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South Simcoe Theatre hosts the final performance of the season: ‘Four Play’ 

June 8, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The South Simcoe Theatre held its final performance of the season by hosting Four Play – a series of informal readings of plays by local playwrights.

The event is hosted to coincide with the Town of Cookstown’s Wing Ding Weekend.

Over the course of four days, actors performed six different plays of varying lengths.

This is a unique performance as they are lightly rehearsed, there is no set or costumes, and the actors stay in one place on stage. It gives the actors a chance to work on developing a character without having to memorize a script as they read the script on stage.

It also allows for a narrator to read stage directions during the performance.

For the playwright, this is an opportunity to hear the dialogue presented by actors and gauge the audience’s reaction.

The series started on Thursday, June 1, with a reading of “Tea for Two” by Trudee Romanek and directed by Jo-Anne Pulfer. The play was read by Lise Boily and Heather Walton, with Shelagh Hughes-Carlini narrating.

The second play of the night was “Back from Crazy” by Jen Nicholl and directed by Kay Valentine.

This was a one-person play featuring Maria Mars.

On Friday, June 2, “Bienvenue Oh Trout Lake” was presented. Written by Neil Marr and directed by Kay Valentine.

The cast included Brenda Clayton, Chris Cluff, Laura Esmerado, Karen Fogelman, Pat McColm, Spenser Verkerk, and Bruce Shields.

On Saturday, June 3, “Reception” by Guy Newsham was on stage. Directed by Judi Erickson, this play featured actors Marlo Alcock, Cerys Ford, Shranna Jagger, John Lukachko, and Michelle Pedneault.

The series wrapped up on June 4 with two more plays. “Bub Explains it All” by Stephen Bainborough and directed by Noah Hollinshead. The cast included Lee Clements, Sheila DeCuyper, Fran Gelder, Shranna Jagger, and John Lukachko.

The final performance, “At the Crossing,” was written by Neil Wicks and directed by Nancy Knapp.

This performance featured actors Lee Clements, Sheila DeCuyper, Fran Gelder, Shranna Jagger, and John Lukachko.

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