Craig Godfrey never thought he was going to write a musical, but a series of events conspired to make Turtle Crossings his first effort as a playwright and songwriter.

“The Little Theatre used the cafeteria of Sharbot Lake High School for all of their productions, and when it closed and the new school was coming in, I approached the executive with the idea of writing a local musical as a collective for the first production in the theatre at Granite Ridge. My first idea was to do a play about a High School band that reunites for the opening of a new school, just as the music teacher is about to retire,” he said, when interviewed this week as the first ever production of Turtle Crossings is just a week away. Opening night is Thursday, November 24.

It turned out that the Little Theatre Executive was headed in another direction, and put on Music Man as the first musical in the new space. In the meantime Godfrey looked at the notes he had prepared for Turtle Crossings and realised he only had a shell to work from.

“I decided that what I should do is write a short story in order to flesh out the characters and add some depth.”

The story that he wrote was about a girl who spent her summers at a cottage in the 1970s, right through her teenage years. There is a major rift between her and the local community as well as her parents and she leaves, only to return 20 years later. In the musical adaptation of the short story, all of this is revealed through a series of flashbacks. The play opens in 1993, at an open mic night in a bar in a big city, just after the protagonist, Tessa Carter, a music teacher, has performed on stage. She tells her friends about a letter she has just received from her estranged father, offering to give her the family cottage. That, and the fact that the job of music teacher at the high school near the cottage is coming up, provides the plot mechanism around which the rest of the play unfolds.

Godfrey ended up writing songs for the play as well, and has been working with director Brian Robertson on changes to the music and script as the production has been developing. Although the play is Godfrey's creation, he has taken a back seat to Robertson during the production. As actors and musicians have come on board to work on the play, he feels the spirit of collaboration, that he originally wanted to see in the writing, has taken hold in rehearsals.

“Turtle Crossings”,will be an exciting and widely anticipated presentation for the entire community.

Excitement is growing as rehearsals in the Granite Ridge Education Centre (GREC) auditorium are getting closer and closer together, and cast and crew are getting very close to pulling all the aspects of their upcoming presentation of “TURTLE CROSSINGS” together. This is a brand new musical play that was written by one of NFLT’s and Sharbot Lake’s very own long-time members and residents, Craig Godfrey.

Craig relocated to Kingston a few years ago, but has a family property and cottage he has been spending March thru Novembers at for over 60 years. He taught in area schools while living and raising his family in Sharbot Lake for over 25 years.

As a dedicated member of NFLT from almost the beginning, he has been both a performer and has been involved in the production of too many performances to count over the years. Craig received the North Frontenac Little Theatre lifetime recognition award in 2014 for his efforts. He decided to take a turn at writing on his own, and three years ago started to work on his novel “The Custodian of Turtle Crossings”. He has now adapted it to the musical presentation we are all going to have the pleasure of seeing at the end of November.

The play revolves around Tesah Carter, a single 39-year-old high school music teacher and part-time singer in a band. While singing at an open mic night with her friends, Tesah shares her plans for the future and in so doing, travels back in time to her childhood cottage years. Tesah relives some cherished, and some not so cherished, memories of cottage days when she was young. Through her sharing, we revisit a young teen’s life as she grows up at the lake, and we witness the powerful bond she develops with Billy, the older boy next door, who used to look after her.

Tesah looked up to Billy as her guardian angel, or custodian, but on prom night her pastoral cottage life comes crashing down around her. Years later Tesah cannot escape the deep internal longing to get back to the peace and serenity the lake of her childhood and her “Guardian” used to offer her. Turning to prayer, we see how a spiritual re-awakening and the caring love of her “Guardian” combine to bring an unforeseen joy into her world as Tesah finally garners the strength to face her past and return to her family cottage.

“TURTLE CROSSINGS” has a number of returning NFLT regular performers, including Pam Giroux, John Stephen, Danielle Quenneville, Ken Fisher, Dick Miller and Martina Field, but there are going to be a lot of new faces from Sharbot Lake and surrounding areas as well.

It is very exciting to welcome new talent to NFLT’s productions, including several students (and two former students) from GREC, as well as several people from the Arden area – and of course brand new talent and singers to add even more to this original show and its original musical numbers.

The show is being presented November 24 – November 27, and tickets are available from cast & crew members, or at Sharbot Lake Pharmacy, Godfrey General Store, and Verona Hardware RONA. Make sure to get your tickets early because this is sure to be a fun one!

