the comedy comes from the pressure that the characters are under to get along. There’s also the ghost of Dad who is, himself, a very funny character. And there are some touching family moments that the audience will relate to and enjoy.”

Ensuring that Dad’s ghost gets a star appearance is Doug Tangney, in a role that Bowes says the Playhouse favourite was born to play. 

Tangney was earlier seen in Hotbed Hotel and has been enjoyed by audiences in shows ranging from the hilarious grand-dad in Having Hope at Home to starring roles in The Sensuous Senator, Weekend Comedy and many more. His character of Dad’s ghost will square off with another popular Playhouse actor, Richard Bauer, who plays son Carl. 

Bauer recently directed Wife Begins at Forty and earlier in the season starred in The Foursome. 

Sparks will also fly between Bauer and Jamie Williams who plays brother Michael. Williams was recently seen in Here on the Flight Path and has starred in such hits as Run For Your Wife and There Goes The Bride.

The role of Mom is in the talented hands of veteran actress Linda Goranson seen in such Playhouse shows as Not Now, Darling and The Christmas Express. Goranson is currently commuting to rehearsal from Belleville where she is starring in Calendar Girls.

Sister Stacy is played by another familiar Playhouse face, Liz Gilroy, who joins the cast after a busy summer acting, directing and choreographing at various Ontario Summer Theatres. Last seen here in Dear Santa, Gilroy will star in Elf: The Musical at Halifax’s Neptune Theatre later this year. 

Rounding out the cast is Kate Gordon, who returns to UCP from last year’s Not Now, Darling, to play Jill, and Don Ciaschini, last seen in Maggie’s Getting Married, who will play special guest Jerry. 

John Thompson, who has designed several Playhouse productions including Wife Begins at Forty and On Golden Pond to name just a few, created the set. 

Donnie Bowes will be directing this production. 

A Nice Family Gathering runs September 6 to September 30. The shows are Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinees Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.  For tickets and information call 613-543-3713, or 1-877-550-3650 or go to www.uppercanadaplayhouse.com

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