Former Performers’ Theatre Company productions

Stanton’s Garage

June 16-24, 2023

by Joan Ackermann

In a ramshackle garage miles from anywhere, two cars, both of which en route to a wedding, await repairs. One car is Ron’s, the ex-husband of the bride-to-be, a man who missed his divorce and certainly doesn’t want to miss his ex-wife’s wedding. The other belongs to the wedding pianist. Throw in an impetuous teenage girl, an amorous store gofer, and an inept mechanic and you have one goofball comedy of errors!

Cast:

Crew:

The Normal Heart 

November 5-13, 2022

by Larry Kramer

A searing drama about public and private indifference to the AIDS plague and one man’s lonely fight to awaken the world to the crisis, The Normal Heart was based on Kramer’s real-life experience.

Cast: Marcus Han, Tolkien Merrigan, Nathan Smith, Theo Michaelis-Law, Danielle McFarlane, Rob Leblanc, Brandon Mulherin, Ben Blue, Todd McCall

Crew: Stephen Puddle (director), Chris Farella (asst. director), Danielle McFarlane (stage mgr.), Ben Blue (stage asst.), Wendy Burnett (props), Chris Ward (set), Todd McCall (costumes), Ryan Slashinsky (tech), Sue Rose (artwork), Jerry Hicks (PR), Carolyn Bembridge (FOH)

Reviews:

“You and your cast and crew should be very proud about the job you did… an emotional roller coaster which had me in tears on several occasions… when I left the theatre, I was a sniveling mess… I have to say it was one of the most moving pieces I’ve witnessed. Hats off to you and everyone involved with that production… it was worth every penny and every effort to get out to Sackville to see it.”

“This was bar none the best show of yours I’ve been to – it sucked me in and one point I forgot I was watching a show.”

“I was blown away. So powerful. The friend I was with had seen the New York production and found your show to be just as good. He’s something of a critic too!” 

The 39 Steps
July 31-August 4, 2022

Book by John Buchan, film by Alfred Hitchcock and adapted for the stage by Patrick Barlow

Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have The 39 Steps, a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre!

Cast: Ben Hébert, Ryan Slashinsky, Todd McCall, Faith Higgins, Stephen Puddle, Chris Farella, Nathan Smith

Crew: Stephen Puddle (director), Danielle McFarlane (stage mgr. and PR), Evan Ziccarelli (stage asst.), Chris Ward (set), Marla Farella (props), Todd McCall (costumes), John Rose (sound), Sue Rose (artwork), Jerry Hicks (PR), Chris Meaney (lighting consultant), Faith Higgins (light design), Ashlyn Skater (lighting tech), Nathan Smith (FOH)

The Hound of the Baskervilles
May 18-30, 2022

from the novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
adapted for the stage by Tim Kelly

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most celebrated mystery adventure gets a brilliantly comedic overhaul. This ingenious adaptation combines an exhilarating collision of thrills, chills and wonderfully comic performances to offer a new twist on the greatest detective story of all time. 

Cast: Amanda Godin, Morgan Grant, Clare Lowe, Todd McCall, Penny Mott, Sue Rose, Nathan Smith, Laura Thurston, Rowan White

Crew: Director – Chris Farella; Assistant Director – Stephen Puddle; Stage Mgr – Ryan Slashinsky; Assistant Stage Mgr – Faith Higgins; Props Mgr – Wendy Burnett; Props Assistant – Evan Ziccarelli; Lighting Technicians – Chris Meaney & Ben LeBlanc; Production Mgr – Lesley Lawton; Makeup – Grace Farella; Costumes – Todd McCall; Set Construction – Luke Dowling; Front of House Mgr – Stephen
Puddle; Front of House Volunteers – Danielle McFarlane, Jerry Hicks,
Maureen Dennie, Kalin Slashinsky Johnston, Angela Mundle, Lesley Lawton; Sound Effects – John Rose; Poster Art – Chris Choiniere; Poster & Program Design – Sue Rose

The Book of Darkness and Light  By Adam Z. Robinson (UK) – October 27 – November 6, 2021

We were very excited and honored to be the first company outside of the UK to stage this sensational collection of three ghost stories, each one creating an authentic ‘edge of your seat’ experience. Playwright Adam Robinson came all the way from the UK to attend the opening night, lead a ghost story writing workshop, and speak at a forum about the show and his wildly successful body of work.

Cast: Laura Thurston, Danielle McFarlane, Shawn Anctil, Kate Duffy, Clare Lowe, Todd McCall, Morgan Grant, Vallie Stearns-Anderson, Evan Ziccarelli, Aedan Harbonne, Chris Farella

Crew: Stephen Puddle (director/designer), Rob LeBlanc (stage manager), Riley Small (Assistant SM), Penny Mott (production manager), Chris Ward & Travis Thurston (set), Todd McCall (costumes), Pauline Chapados (props), Erna Ricciuto & Carolyn Bembridge (front of house), John Rose (sound), Ben LeBlanc (lighting), Jerry Hicks (PR), Sue Rose (graphics), Rowan White (effects and dresser)

A Banishment Of Poets by Sackville playwright, Sue Rose. August 12-15, 2021 A comedy for all ages! A troupe of street performers is suspected of thievery and thrown out of town by the Mayor. Will they find their way home? Will the Mayor’s daughter join them? Will a traveling rogue defeat the dasterdly Sheriff in a duel? Will the fabulous Contessa de Fabuloso succeed in changing the Mayor’s mind? Will Brimble Toe finally get something to eat?