The North Frontenac Little Theatre held its annual awards ceremony last Sunday, Sept. 25 at the former Tichborne church that it purchased and fixed up as a rehearsal and storage space several years ago.

This year actors Martina Field and John Stephen were honoured in the performer category, and in the community category, long-time supporters Jocelyn and Nick Whalen from Sharbot Lake Pharmasave were also celebrated.

The hall was decked out with red carpets, and there was a table laden full of treats and refreshments in the center. The hall was full when NFLT president and event emcee, Brian Robertson, jumped onto the altar/stage at the back of the hall and called everyone to attention. Channeling Steve Martin, Robertson proceeded to deliver a monologue, complete with fake texts from celebrities, and apologies from long-time NFLT members John and Anne McDougall, who according to Robertston were busy at home working on a disco version of Fiddler on the Roof.

Finally it came time to announce the first honoree, Martina Field. As she jumped up to go up and accept her award, Robertson put his hand up. “Not yet,” he said, forcing her to return to her seat as he talked about their experiences on stage together as a married couple on two occasions, something that he said the tabloids had a field day with.

Field has performed in over a dozen productions, including as Mrs. Webb in “Our Town” and Titania in “A Midsummer Night's Dream”, a production she mentioned in particular because it was the first ever Shakespeare production for the company and its director, Inie Platenius, died of breast cancer before the play went up.

“We were committed to following the directions she gave us in order to make the production a tribute to her. It meant a lot to all of us. She also asked me to design the sets for it, with the help of Peter [Inie's husband], which was a great experience.”

Brian Robertson would not let Field leave the front until she delivered a cackle from the Wicked Witch of the West. She said that was a role she had wanted to play since she was a child as the Wicked Witch has always been an idol of hers. She called her a “positive role model.”

John Stephen first came to the Little Theatre as the father (and chauffeur) for his daughter, Shiloh, who was in a production. He took on a small role, and has been in a dozen productions since then.

He was given more and more prominent roles in a series of productions that were directed by Doug Mcintyre, including Beyond Reasonable Doubt, Drinking Alone, and Noises Off.

“He saw something in me as an actor that I never saw,” Stephen said in his trademark self-deprecating manner.

He also played the wizard in The Wizard of Oz, a policeman in Guys and Dolls, and was recently in The Miracle Worker.

He said that he has been put into difficult positions on stage by some of his directors, including McIntyre, who decided to stage Beyond Reasonable Doubt in the center of the auditorium at the old Sharbot Lake High School instead of on stage.

“Whenever I would lose a line on stage I could look to the side for prompting, but this time the audience was surrounding me. But since I was playing a lawyer I could just say 'please give me a minute to consult, your honour', and go back to consult with my client, who fortunately had the script in front of them on the table. The audience never knew, or at least never told me they knew.”

Jocelyn and Nick Whalen are the first recipients of the Community Award. They have supported the Little Theatre ever since they opened the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy 25 years ago.

“They have put posters up in the store and sold tickets and collected money for us for 50 productions over the years. And I know we are not alone; they support other community activities all the time,”said Robertson.

Speaking for the pair, Nick Whalen said, “It is an honor to be recognised. I have always enjoyed the productions. The Little Theatre is a great asset to the community.”

The Whalens received a standing ovation.

This fall, North Frontenac Little Theatre (NFLT) is proud and excited to be presenting an original new musical, “Turtle Crossings”, written by NFLT veteran, Craig Godfrey.

Tesah Carter is a music teacher at an urban high school. While singing at an open-mic night with her friends, she reminisces about her childhood cottage days. Through her sharing, we revisit a young girl's life as she grows up at the lake. Along the way, we witness a powerful bond that develops with the boy next door, whom she looks up to as her guardian. In the end, we see how a spiritual re-awakening and the caring love of her "guardian" combine to bring an unforeseen joy into her world. With an original score of music, a wide variety of characters and a tale of human interest that runs the entire gamut of emotions, “Turtle Crossings” is sure to prove captivating and delightful to our audiences.

Brian Robertson will direct our Fall 2016 launch of this original musical. Brian is well known by many of you and a familiar face in these NFLT productions,

and he’s excited to be working on this fun presentation.

Auditions will be held on Sept. 7 & 8, at Granite Ridge Education Centre in Sharbot Lake. See the ad on page 3. The play will be performed Thurs – Sat., Nov. 24 – 26 at 7pm and Sun. Nov. 27 at 1:30 pm. Visit www.nflt.ca

There are roles for teenage boys and girls, adult males and females

Since some actors and crew contacted the author and team from our previous ads, some backstage roles and leads have been filled already. However, since this is a full scale musical, we are still in need of actors for some remaining lead roles and chorus,

as well as musicians to form a stage band, and help with the set, props, sound and make-up.

