Backstage - February 2010

The Love List
by Norm Foster
Directed by Cheryl Hylton
Produced by Laura Earle and Gerda Tolsma

Leon and Bill write up a list of qualities defining the perfect woman, and much to their surprise, she appears. This hilarious and thought-provoking play examines the quest for perfection.

The Sunday Feb 14th performance of The Love List will be evaluated by Western Ontario Drama League (WODL) Adjudicator John Snowdon. The audience will get to hear a ten minute assessment of the production following the performance. The Love List is being entered out-of-Festival which means that it will not travel to the Festival in Owen Sound, March 15-20. The five plays to travel to Festival and out-of-Festival awards will be announced February 21st. Winners of the WODL Festival will continue on to the Theatre Ontario Festival being held in London, May 19-23. Look for the Theatre Ontario article in this edition of Backstage!

Want to be #1 on your sweetheart's list this year? Then why not give them a great gift, say - flowers, dinner out and a romantic comedy! This amazing play by Norm Foster will leave you laughing (and thinking) long after the curtain closes!

February is here and the cast and crew of the The Love List are very pumped about their upcoming production. We are still in the middle of rehearsals but are eager to move into the theatre this coming weekend! Putting the final touches on everything is always exciting - seeing everyone's efforts visibly manifest before our eyes!

Cheryl Hylton (director) is more than pleased to be working with such a fabulous, hard working group (both cast and crew) and would like everyone to welcome newcomer, Larry Pocock, to the Theatre Woodstock stage as Leon. Tracey Price, Justine and Tony Harding, Bill have an electricity on stage and are definitely "the icing on the Valentine's cake!"

With so many special occasions coming up this spring, why not purchase your loved ones tickets for the Theatre? You can purchase tickets and gift certificates directly from our box office Saturday mornings from 9:30 am-1:00 pm or tickets and gift certificates are also available at Party Central located in the Sobeys Plaza. To order tickets over the phone please call our box office at 519 537 2582 ext 1. Tickets can also be purchased online by visiting our website at theatrewoodstock.com. You will need a credit card to order tickets by phone or online.

It never ceases to amaze me! Have you checked out the talent of our CAST juniors and sophomores? If you missed the January shows, make sure you catch the next session. Congratulations for two entertaining shows! How fabulous to see members of our senior group working and mentoring on these shows. I can't wait to see Urinetown. This is our future. How lucky we are!

Speaking of volunteers, we have been putting together a list of people who have had continuous and active participation with our theatre. And there are HUNDREDS of you out there from the ushers, set builders, costumers, backstage and booth people, webmasters and newsletter writers, Board members and the list is endless. If you have had at least 5 years continuous service and continue to be currently active, please drop us a line because WE APPRECIATE YOU! For example, we have had the pleasure of Don Hastie's talent for 40+ years, Brian George and Bonnie Hartley for 35 years and Jennifer Paquette for 21 years. That is real commitment to our theatre and community.

Winner of the Governor General's Award for Drama
Directed by Dale Bell
Produced by Bonnie Hartley & Sheila English
Stage Managed by Pat Bell

We had a great turn out to our auditions for The Drawer Boy by Michael Healey - 14 guys for 3 parts. It made for some pretty tough decisions but director Dale Bell has decided on the following cast:

Thanks again to all who came out to read, and remember that the show goes on April 9 to 17. Hope to see you there!

A Hunter St. Thank You!

I would like to thank everyone who has helped over the past year to sort, move and sell the contents of Hunter St. This has been a huge job and I've had a huge number of people helping. I would like to list everybody but I would surely miss someone, so this is a great big Thank You from me to each and every one of you. This job would have been impossible without your help. So... THANKS!

Laura Earle (Wardrobe & Properties)

Hunter Street Memories

Londoners with a passion for live theatre will have their first chance since 1986, this coming May to see the four productions chosen as the winners of best production from across the province at the upcoming festival.

London Community Players and the Palace Theatre will host this prestigious event with their co-sponsors, Theatre Ontario and the Western Ontario Drama League May 19th to 23rd.

Adjudications will be provided by Theresa Sears and David Switzer who have extensive experience as professional actors, writers, producers and directors in both the theatre and television industry.

The grand finale of the Festival is the Awards Luncheon to be held on May 23rd at the Delta Armouries Hotel when the award for Outstanding Festival Production, 'The Elsie', will be presented.

Ticket packages for the Festival are on sale now through the Palace Theatre Box Office at 519-432-1029.

Are you familiar with websites, or do you have access to software like Dreamweaver? If the answer is yes, there is an opportunity for you to help with the ongoing maintenance of theatrewoodstock.com. Please tell us about yourself! Send an email to gm@theatrewoodstock.com and introduce yourself.

Congratulations to CAST on another successful production. January 7, 8 and 9, 2010 CAST performed Shakespeare's A Comedy of Errors and Once on this Island Junior. Thank-you to all our volunteers that helped this show run smoothly. CAST's next production will be Schoolhouse Rock and The Death and Life of Sneaky Fitch. Performance dates are May 6, 7 and 8, 2010 at 7pm. Don't miss CAST's senior company production Urinetown. Don't let the title put you off, Urinetown is a hilarious musical that will entertain the young and old. Tickets sell quickly for our CAST's performances, so contact the box office and reserve your tickets today!

CAST's spring session began January 23rd. Jason Paquette will be directing Schoolhouse Rock and Betty Ford will be by his side with her Musical Direction. John Kozak will be stage managing. Joanna Sweete will be directing The Death and Life of Sneaky Fitch, and Sydney Brockway will be stage managing. Taylor Markham will choreograph both productions. CAST would like to welcome Sydney on board as a stage manager. Although she is new to stage managing, she brings with her a wealth of experience on and off stage.

Sydney Brockway is seventeen years old and is in grade twelve at WCI. She has been performing in, and helping out with CAST shows since 2004 (look for her in the upcoming Senior Company production of Urinetown)! She has assistant stage managed the previous Junior/Sophmore shows, The Trial of Goldilocks and Mulan and has been a counselor for CAST's Summer Camp for two summers. In her spare time, Sydney dances ballet, tap and modern at Ms Juliana's School for the Performing Arts. She also enjoys singing, and playing the piano and saxophone. Sydney is very excited to be given the chance to learn more about the technical side of theatre by stage managing this session's sophomore show!

Backstage is edited by Claire Lewis. You can reach Claire by telephone at 519-421-4425. Please make submissions for the newsletter to clairebear@bmts.com. "Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best."