This year I reviewed 44 shows across The Kawarthas, and I also saw a few additional shows I didn’t review. To say the least, I saw a lot of everything. I saw a lot of good theatre, and I saw a bit of bad theatre (for the most part I rarely wrote about the bad shows).
The truth is, it’s pretty easy to impress me. I respect anybody who can take an idea and be organized enough to get it to the stage. That is an achievement all on its own. Thus, each production staged in Peterborough has its special moments, and I can fully admit that I find an excitement in each new production I see. I am truly a fan of the actors, directors, and companies that create theatre in this community.
So when it comes to picking a list of “the best”, it can be a daunting task. Some shows immediately spring to mind but, as I look over my reviews from this past year, I can find so much good in most of the productions I saw. Picking out the best shows for this list wasn’t as difficult as deciding what not to include.
But, without further ado, here are my picks for the top theatrical productions in The Kawarthas in 2016:
Sylvia
January 2016 by the Peterborough Theatre Guild. Directed by Al Tye and featuring Erika Butler, Scott Drummond, Sharon Gildea, and Dylan Billings.
For anybody who has ever loved an animal, Sylvia was a show that really embraced the soul, filled with laughs and heart. Al Tye and his company brought A.R. Gurney’s wonderful comedy about a man, a woman, and their special relationship with a sassy dog to the Theatre Guild stage.
At the head of the production was Erika Butler, who gave a hilarious and spunky performance as a dog named Sylvia. Vocalizing all the things humans believe dogs would say, Sylvia has a deep loyalty to her master Greg (Scott Drummond) and a strange rivalry with Greg’s wife Kate (Sharon Gildea). As the dog gets in between the couple, a hilarious love triangle grows between the three.
Erika was brilliant as Sylvia the dog. She could be a joy, and she could be a terror, but most of all she was endearing. A special shout out to Dylan Billings who played all the supporting roles!
Sylvia was a sweet show filled with big laughs and a few tears. A wonderful comedy with a delectable cast, Sylvia was the right show to get 2016 started. A true charmer.
The Pitman Painters
April 2016 by New Stages Theatre Company. Directed by Randy Read and featuring Robert Winslow, Dianne Latchford, Tim Walker, Brad Brackenridge, Robert Ainsworth, Kait Dueck, Mark Wallace, and Edward Charette.
It’s no secret I’m a big admirer of director Randy Read. When Randy is at the helm of a production, you can pretty much expect that it’s going to be the best of the best. But when Randy staged Lee Hall’s The Pitman Painters at Market Hall, he went above and beyond by assembling a cast of some of Peterborough’s most respected and renowned performers.
His cast was to Peterborough theatre what The Expendables is to cinematic action films. The Pitman Painters was a chance to see Robert Winslow, Brad Brackenridge, Robert Ainsworth, Tim Walker, Dianne Latchford, Mark Wallace, Kait Dueck. and Edward Charette on the same stage in a show that was funny, moving and brilliant.
Based on the true story of a group of miners in Ashington in Northumberland, England who, through an art appreciation class, become renowned artists, The Pitman Painters mixed fact and fiction in a very smart and engaging piece of theatre. The play proved that anyone can have the soul of an artist, despite their background or their profession.
But for me, what will always stand out is the emotional moment at the end of the first act when the audience sees the light of the true artist turn on in the hearts of the miners as they stand in front of a painting by Vincent Van Gogh. It is an emotional and powerful moment that still brings a lump to my throat when I think about it. The Pitman Painters had possibly the best ensemble cast of the year, and they succeeded in creating a powerful show highlighting the strength of their collective talents.
Stones in His Pockets
August 2016 by Globus Theatre and The Irish Stage Company. Directed by James Barrett and featuring Mark Whelan and Stephen Farrell.
Stones in His Pockets found its origins in Toronto in 2015 when James Barrett, Mark Whelan, and Stephen Ferrell brought Marie Jones’ powerful production to the Alumnae Theatre in Toronto via The Irish Stage Company. Receiving positive reviews during its Toronto run, it was a true treat to have the show revived at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon this past summer.