Contact Producer Kathy Bonsall, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Rehearsals will take place twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, beginning Tuesday September 13 at 7 p.m.

When every element in front of and behind the curtain coalesces, it makes for really good theatre.

That was the case for the North Frontenac Little Theatre's April 21 - 24 production of Pinocchio, in which both cast and crew rose to the challenge of bringing this age-old fairy tale to life.

The play was based on the adaptation by John Baldwin, and Director Brian Robertson chose his cast wisely, with a mix of veteran and newbie actors. A stellar line up of youngsters who sang in the chorus, played as the Toyland folks and tripled as Pinocchio's tormentors, created the solid foundation necessary for this play, and each was given a chance to show their talent.

Their transformations were a delight to behold, as were a number of the older members of this crew, many of whom were new to the stage. They included Emily Baillargeon (Mapes), Leah Neuman (Sprucey), Morgan Rioux (Maria), Braidey Merrigan (Tony), and Danielle Gosse (Amy/donkey).

The older cast of fairy grandmothers and grandpas narrated the story and book-ended the acts. Grandmothers Madge (Pam Giroux) and Betty (Carol Morris) sang a lovely duet of “When You Wish Upon a Star.”

Johnathon Wisteard, who likes nothing better than the limelight, had a chance to go deep into his huge- hatted role as the evil Mastroni. His powerful cackle and accented delivery delighted the house.

The hero's two animal nemeses, in the form of the sly fox (Gillian Hoffman) and the calculating cat (Sydney Drew), both indulged their meaner sides with aplomb while also showing off some of their funkier dance moves, one of the many modern musical additions to this production.

Candlewick (Mackenzie Drew) added a healthy shot of humour to the production with her impressive drill sergeant song, along with her and Danielle Gosse's hilarious hee-haws after both catch donkey fever on an ill-fated trip to Pleasure Island.

Paul Gosse as Geppetto offered up the soft and cozy aspect of parental love, and he never lost his faith in this irascible boy puppet who in the end saved Geppetto from the belly of the whale. Director Brian Robertson played the coachman in the style of a New York Bronxian gangsta who, while in cahoots with the evil Mastroni leads the kids off in a cart to Pleasure Island.

Robertson gave his cast and crew an added chance to shine in a number of lip-synched tunes that included Fun Fun Fun. The youngsters reveled in their chance to riff on electric guitars and showed the audience they also know how to rock and roll.

The undeniable star of this production was Mason Moore whose Pinocchio was pitch, picture, and puppetty perfect. Mason is a natural when it comes to physical comedy; his temper tantrums were hilarious and he has the ability to store and deliver his lines perfectly on cue. His puppet antics were unbeatable and his singing voice was also a delight. Hats off to costume guru, Geoff Murray, who decked out the cast in eclectic, festive and beautifully colored attire that included diagonally cut skirts, lovely blue tutus, fake animal furs and of course, and most eye catching of all, Pinocchio in his bright yellow matching dandies and pointy feathered cap. Donna Larocque's impeccable storybook back drop, which had real pages that turned and provided colorful scenes to fit the plot, was a delight. Jeff Siamon's lighting, with a starry medallion shining above the full cast singing in perfect unison, was used to great effect

The additional props and sets, including the boat, the whale tail, and Pinocchio's many-sectioned pieces of nose, which were aptly applied by the younger members of the cast, added a very tender touch.

This colorful and classy production was a magical take on an ages-old story that encourages youngsters to take the higher road in a world that sometimes encourages them to do otherwise. Congratulations to the cast and crew for giving their all in a very memorable night of theatre.

What better way to welcome spring than with a colorful, musical, classic fairy tale, adapted with a few modern twists that make it the perfect family-friendly theatre experience right here in our own back yard. Tonight the North Frontenac Little Theatre will be presenting “Pinocchio” at 7pm at the Granite Ridge Education Centre in Sharbot Lake for a four-show run that wraps up on Sunday April 24. Shows are Thursday through Saturday at 7pm, with a Sunday matinee at 1:30pm. This classic tale is sure to put a spring in your step no matter your age. The Granite Ridge gym will be transformed into a fairy tale wonderland, and this production will be remembered for its stellar costumes, sets, lighting, and the talented cast and crew, which includes NFLT veterans plus many newcomers, who will make this a show not be missed. Tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for students under 18; and $8 for children four & under, available at the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy, the Dollar Store, the Parham General and at the door if the show is not sold out. Why not start off your spring season like Pinocchio, a puppet made alive through a wish and looking for some adventure with no strings attached.

