As we approach the final days of summer, when looking back at the 2017 theatre season it was truly the summer of Norm Foster. With four of the popular Canadian playwright’s shows being staged locally in the past two months, Norm Foster’s unique brand of dramatic comedy has produced some of the best shows this year.
For its final play of the season, Globus Theatre at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bocaygeon is wrapping things up with one of Norm Foster’s newest productions, Halfway There. Directed by James Barrett, the production stars Cosette Derome, Jordan Kanner, Heather Dick, Joanne Latimer, and Sarah Quick in a show about love and friendships, and the roads that take us from where we are to where we need to be.
Making its debut at the Norm Foster Festival in 2016, Halfway There follows the lives of four women from the small town of Stewiacke, Nova Scotia, and what happens when a big-city doctor wanders into their town. Famous for being exactly halfway between the equator and the North Pole, Stewiacke is a place where everybody seems to know everybody else’s business, and there is no such thing as secrets — especially between best friends Vi (Joanne Latimer), Rita (Heather Dick), Mary Ellen (Sarah Quick), and Janine (Cosette Derome).
Meeting each Friday around closing at Juniors, the diner where Janine works, the four women engage week after week, and year after year, in blunt and honest conversations about life, love, and town gossip. So when Dr. Sean Merritt (Jordan Kanner) walks into the diner one afternoon, he not only suddenly becomes pulled into the ladies’ conversation but also gives them something new to talk about.
Having left Toronto after a hurtful break up, Dr. Sean is in the midst of a personal crisis and trying to find anything better than what he left behind. However, the handsome young doctor meets his match when he sets his sights on Janine. A small-town girl who went out in the world and decided she just wanted to go back home, Janine is clever, brash, and blunt — and not falling for Dr. Sean’s flirtations no matter how genuine or sweet he can be.
But as the seemingly dead-end drama between Dr. Sean and Janine plays out, the personal lives of the other ladies begin to transform in different emotional ways, and the winds of change are blowing through Stewiacke. Soon, be it for better or worse, nothing will ever be the same in the lives of the four friends again — but the strength of their friendship will ensure they will endure.
While watching Halfway There, I couldn’t help but compare it to Norm Foster’s The Foursome, which was presented by the Peterborough Theatre Guild earlier this summer. Halfway There is primarily about the friendship between four women, while The Foursome is about the friendship between four men. What is interesting after seeing these shows back to back is how well Norm Foster is able to capture the friendship and psychology of both men and women so beautifully.
Foster ts able to write for both these genders in a realistic and entertaining way, which makes him an extraordinary observer on the way that people communicate with each other. He is a master at writing about human relationships, and Halfway There really becomes a moving piece about the bonds that women forge between one another.
Although on the surface it seems to motivate much of the plot, the potential romance between Dr. Sean and Janine is really an interesting device to bring out the stories and the relationships between the four female characters. In a sense, it is almost used as a distraction for the audience so the deeper stories of the characters can emerge from the background.
Still, the on-stage chemistry between Jordan Kanner and Cosette Derome is a winning one. As the downtrodden doctor, Jordan Kanner is handsome and charming, but wears his heart on his sleeve and is not used to the blunt banter of the women — who seem to love to make him squirm with their openness and the fact nothing seems to be secret or sacred within their circle.
Meanwhile, he seems to greatly underestimate Cosette’s character Janine, who is unimpressed by his charms. While he walks into the diner like he’s Doctor McDreamy, he isn’t ready for Janine’s frank yet reasonable way of thinking, or that she would so quickly call him out every step of the way. The big-city doctor soon learns he is completely out of the small-town waitress’s league.
Cosette Derome is an absolute delight as Janine, and creates a wonderful woman who knows her own mind, unlike the doctor who is enamored by her.
While the romantic plot is entertaining, its real purpose to give the four women something to gossip about. By the second act, the show begins to shift to the changing lives of Vi, Rita, Mary Ellen, and Janine. Although it isn’t evident at the beginning of the show, three of the women find their lives at different crossroads, while the fourth is allowing the tragedies of the past to prevent her from moving forward with her journey.
The on-stage chemistry between by Joanne Latimer, Heather Dick, Sarah Quick, and Cosette Derome is simply beautiful. It is funny and spirited and the actresses are able to create a sense of emotion between their characters the audience can feel. The four women create some great character moments that give Halfway There emotional depth, making the show much more interesting than a straightforward romantic comedy.
By the time you get to the final scene, the characters and the world of Halfway There are so real you’re not ready to get the final cheque from Juniors. I didn’t feel like I was done with these characters at all — I wanted to know what happens next and where they will be in another five years.
This is not only due to the brilliance of Norm Foster’s writing, but also the performances of the superb group of actors who bring these characters to life. I don’t know if he’d ever do it, but if Norm Foster were to ever write a sequel to any of his shows, this is the one I’d want to see. I have a feeling these characters have a lot more stories to tell.
I also just want to mention the show has one of the best ongoing Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young jokes ever written for theatre. Well, it might be the only ongoing Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young joke ever written for theatre, but I loved it.
It’s hard to believe the end of the summer season is already upon us and this is the final show in Globus’ current playbill. Globus has had an outstanding season this year by consistently producing some of the best shows offered in the Kawarthas. If you have yet to take in a production at Globus this year, they have left one of their very best shows for last. Halfway There is a truly special show with genuine laughter and love.
I want to thank James Barrett and Sarah Quick, along with their incredible staff at the Lakeview Arts Barn, for another wonderful summer theatrical season. There is little wonder why this has become one of my favourite summer spots. It’s not just the top-notch performances and professionally produced theatre, or the incredible food and desserts. It’s also the people I’ve met and the friendships I’ve made that get me to return year after year. There is just something special about that space. It has a certain warmth that is so inviting and addictive. Thank you for another wonderful summer, and for all the wonderful shows that are put on at the Lakeview Arts Barn.
Halfway There runs until September 2nd at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon. A three-course table d’hôte menu is available at 6 p.m. prior to every evening performance. Tickets are $31.50 for adults and $20 for students for the show only, or $65.50 for adults and $54 for students if you want the dinner and the show. For tickets, visit the box office at Lakeview Arts Barn or call 705-738-2037.