When Hollywood comes to the small community of County Kerry Ireland, Jake and Charlie become friends while playing film extras. However, when a local boy commits suicide, his death affects the entire town and threatens the production. Filled with guilt over the death of the boy, Jake goes out to find reasons for the boy’s death, only to discover answers he’d rather not know.
Actors Mark Whelan and Stephen Ferrell not only play Charlie and Jake, but also an entire cast of characters including the film company and the entire community of County Kerry. By constantly changing body language and voices on stage, Mark and Stephen played as many as six characters while having a group conversation. It was a feat to be seen to be believed.
With brilliant performances in a powerful and though-provoking show, Stones in His Pockets was a show that hit hard.
But just how good was it? Well, Globus Theatre had a special guest this summer: theatrical star Colm Wilkinson (Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera) was in the audience. Having seen the original run in Toronto, Wilkinson drove from Toronto to Bobcaygeon to see it again. That says a lot.
The Shadow Walk of Millbrook
October 2016 by 4th Line Theatre. Directed by Kim Blackwell, written by Paul Braunstein and Monica Dottor, and featuring Matt Gilbert, Robert Winslow, Maude Rose Craig, Josh Butcher, Lorna Green, Hilary Wear, Andrew Pederson, Andréanne Duplessis, Mark Hiscox and Justin Hiscox.
The Shadow Walk of Millbrook was an experiment for 4th Line Theatre that really worked. Leaving the Winslow Farm for the first time, Kim Blackwell and her company put together a brilliant new theatrical experience that combined tales of Millbrook’s ghostly legends and dark past, music, dance, acrobatics, and theatre in the popular ghost tour format popular in many communities during the Halloween season.
I’ve been on many ghost walks, but this one was one of the most unique and creative. Matt Gilbert plays a supernatural investigator — albeit not a very good one — who is hired by the town of Millbrook to get rid of the ghosts that haunt the village. However, as he bumbles from story to story, the ghosts from his own past come back to haunt him. From the spectre of Sir John A. MacDonald to the Manitou that haunts the local woods, Kim and her crew put together a production filled with comedy, tragedy, and some real scares.
The stand-out star of the production was Maude Rose Craig, who played the spectre of a little girl who haunts the investigator. From the moment we first see her climb into the window of the Old School in Millbrook, Maude had the ability to chill the bone. A fantastic job by such a young performer.
But the true testament to how good this show is was the non-stop rain on opening night. The actors continued to perform while a hundred audience members, dressed in parkas and rain coats, walked in the rain for over an hour — and nobody left. When you can get that many people to stand in the rain for that long, you know you have something special. The Shadow Walk of Millbrook was a sold-out hit and hopefully will see a revival next Halloween.
Eclipsed
November 2016 by the Peterborough Theatre Guild. Directed by Jennifer Gruer and Patricia Young and featuring Bethany Heemskerk, Sharon Gildea, Zoe Baker, Stephanie Kraus, Lauren Murphy, Shelia Charleton, and Rachel Nicholls.
I’ve heard through the grapevine there was some backlash from Theatre Guild audience members over Eclipsed. It seems some audience members were expecting a comedy instead of a tragic and heart-wrenching show. But if anybody felt uncomfortable with Eclipsed, then the play did its job. It really hit the heart with a sucker punch. This was a show that made me cry all the way home, kept me up all night, and had me doing additional reading for weeks afterwards.
Eclipsed revealed the little-known history of the women who worked in Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries. Written by Patricia Burke Brogan, the story and characters were inspired by her own experience as a Catholic novitiate who was assigned to overlook the women who resided as virtual prisoners in these laundries. The experience led her to turn her back on the church and write about the tragedy she had witnessed.
The play features a group of young women, deemed “fallen” by the church for being unwed mothers and orphans, who toil in the laundries as they dream about life on the outside. Finding small joys throughout the day, from listening to Elvis Presley to finding lipstick in a pocket, the girls try to find meaning and redemption within dreadful conditions and an unjust system. But while the church had condemned them, in reality they are like any young women filled with dreams. As they fight for their own sanity and survival, a young novitiate, Sister Virginia (Rachel Nicholls) questions her faith by witnessing the lives of these women and recognizing their struggles.
