Sex Please, We're Sixty at St. Albert Dinner Theatre

This past weekend I took in the latest offering from St. Albert Dinner Theatre, Sex Please, We're Sixty! It was a laugh-filled evening, with a terrific dinner and great company at my table! Like any great farce, there are several doors and for much of the second act, you are never quite sure what will be coming out of what door! It's also chock full of big characters whose convergence leads to the requisite mix-ups and misfortunes. 

Set in a floral themed Bed and Breakfast, permanent resident Bud "the Stud" (Rob Beeston with the most absurd hairline and a ridiculous pelvis popping) is awaiting the return of a former guest with whom he had a liaison. The only problem is he can't remember who they are. Enter three possible candidates and off we go. There's also a very rigid and time obsessed B&B owner, Mrs Stancliffe (played by Myrna Ferris who has a delightful transformation in the finale of the show) and her fumbling but earnest suitor, Henry Mitchell (the charming and befuddled Dave McKay) who has been courting her for over a decade with no progression. He's a scientist who has developed a little blue pill for menopausal women to stimulate their libido called Venusia. When these get mixed up with Bud's Viagra, the hijinks abound! 

As mentioned, the show is full of larger than life characters. There's a nerdy scientist Hillary Hudson (Ursula Pattloch, with broken glasses and appropriate t-shirts) there to help Henry with the testing of of his magic medication; a romance writer Victoria Ambrose (Joanne Poplett), looking for a new and innovative way to end her latest novel; and Charmaine Beauregard, a southern vamp hoping to get some action with Bud (Christine Gold, who is an absolute hoot!) The folks at my table remarked of Gold, "She has the best lines!" and indeed, in the second act, every time she came onstage I was waiting to see what she would say next. I have been quoting some of them around my house all week. I don't want to give them away, so you will have to see for yourself! 

Like all good farces, the first act gets everyone in place and you can anticipate over intermission how they will all collide, and then the second act pays off with even more ridiculousness than you expect. The cast worked well together with everyone putting in 110% regardless of what silly thing the script asked of them. The laughs came hard and fast leading to a very enjoyable evening! 

Sex Please, We're Sixty runs to February 14th with shows on Thursday through Saturday at the St. Albert Dinner Theatre. Tickets are $70 and include a fantastic buffet supper. There's also a discount for groups of 10+. You can purchase your tickets here. 

The Mythology of War - An Iliad at Shadow Theatre

 Marc J. Chalifoux Photography

Last weekend I took in An Iliad at Shadow Theatre. The Iliad is an epic story from Greek Mythology recounting the battle of Troy. You've likely got some bits and pieces of it floating in your head, from Helen of Troy, to Achilles, to Odysseus, to The Trojan Horse. And of course, there's all those deities mixed up in it with vested interests: Athena, Apollo, Ares, and others. I'm very familiar, having directed The Penelopiad (the story of Odysseus' long suffering wife, Penelope) and having read Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles last year and just finished her more recent novel Circe. I felt a bit surrounded by the Myth, but familiarity does cultivate affection. 

At the centre of this production, is the poet, played masterfully by Michael Peng. Peng is an excellent story-teller and even injured and constrained in his movement he weaves a compelling tale about the Trojan War. I appreciated that this retelling does not pick sides but rather tells the tale from the perspective of both sides. We hear about Hector as well as Achilles. The poet sees and relates wrongs and triumphs of either side of the wall. He has been telling this story for centuries and we are getting the version that's a little under 2 hours. He tells us he's told versions that last several days. The weight of that underscores the shorter version we receive. 

 Marc J. Chalifoux Photography

You can't help but reflect beyond the mythology and think about the essential nature of war, in fact, Peng draws our attention to war in the world over our long human history up to today. The list feels endless and sadly incomplete. As we live in a world with increasing tensions, it is perhaps a kindness to reflect on war through the lens of an ancient mythological one. I certainly have thought a lot about war lately and how relatively safe we are in North America (and growing less so). There are many places in the world where war is first-hand and deadly, and while the play does not provide answers to humanity's ongoing conflicts, the recognition that both sides of any conflict are human is important. 

As I mentioned earlier, the story is well-told by Peng. He is also supported by the live score created by Erik Mortimer on a variety of instruments. The music and sound is thoughtful and supportive of the storytelling. Directed by John Hudson, the blocking is simple, yet effective, as it avoids distracting from the story. I guess with an uninjured narrator you could add more physical action to the story-telling, but I actually found it very engaging to focus on the images created by the words, and the emotion layered on Peng's face and in his voice. Set in a lonely bar (set design by Scott Peters), where all the best stories are told, the show relies on the best of story-telling, the testimony of "I was there, I saw this, and it was devastating." 

An Iliad is presented by Shadow Theatre and runs at the Varscona until February 8th. Tickets are $25-40 with several Pay-What-You-Can performances and they can be purchased here. 

Fun Fact: The crutches used in the show came from my garage! A call went out for wooden crutches and I happened to have 3 sets of wooden crutches hanging in there, as well as 2 sets of metal crutches... don't ask...