A Bunch
of Old Folk Bumble their Way Through Sadie Flynn
ORILLIA
(Staff) A group of age 50 and 60 plus old folks- all claiming to be actors,
will throw down their canes and walkers and perform the hilarious Norm Foster
Comedy- Sadie Flynn Comes to Big Oak starting May 30th at the Stubley
Auditorium at St James in Downtown
Orillia.
The
Garage Door Players have been entertaining locally for a decade now and
although many of the members of this close-knit troupe still claim to be young
and vibrant, the proof is in the pudding- or should we say pablum!
“It’s the
first time such a bunch of old cronies have attempted to keep up the pace and
present this engaging comedy” says Director Rob Reid- himself an old fart.
“We’ve had some problems with actors dozing off mid-dialogue, excessive
flatulence and forgetting rehearsals- stuff like that. However, the most
annoying of all is the constant smell of Mentholatum Deep Heat Rub and
peppermint losenges that permeates the rehearsal hall’s air.” added Reid. “We open
a window from time to time and spray some Airwick around- Lavender scented, yet
still the air quality’s a little dubious when an actor or crew member lets one
go.”
Reid says
that some rehearsals have had to be cancelled mid-way through, due to the
gaseous fumes in the room. The Company has been asked not to light matches or
rub two sticks together at any time during the rehearsals. “There’s
no telling what could happen if there was a spark at the right moment. When you
look at the ages here...”- he says with a twinkle in his near-sighted eyes, “You can
see the problems of old age and sedentary ways make rehearsing a challenge at
times.”
Most
playwrights- whose works are performed by all ages, are unified when they say
that the theatrical world does not and should not discriminate against old
theatrical companies-such as The Garage Door Players, due to age, saggy
breasts, trousers hitched high to arm-pit level or flatulence during shows. One
playwright’s representative did say that during a comedic piece a perfectly
timed fart can add to the frivolity of the evening, although it is quite the
opposite of a
basket of sweet smelling primroses. Quite the
opposite indeed.
Getting
so many old people together consistently in one spot has been a trial. Being
old herself, Sadie Flynn’s Producer Andrea Lee-Burnet says if audience members
squint during the show, the actors will all look like they’re still in their
late 20’s or early 30’s. “It’s
quite an easy thing to do really- squinting, not to mention closing one’s eyes
altogether, since there’s barely a set. A vibrant Imagination will come in quite
handy”-claims Lee-Burnet, chuckling madly.
Stage
Manager Thomas Ruechel- who’s much older now than when you started reading this
article, agrees and says that the difficulty he has doing an "Old Folks" show
like this is to keep..um...to keep...“Give me
a minute now, the thought will circle back...” says Ruechel.
~time
passes~
"Oh yes!
The difficulty is in keeping the stage lighting at a decent level that does not
accentuate the actor’s layer-upon-layer of pancake makeup and red lipstick-
especially on the men. Sometimes
the actors doze off, miss cues or take pee breaks during a scene but we plan to
cut those interruptions to a minimum by making sure the cast gets a good rest
prior to the show, have younger back-stage personal pushing them on stage at
appropriate cues and having a stock of Depends at the ready.”
This
group of old codgers take to the stage for evening shows at 8PM (or as soon as
they’re ready) May 30 to June 1st and for two Matinees June 1 and 2 at 2ish.
Director
Reid points out that the Matinees may have a late curtain since many of the
actors take a nap about the same time as the curtain goes up. A couple of them
become dis-oriented as well and it takes a few minutes to explain the
situation. We are going to add Red Bull to the pre-show tea and see if that
helps any.”- he adds.
Tickets
are $20 and on sale at Flowers by June in the Laclie Street Plaza. Groups of
10 or more get a $5 discount per ticket. Groups should call 705.329.7282 for
booking a reservation.
