On Thursday, October 19th, Planet 12 Productions premieres Incident On Gun Mountain at The Theatre on King (TTOK) in downtown Peterborough.
A brand new thriller written and directed by Derek Weatherdon, this is Planet 12 Production’s second original show and features the talents of Lindsay Unterlander, Kelsey Gordon Powell, Nathan Govier, and Abbie Dale in a tense production calculated to thrill the audience.
Following their success with Boy Wonders earlier this year, Planet 12 Productions has a mandate to give kids a theatrical education in drama that goes beyond the usual fare made available for them. While the kids were on the stage for Boy Wonders, for Incident On Gun Mountain they are behind the scenes, producing a well-oiled and highly professional-looking piece of theatre starring three of Peterborough’s favourite adult actors.
Taking place in the 1970s, Incident On Gun Mountain tells the story of Wayne (Nathan Govier), his wife Becky (Lindsay Unterlander), and his brother-in-law Roger (Kelsey Gordon Powell) who go into the deep woods for the annual deer hunt.
Early one morning, as Becky stays behind to tend to breakfast, Wayne returns to the cabin in a state of shock. After being questioned by his wife and brother-in-law, Wayne explains that he shot something in the woods that wasn’t an animal, but wasn’t human.
Fearing that Wayne could be arrested for manslaughter, Roger and Becky contemplate what to do to get Wayne out of his predicament.
But as tempers flare, it becomes evident that something is lurking in the woods — and whatever it is wants answers for what happened to one of their own.
Incident On Gun Mountain is a smart little piece that feels like an episode of The Twilight Zone twisted with the sensibilities of a ’70s Grindhouse film. Yet while he has written a play about the unknown things that lurk in the darkness, Derek also manages to put a lot of interesting themes into the script — including an examination of the legality of the rights of beast and man, as well as a realistic look at sexual and gender dynamics within the family unit during the mid-1970s.
It’s a well-penned yet compact show that’s compelling to watch and filled with some fun thrills.
For Incident On Gun Mountain, Lindsay, Kelsey, and Nathan come together as a complete unit, but with each individual character bringing something dynamic to the narrative.
In the role of Wayne, Nathan portrays a simple man who is in an unusual situation far beyond his understanding. Unsure just what he has killed and what the consequences are going to be as a result, Nathan plays fear and confusion to the point where he is almost in a state of catatonic shock.
Meanwhile, Kelsey portrays Roger as an alpha male with cocksure machismo, filled with terrible ideas and shouting orders. If Wayne portrays fear, what Roger portrays is panic and chaos.
Caught in the middle is Lindsay, who gives the strongest performance of the night as Becky, a woman who gave up a lot due to her sense of duty to family. Becky has a different kind of battle waging in the cabin. Not only is she fighting to survive the night from the terror that lies in the woods, she is also fighting for her sense of dignity as a woman.
A special shout out goes to Abbie Dale who opens the show as the granddaughter of Becky and Wayne. Abbie introduces the piece in a dramatic prologue, setting up the scene for the audience, and giving a hint of the dread to come. A nice little character piece by a talented young actress, Abbie’s performance continues Planet 12’s tradition of giving young performers interesting roles on the stage.
Beyond its intelligent script and some great performances, the most impressive element of Incident on Gun Mountain is the production itself. Staged managed by Aimee Gordon and Samuelle Weatherdon, the Planet 12 crew has put together an impressive production.
Visually the piece is stunning, with one of the most impressive sets that I have ever seen at TTOK. Created by Amy and Emily Keller, and featuring imaginative and appropriate rustic props by Emma Meinhardt, the set piece is incredibly impressive to look at. The show is also enhanced by lighting design by Ryan Kerr and assisted by Samuelle Weatherdon, with an important soundscape by Isaac Maker.
The result is a very professional=looking piece of drama put together by some really talented kids.
During this busy weekend of theatre, take the time to make Incident On Gun Mountain part of your weekend plans. It’s a strong follow up to Boy Wonders, one of the most talked about shows of 2017. For those people who regretted missing that show, you’ll not want to make the same mistake of missing this one.
As a side note, the cast and producers of Incident on Gun Mountain will be doing a special presentation and talk-back feature for the show during the Friday night performance. I have been asked to stay quiet about the nature of the presentation as not to spoil certain aspects of the show, but I can say the presentation connects a major plot point of the show with a historical anniversary that evening. I wish I could reveal more, but let me just say that this presentation will be extremely interesting and an extra treat for the TTOK audience on Friday night.
Incident On Gun Mountain runs from Thursday, October 19th to Saturday, October 21st at TTOK at 8 p.m., and an additional early evening show at 5 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are $10 at the door or pay what you can.