A tragic and devastating show, Eclipsed was a brave selection by the Peterborough Theatre Guild and beautifully executed by a wonderful company of players in a sensitive manner. I’ll never be able to listen to “It’s Now or Never” by Elvis Presley again without getting a lump in my throat.
Best Musical: The Drowsy Chaperone
November 2016 by Lakefield College School. Directed by Geoff and Rachel Bemrose and featuring Braeson Agar, Kristian Paschalis, Madison Sheward, Liam Kaller, Josie Carr-Harris, Richard Xia, Matthew Lovick, Noah Storey, LJ Simmons, Noah Tompkins, Roby Hotte, Ivan Sun, Goeta Narine, Meg Hicks, Lucy Guo, Sarah Martin, Dasha Egudkina, Eden Snelgrove Ribovski, Madison Tavares, and Megan McShane as Trix the Aviatrix.
When I walked into the Bryan Jones Theatre at the prestigious Lakefield College School to see the final dress rehearsal of The Drowsy Chaperone, I ran into a girl in a glittery 1920s-era gown coming up the stairs. She smiled at me and gave a slight giggle as if she knew who I was and said “Enjoy the show!” as she ran past me. The girl was Josie Carr-Harris, who played the Drowsy Chaperone herself. Look Josie up. She’s had a notable musical career long before she appeared in this show and is an amazing talent.
With Geoff and Rachel Bemrose at the helm of The Drowsy Chaperone, its success is a no-brainer. If there are two things the Bemroses are good at, it’s putting together great theatre and working with kids. Taking an obscure but brilliant Broadway show that had its unique roots in Toronto, Geoff and Rachel brought a vibrant and fresh cast of young actors together for a hip and fast-paced parody of Ziegfeld-era musicals.
Filled with zany characters, vaudeville humour, madcap misunderstandings and, a clever concept that breaks multiple walls, The Drowsy Chaperone triumphed on many levels. From the glittery period costumes, to the big production numbers, the show hit again and again. Rachel’s choreography was easily the best I saw all year and, whether it was only two actors dancing or the entire ensemble together, I was constantly bedazzled by the dance performances.
The heart of the show belonged to actor Braeson Agar who played “The Man in the Chair.” As the show’s host and narrator, Braeson managed to make me forget that he was a young man, and embodied the soul of a lonely middle-aged Broadway enthusiast. It was a role filled with both joy and pathos, and was simply brilliant.
I went in never hearing of The Drowsy Chaperone, but I left discovering a new favourite musical.
A few additional shout outs …
Although it’s been around for three years, only this year did I become aware of Enter Stage Right. Under the guidance of brother and sister team Jen and Greg Nugent, Enter Stage Right gives local teenagers without a strong arts program at their school to get hands-on experience in theatre. My visit to their original production of Welcome to Butternut Grove really hit me hard because, not only did I love the show (written by Greg), but the experience of these kids mirrored my own at their age. I love what Jen and Greg are doing, and their company found a special place in my heart. In 2017, Greg and Jen are bringing another original production to the stage as they take a look at the classic Archie comic book series. You know I’m coming back for that and I can’t wait to visit with Enter Stage Right again.
A big thanks to Paul Crough for inviting me to see Paper Planes at the Ennismore Homestead Theatre. Getting a ticket for a Ennismore Homestead Theatre production is like getting one of Willie Wonka’s golden tickets (people line up for hours in advance), and I finally got to see what all the hype was about. It was such a privilege to be there for a unique and wonderful theatrical experience. Will I be in that field next summer at 5 a.m. lining up for tickets? I’m not a morning person, but get enough coffee in me and I just may be there.
The biggest and most unique publicity stunt of 2016 was the massive pair of ladies underwear Globus Theatre created for its revival of Sarah Quick’s production of Knickers at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon. With material donated by Doug Ruggles of Triden Distributing and sewn by the staff of Lakeside Sewing, the pair of underpants donned the side of the Lakeview Arts Barn during the run of the show. At 20 metres wide by 12 metres tall and with a crotch of 16 feet, the underwear could fit 150 adults comfortably. Globus Theatre have submitted the underwear to the Guinness Book of World Records, which should be including it in their next updated volume.
