"I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being." -Oscar Wilde
Canterbury’s talented ensemble could have kicked off its season with a flashy musical. Instead, it sank its teeth into this caustic, often dark tale of a former college dean who’s gone blind from a disease that will end his life shortly, and the working-class woman who volunteers to read to him in his hospital bed. Joe Ginnane and Danielle Gendron gave two of the year’s best performances as the former dean and his new friend, respectively, while Asha Stichter and Shane Miller provided ferocious support in key roles.
See the full article here: http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2011/12/31/features/on_the_go/doc4efe3d7deff99868150644.txt
It is with a sad heart that I bid you readers adieu. I am SO thankful to have been given the opportunity to work at Canterbury and shall consider returning to Michigan City next summer.
Here are some final shots from this season's shows:
A 'Charming' "Bell, Book and Candle" at Canterbury Summer Theatre
Thu, 08/11/2011 - 16:32 laughingcat
Gillian Holroyd (Chelsea Hockaday) is ready to celebrate Christmas with her aunt, Queenie (Danielle Gendron) and her brother Nicky (Shane David Miller), when she meets her tenant, publisher Shepherd (Shep) Henderson (Matthew Carroll), who is upset about Queenie’s uninvited visits to his apartment.
She’s only mildly interested in Shep until she finds out that he’s engaged to her college nemesis With the help of her cat, Pyewacket, she casts a spell to make him fall for her because she wants to have a fling (because witches can’t fall in love without losing their powers).
When Shep says that he’s interested in publishing the next book by author Sydney Redlitch (Daniel Whitaker), Gillian implies that she’s already met the author. She casts another spell, and he turns at her apartment. He says he’s ready to write a book about witches in New York, which Queenie and Nicky think is exciting.
In exchange for a writing credit, Nicky tells Redlitch all about witches, even introducing him to a few. Gillian is furious with Nicky, and casts a spell to stop the book. Shep, of course, laughs at the very idea of witches. In fact, when Gillian confesses to Shep who refuses to believe her.
Chelsea Hockaday is normally the Stage Manager at Canterbury, so it was fun to see her on stage instead of hiding in the background. Daffy Aunt Queenie is a perfect part for Danielle Gendron. Congrats to costumer Neila K. Ettienne who found authentic looking 50’s dresses for Hockaday and Gendron.
“Bell, Book and Candle,” which opened on Broadway in 1950, starred Rex Harrison and Lilli Palmer. It was made into a movie starring James Stewart and Kim Novak in 1958. There is speculation that it could be the inspiration for TV’s “Bewitched.”
Now that the kids in the cast are going back to school, the Festival Players Guild and Bossier Parish Community College (Louisiana) are co-producing the final production of the Guild's 2011 Canterbury Summer Theatre Season, “Echoes” by N. Richard Nash. “Echoes,” which features BPCC students, marks the seventh year they’ve traveled from Louisiana to Michigan City.
“Bell, Book and Candle” has performances on Thursday, August 11th through Saturday, August 13th at 8pm. There is an additional performance at 5pm on Saturday. FYI (219) 874-4269 orwww.festivalplayersguild.org.
Matthew Carroll and Chelsea Hockaday star in "Bell Book and Candle." Photo provided
By Andrew Tallackson
Staff Writer
Published: Friday, August 12, 2011 5:08 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — At first, it seems odd that Canterbury Summer Theatre would begin to draw its season to a close with the low-key “Bell Book and Candle.” It’s been a stellar season, with spectacular moments, but John van Druten’s romantic tale doesn’t exactly have much flash to it.
But midway through the show, you realize something. These Canterbury performers don’t have anything to prove. These are very, very talented people. The performances are so good, the play exists as an exercise in what acting should be.
The story is simple. Gillian Holroyd (Chelsea Hockaday) is a witch living in New York who falls for publisher Shepherd Henderson (Matthew Carroll), who lives upstairs, but doesn’t seem interested in her.
That changes after she casts a spell that instantly has him falling hard for her. There’s a catch, of course. If Gillian falls in love with Shep, she loses her powers as a witch.
“Bell Book and Candle” was directed by Canterbury veteran Joe Ginnane, who lets the action flow smoothly and quickly. He stays out of the way of his actors and simply lets them have fun.
Hockaday is rarely off the stage. She maintains the same high energy level from start to finish, never allowing Gillian’s sense of spirit to flounder. As for Carroll, this is the most charismatic he’s been all season. Shep is a man who gradually realizes the woman he loves isn’t the woman he once believed her to be, and the confusion and frustration Carroll exudes at times offers a jolt.
Two of the season’s prime scene-stealers, Shane Miller and especially Danielle Gendron, are loads of fun as Gillian’s brother Nicky and Aunt Queenie, respectively, with Gendron clearly relishing playing a woman who’s game for mischief.
This is highly polished entertainment. It lacks the wow factor, but you won’t find better performances than this.Contact Andrew Tallackson at atallackson@thenewsdispatch.com.
Running with all her might----she sprints around the last corner of the dusty diamond before squaring home----her strides get longer as beads of sweat fall from her forehead and then her chin, home plate now clearly in her sight.----as she barrels in closer, she's tripped by a dirty mop and a monster-pile of unwashed clothes.----the clothes rise up to blockade her way, and other cleaning supplies surround her as she desperately searches for a way out.----she knows there's no escaping them, and blasts them with her barrel gun made of Tide and 409-bleach----they retreat in disarray, slinking off as she picks up her pace again----she's almost.. there.. and can see the finish........
I've been offered a spot to return to Canterbury next summer.
Which is awfully nice of them. I may have to weigh out my other options and see what happens, but I'll keep Michigan City in mind when I'm thinking of where to go next. The pay isn't great, and the work days are LONG, but the shows are worth all the effort.
Here's a shot from last night before Bell Book & Candle.
Queenie's been fun. She's the extreme version of me that doesn't care for the opinions of others.
I have a bit in the script that talks about how "I don't think I would've ever become a witch if my parents had let me go on the stage." That's given me free-reign to make my bow "unique" at the end.
I had a heart to heart with our music director of last night. She said I'd intimidated her the first week here because I was able to pick up on things so quickly (which is funny, since she intimidated me). She said she'd assigned me the part I did in BA because of it.
In other news, my Irishmen left the other day. They've gone back to Tipperary, but didn't leave McGinnis's without a big finish. Paul played the bodhran with his hand (ouch) and the four of them sang a bit--I couldn't get the video to download off my phone, but here's a similar rendition to one of em:
I could only stand about half (...okay not even half) of what they were saying. So don't feel bad if you can't either.
