The World is a Stage
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Theatre Tillsonburg has found that the Comedy/Tragedy tradition doesn’t exactly work in Tillsonburg.
Comedy, yes. Tillsonburgers are always ready for a hearty laugh. But if we turn to tragedy, the people simply do not come. However, if we substitute mystery for tragedy, our patrons return to the fold.
We have just come off a stretch of laughables, and starting on April 30th Theatre Tillsonburg will present an great murder mystery thriller, Ding Dong Dead.
I usually receive a script to design a set months before auditions. That way we can decide what the stage will look like, what furniture will be use, where it will be placed, and work out any construction problems before rehearsals and blocking start.
I read it over quickly, figuring out what needs to be changed to work on the Playhouse stage, and generally getting a feel for what is important in the show. There were two big things I didn’t get. One was the title of the play, which made me think of the Wizard of Oz, and doesn’t make sense to the play. The second thing was the script, it was supposed to be a comedy as well.
I have been doing theatre for over 45 years, read hundreds of scripts, laughed out loud during some, others not so much, but knew the director could produce some great comedy out of it. But never have I read a script called a 'comedy' and found absolutely nothing comical. This reads like a good murder mystery thriller, with suspense and a great surprising twist at the end. I was dumbfounded, but felt much better when everyone else agreed it is not a comedy.
What I did love about the play was the setting in the Chevreuse Valley in France, in April. This is a very beautiful and wealthy area of France with magnificent chateaus. A set like this is a wonderful change from the typical North American apartments or homes most plays are situated in. The only problem in reproducing a millionaire’s home on stage is finding a multi-millionaire in Tillsonburg willing to lend his baroque furniture to us for the show. Forget the expensive taste, just try to find anyone with French style furniture. We of course don’t have a Broadway producer with a big budget to go and buy what we need, so we use our imaginations and start adapting what we have or can scrounge to give the audience the illusion they are in a wealthy home in France. It is fun to be included in this challenge.
Here is the plot: Monique [played by Colleen Marlin] is married to an abusive and gambling wastrel, Rudy [played by Jason Leighfield]. When she finally refuses to pay his debts, he leaves for Paris to raise money from another estate. Meanwhile, his brother, Michele, is released from prison and turns up to see his fiancée, Monique's maid, Louise [Stacy Riley]. They scheme to have brother impersonate Rudy so that Monique can get a divorce, but Rudy returns at the very hour the lawyer Corbeau [Gord Walker] is due. Monique tries to drug her husband but imbibes the potion herself. Fighting for a gun, Rudy is killed. When Monique comes to and the police appear, they think she is loco. There is no body, the maid Louise is now a nurse, and the lawyer, Carbeau, a psychiatrist. Is Monique insane? What will they do her? Who gets the all her money? You are going to love the twist at the end.
The Inspector of the police is played by Shane Steward with Larry Winter and Harry Vandenbiggelaar as the two policemen.
Special thanks must be given to Melanie Watts who stepped in the director’s shoes unexpectedly as did Victoria Coward, Matt Sholtz and Dianne Clark as producers. Our favourite backstage boy, Sean Goble, turns out to not only be able to do lighting and sound but this show is our Stage Manager. Pat Linn and Pamela Simmons are doing props, Lena Lanoo will be running the lights after they are designed by Sean. Richard Tillman is doing sound and Stephanie McDonald is our costume mistress. Peter Beechey and Ward Smith have done the construction.
You, of course, have the greatest part. We need you to be our audience! The show is on April 30, May 1, 2, 3* and 7, 8, 9, 10* at 8 p.m., except for the two Sunday Matinees at 2 p.m. Our May 10th show is the day to bring Mom and take her out for dinner after! It’s Mother’s Day!! All tickets are $17. Call Box Office at (519) 688 – 3026 or the Station Arts at 41 Bridge St. W., our marvelous ticket partners!