Roselyn Oudenampen speelt Thomas Levine
16-11-2016 00:00
Troupe shines spotlight on And Then, The Lights Went Out
Lindsay Little Theatre presents Andy Garland’s play-within-a-play at their 55 George St. W. studio Nov. 18, 19, 25 and 26.
Kawartha Lakes This Week
By Catherine Whitnall
LINDSAY - It can sometimes be hard enough to juggle the demands of one world, never mind two.
But that’s exactly what author Thomas Levine faces, along with Lindsay Little Theatre’s Will Teatro, in Andy Garland’s And Then, The Lights Went Out.
The production takes the troupe’s 55 George St. studio Nov. 18, 19, 25 and 26, each night at 8 p.m.
And Then, The Lights Went Out is the story of a writer who has shut himself in his apartment to finish the seventh novel in his Jim O’Reily detective series. The action of the play is set half in the world of the Jim O’Reily novel and half in the real world, where the author, played by Roselyn Oudenampsen, is fighting villains of his own like a sub-par housing situation, a deceitful landlady, being attracted to the girl next door - who happens to have a boyfriend - and dealing with intense self-doubt and negative self-speak. Never mind that his characters keep leaving the world of the novel to criticize his lack of originality and character development and express their doubt that he will be able to meet his publisher’s deadlines with a novel is that is interesting and engaging.
With next year being the nation’s 150th birthday, members of the Lindsay Little Theatre play selection committee decided to focus on creating a season of Canadian plays.
“There is not a lot of Canadian plays that are well known or haven’t been recently done,” said Teatro who is directing And Then, The Lights Went Out. “After I read it, I couldn’t get it off my mind.”
Although the play initially comes across as a serious drama in the film noir vein, Teatro said it can also read as a comedy and has worked to find light in the darkness.
But that’s a minor challenge compared to the complex script.
“You have real and fictional characters on stage at the same time. The big question is how do you do that and not trip yourself up.”
The fact that this is Teatro’s first time directing a full-length production - he cut his teeth last year directing one of three sequences in Plaza Suite - hasn’t stopped him from trying.
“It has been different; but in a good way,” said Teatro of flying solo. “I full control and freedom over what happens on the stage. But, at the same time, there’s a lot of consequences that come with that freedom. Being inexperienced, it’s been lots of trial and error and having to try another idea when one doesn’t work.”
Managing a cast of eight can also be a challenge, but Teatro is thrilled with the level of talent and abilities shown by everyone, especially David Draper who plays O’Reilly.
Draper normally works behind the scenes, serving as Globus Theatre @ the LAB’s sound designer.
“He auditioned for the show and just blew me away,” said Teatro, adding newcomer or veteran, the entire cast’s performances are impressive. “I couldn’t ask for a better cast. Half the time I’ll be watching them and forget to direct; they’re that entertaining to watch.”
Tickets for the show cost $15 and are available from the Academy Theatre box office or www.kawarthatickets.com.
Bron: https://www.mykawartha.com/
Foto van Roselyn van haar Facebook pagina.
Roselyn Oudenampsen (M.58)