Cast: Hannah Lucas, Chloe Roness-Allen, Kris Williams, Stephen Puddle, Morgan Grant, Lestyn Lobo, Caitlin O’Connor, Evelyn MacKay-Barr, Molly Dysart

Crew:   Vallie Stearns-Anderson (director), Rowan Smith (stage manager), Chris Farella (production manager), Sue Rose & Todd McCall (costumes), Chris Ward, Travis Thurston, Derrick Dixon  & Hannah Bridger (set), Theo Michaelis-Law & Claire Zelcer (set crew), Maria Farella & Chris Farella (props), John Rose and Ben LeBlanc (sound), Jerry Hicks (PR), Stephen Puddle & Sue Rose (makeup), Carol Cooke & The Clowns (front of house)

Murdered To Death by Peter Gordon. June 2021. Mildred Bagshot is looking forward to a relaxing weekend with her friends at her country estate. Her old friend Charles Craddock will be there and also the charming French art dealer Pierre Marceau. But things do not quite go as planned when a gun is stolen from a guest and the kitchen catches on fire. Then one of the guests is blackmailed, the village busybody arrives without an invite, and someone is shot in the dining room! A very funny spoof of the classic ‘whodunnit’ that was performed as a live on-stage radio play, but with a surprise twist!

Cast: Laura Thurston, Ryan Slashinsky, Rob Leblanc, Ben Hebert, Pat Belliveau, Penny Mott, Susan Amos, Chris Farella, Morgan Grant, Todd McCall, John Rose

Crew: Stephen Puddle, Chris Farella, Maria Farella, Chris Ward, Mike Gallant, Todd McCall, John Rose, Noah Batten, Jerry Hicks, Lesley Read, Sue Rose, Erna Ricciuto, Carolyn Bembridge

The Elephant Song by Nicholas Billon. In Nicolas Billon’s remarkable play The Elephant Song, we are thrust into the heart and soul of a fragile young man. A smorgasbord of longing, delusion, laughter, and sorrow is laid out before us and we are invited to partake, but ultimately to pass judgement. In truth however, we aren’t simply passing judgement on this young man, we are in fact passing judgement on ourselves. For our judgement is surely that all of us need and are deserving of love. It is the cry of the human heart.

The Velocity Of Autumn
by Eric Coble

 In The Velocity of Autumn, we see complex dynamics at work, all centred around the future of octogenarian Alexandra. We see the battles that erupt between her and her son Chris and her unseen “other children”. We have possibly all lived through similar things. But Chris and Alexandra, deep down, won’t give up easily on the familial bonds they have once known. And so, there is some hope as they battle on, trying to find some compromise, some solution to the current circumstances.

The Fighting Days
by Wendy Lill

The Fighting Days focusses on the early days of the Canadian suffrage movement and follows the life of Francis Marion Beynon, one of it’s early supporters.

On Golden Pond
by Ernest Thompson

This charming story revolves around an aged couple, cantankerous retiree Norman Thayer and his conciliatory wife Ethel, who spend summers at their New England vacation home on the shores of idyllic Golden Pond. This year, their adult daughter, Chelsea, visits with her new fiancé and his teenage son, Billy on their way to Europe. After leaving Billy behind to bond with Norman, Chelsea returns, attempting to repair the long-strained relationship with her aging father before it’s too late.

Safe Harbour
by Sue Rose

A small group of strangers gather over coffee to share their memories of lost loved ones and their experiences of grieving. Through a series of vignettes we share their memories and learn about those they loved, and still love.

The Importance Of Being Earnest
by Oscar Wilde

In our 10th anniversary year we revived this popular play after we staged it as our very first show back in 2007. The play was received very well then and was again, with full houses and standing ovations. The play is a rather scathing but humourous commentary on the social ways of late Victorian aristocracy. Set in London and the surrounding countryside the play sees the main character maintaining a fictitious personae in order to escape what he considers ‘unpleasant’ social obligations. This is Wilde’s most popular of all his plays and includes the formidable character of Lady Bracknell, often played by a man. Our production was no different as our Artistic Director Stephen Puddle stepped into her shoes.

Post Horn Gallop
by Derek Benfield
In the ancestral home of Lord and Lady Elrood, a nerve-shattered Chester Dreadnought is menaced by his old enemies Capone and Wedgwood. Intent on stealing a valuable painting mayhem ensues as Chester tries to convince the household that there are indeed two criminals in the castle who want the “lady over the fireplace”. Meanwhile, in the flower beds Lord Elrood lurks with his shotgun ready to repel attacks by the butcher’s boy, the postman and anyone else unfortunate enough to come within his sight.