After a mass exodus of my favourite local performers from our community last year, some big gaps were left in the theatrical landscape — but that meant that new openings were created for others to shake things up. One of the most exciting to me was the formation of Amber Coast Theatrical, which put on its first production First Date: The Musical in early December. Under the direction of Lucas DeLuca, Amber Coast brought together a collection of my very favourite performers who either graduated from The Anne Shirley Theatre Company and were displaced by the loss of Cordwainer Productions. I fell in love with First Date: The Musical and it was one of the few shows that I went to twice. Amber Coast is a shining hope that hip and modern musicals will continue to see the Peterborough stage, and I wait in anticipation to see what Lucas and his company will do next.
Speaking of emerging actors, if I had to pick one performer as the brightest new find of 2016 it would be Keeley Wilson who starred as Casey in First Date: The Musical. First popping up on the Peterborough theatre scene in the role of Arial in Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School’s production of The Little Mermaid, Keeley has proven herself to be not only a versatile actress but a singer with a massive voice that left me dumbfounded. I only had a brief moment to talk with Keeley, who told me she plans to continue performing in a big way in 2017. She has become one of my new favourites in the Peterborough theatre community and has me on the edge of my seat to see what she does next.
Often the gaps that get created when established actors leave a community mean other actors finally get their chance to shine in the spotlight.
This is what has happened with Lindsay Unterlander this year. A constant in the theatre community, everybody has worked with Lindsay, who’s been an important part of the backstage operations of shows and a member of the chorus in many musicals. But this year Lindsay stepped into the spotlight and proved herself a versatile and powerful leading actress in three Theatre on King Productions: One in a Million, The Bald Soprano (the best show of 2016 that I saw but didn’t review) and Cocaine.
Lindsay can make you laugh and she can make you cry, and I didn’t have a clue that she could do that. Although I’ve seen her for years, her newfound status as a lead is one of the best surprises of 2016. I can’t wait to see her up front and centre again in 2017.
I want to also give a special thanks to Andy Carroll for providing many of the photos that accompany my reviews for kawarthaNOW.
There were many nights when Andy and I were the only two people at the preview. Andy’s professionalism, talent, and dry sense of humour are things I appreciate and I always look forward to seeing him in the audience.
Thank you Andy for your generosity and for making our reviews looks so dynamic.
Finally, every theatre company is special. From the familiarity of the Peterborough Theatre Guild, to the uniqueness of 4th Line Theatre’s Winslow Farm, to the warmth of Globus Theatre’s Lakeview Arts Barn, I have a love for each place I go. However, when it came to creating an artistic hub for the Peterborough community, in 2016 The Theatre on King (TTOK) was the place to be. Ryan Kerr and Kate Story have created a warm and wonderful creative space that’s seen both its company of players and its audience grow month after month. Some of the best shows I saw in 2016 were there. Some of the worst were there as well, but whatever I saw was always interesting. TTOK takes risks, which has been the secret of their success.
From its epic celebration of avante-garde playwright Samuel Beckett, to being the headquarters for the Bernie Martin festival, each show that TTOK puts on is an event. My favourite nights included TTOK’s wonderful tribute to painter Bob Ross in their continuing The Joy of Bob nights, Ken Gibb’s Crackerjack Theatre series, Andrew Root’s Crime City, original productions like The Blind Eye written by Kate Story and directed by Em Glasspool, When I Sorrow Most by Simon Turner, Mel Malarky Gets the Bum Rush by Cathy Petch, and Ryan’s short production of Hortense Flexner’s Voices featuring the talents of 13-year-old actresses Lydia Etherington and Samuelle Weatherdon.
But what is the most wonderful thing about TTOK is the sheer number of shows they pump out through the theatre. The turnaround is fast and furious and keeps the entire arts community on its toes. Thank you Ryan, Kate, and everyone else involved at TTOK for becoming such an important and positive artistic and creative space in the Peterborough community.
To everybody in the theatrical community, thank you for allowing me in your space to write about your shows. It’s easy to do this job when there is so much talent in this city to write about. I have a love and loyalty to all of you who I have worked with this year, and I can’t wait to see what you produce in 2017!