Souvenir
by Stephen Temperley
In a Greenwich Village supper club in 1964, Cosmé McMoon flashes back to the musical career of Florence Foster Jenkins, a wealthy socialite with a famously uncertain sense of pitch and key. In 1932, she met mediocre Cosmé, and the two teamed up for 12 years in the hope of achieving success. This bizarre partnership yielded a myriad of off-key recitals that became the talk of New York and earned Florence cultish fame.

Quartet
by Ronald Harwood
In the idyllic countryside Cecily, Reggie and Wilfred reside in a home for retired opera singers. Arriving unexpectedly, Jean, who had a very short lived marriage to Reggie, arrives at the home and disrupts their equilibrium as she announces she has arrived to stay. Each year, on the tenth of October, there is a concert to celebrate Verdi’s birthday, but Jean refuses to take part thus causing tension and the re-emerging of old wounds.

Dracula
Original text by Bram Stoker
Play by Robert Smyth and Kerry Meads
Robert Smyth and Kerry Meads wrote this version of Dracula back in the 1980’s and it was first performed in San Diego at Lambs Players Theatre. Taking the original Bram Stoker text and adding in a chorus of narrators, the story loses nothing of the chill of this dramatic re-enactment of evil vs good in Victorian England. The struggle plumbs the depths of each person’s strengths and weaknesses as they seek to overcome a growing malevolence that none have encountered before.

West Moon Street
by Rob Urbinati
When a mysterious palm reader predicts that Lord Arthur Savile will commit a murder, the proper English gentleman believes it is his duty to get this killing business over with before he marries Sybil Merton. But his education has not provided him with the required skills, and a hilarious series of mishaps ensues as he sets about finding a victim. West Moon Street is based on the short story by Oscar Wilde, Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime.

Shakespeare’s Will
by Vern Thiessen
This one-woman tour-de-force profiles the life of Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway. Building on original findings about the life of Anne, the play explores the complex relationship she and the famous bard shared as husband and wife. This moving production takes the audience on a joyous and harrowing ride into the life of this remarkable woman.

Streuth!
by Michael Green
For our first Christmas/New Year show we staged a collection of comedy sketches and the one-act play Streuth!  Part of a selection of four one act plays dealing with the mishaps of amateur theatre, Streuth! portrays the mayhem on stage as the local drama society tries to mount a murder mystery.

Enchanted April
by Matthew Barber
When two frustrated London housewives decide to rent a villa in Italy for a holiday away from their bleak marriages, they recruit two very different English women to share the cost and the experience. There, among the wisteria blossoms and Mediterranean sunshine, all four bloom again,rediscovering themselves in ways that they never thought possible.

Toad of Toad Hall by A.A. Milne based on Kenneth Graham’s The Wind in the Willows.

Toad of Toad Hall is a story of friendship and loyalty found in the English woods of yesteryear. Centered around the incorrigible Toad and his ‘crazes’, we are granted a special look into his friendships with Rat, Mole and Badger, and the chance to experience his mis-adventures! Along with a collection of humans and some wayward animals from the Wildwood, we have a tale full of surprises and fun.

Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward

Fussy, cantakerous novelist Charles Condomine has re-married but is haunted by the ghost of his late first wife, the clever and insistent Elvira. Elvira is called up by a visiting “happy medium”, one Madame Arcati. As the worldly and un-wordly personalities clash, Charles’ current wife Ruth is accidentally killed, “passes over”, joins Elvira and the two “blithe spirits” haunt the hapless Charles into perpetuity.

Arsenic and Old Lace
by Joseph Kesselring
This classic work of theatre focuses on the Brewster family, descended from the “Mayflower,” but now mainly composed of mentally unstable individuals! Set in Brooklyn, NY, the hero, Mortimer Brewster, is a drama critic who must deal with his crazy, homicidal family, the local police and his fiance, who he has just asked to marry him.

The Dresser by Ronald Harwood

The year is 1942 and while bombs rain down from the Heavens and the lights are going out all over Britain and Europe, a small touring theatre company continues to perform in the English provinces. Despite the ravages of World War II and the fact that most young and able-bodied actors are in uniform, ‘Sir’, the actor-manager of the troupe, is determined that the show ‘must go on’. And that show just happens to be Shakespeare’s “King Lear”. Not only is this great tragedy played out on their stage, shades of it are also enacted in our drama as we see Sir struggling to maintain his troupe and himself against great odds.

Hay Fever by Noel Coward

Set in an English country house in the 1920s, Hay Fever deals with the four eccentric members of the Bliss family and their outlandish behaviour when they each invite a guest to spend the weekend. The self-centred behaviour of the hosts finally drives their guests to flee while the Blisses are so engaged in a family row that they do not notice their guests’ furtive departure.

The Importance of Being Earnest
by Oscar Wilde
First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James’s Theatre in London, The Importance of Being Earnest is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personæ to escape burdensome social obligations. Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the play’s major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. This is Wilde’s most famous play.