The play, the play, the play! What is the play they are talking about? Well Pinocchio of course. This spring, North Frontenac Little Theatre is offering up a treasure of a classic adaptation of this tale with a modern-day twist.

The cast is choc full of wonderful talents, from newcomers to seasoned actors! Pinocchio himself is being played by the inimitable Mason Moore, who wowed us as the Monkey in Aladdin. Jonathan Wisteard is a fabulously evil Mastrioni and the Grandmothers are delightfully portrayed by Carol Moore and Pamela Giroux. Carol taught drama and stage in her career and now we get the pleasure of finally seeing her perform for real!! Pamela, on the other hand, has been on stage so often it is hard to recount how many wonderful performances she has given with NFLT. Her most recent parts have been in The Miracle Worker and Music Man.

We have a delightful pair of young women teaming up as The Fox and The Cat. They are none other than Sydney Drew and Jillian Hoffman. And so the list goes on; from the youngest to the eldest, all of the cast is working hard at practice.

The fine talents of Geoffrey Murray doing the costuming, Donna LaRoche the set and Jeff Siamon handling the lighting design will add to the drama and polish the look of the play so that you will be transported into the story from the start!

This play truly promises to be a treat. There will only be four performances so be sure to get your tickets early to avoid being disappointed. There will be a special family showing of the Sunday matinee where children 4 and under can be seated right up front on mats with their adults behind them on benches. It should make it more accessible and fun for the youngsters as they will be so close to the action on the stage.

The show opens Thursday April 21, at 7pm and runs until April 24 in the theatre at Granite Ridge Education Centre, on the 2nd floor. Friday and Saturday nights are also at 7pm, with the family matinee at 1pm on Sunday. Tickets are $15 adults, $10 students; and children 4 and under $8, and can be purchased at the Pharmacy, Dollar Store, Parham General Store and at the door if the show is not sold out.

(with files from Jeff Green)

On November 29, North Frontenac Little Theatre ran their final performance of “The Miracle Worker”, and what a brilliant and empowering production it was. The plot follows the lives of Helen Keller, her family, and her teacher, Annie Sullivan.

Keller, due to an illness contracted at the age of 19 months, became permanently deaf and blind. The play was an accurate portrayal of the disciplinary struggles that Sullivan faced while coaching Keller on obedience, language and the raw foundations of appropriate human behavior.

Meanwhile, Keller’s family, in a desperate and naive effort to protect her by using pity and love, objected to every form of help Sullivan provided. Sullivan was convinced that Keller was more disabled by her over-entitlement than her deafness and blindness.

“The Miracle Worker” was a well-rehearsed, family-appropriate play with themes and humour that could appeal to a variety of age groups and audiences. It reached beyond Keller’s struggles and gave new insight into the hardships that Keller’s family and teacher faced. You could feel the frustration and despondency that Sullivan, played by Annika Putnam, experienced while trying to control Keller’s tantrums and while helping her to make the connection between words and objects. Putnam, who is only 12 herself, did a remarkable job portraying Sullivan as a cheeky, stubborn 20-year-old girl in a world dominated by middle-aged men. As the play progresses her own demons and insecurities come out, and Putnam was up to the task of showing Sullivan's growth, a key component of the play.

Although, as Helen Keller, Sydney Drew played the part of a silent person, her actions were expressive and convincing. Keller’s limited tactile connection to the world and the constant frustration caused by her inability to communicate was well portrayed by Drew throughout the play.

Many of the scenes were long and contained complicated and articulate dialogue, and the entire cast did an impressive job remembering their lines and staying true to their characters. NFLT veterans John Stephens, Angie Cowdy and Pam Giroux were very solid. Barbie Matson as Helen's mother was particularly convincing, as was Nick Alarcon as Helen's half brother.

The set was simple yet effective. The lighting and sound management was accurate, timely and well controlled. Many of the themes of discipline and family dynamics still resonate with anyone of this generation who is experiencing similar struggles.

Although the story of Helen Keller is fairly well known, the plot was well delivered and informative enough that it wasn’t necessary to have had any background knowledge to enjoy and understand the play.

Overall, “The Miracle Worker” was a thoughtful production with deep themes that resonate throughout the ages. The play has inspired me, and undoubtedly many others, to further research Helen Keller’s life to find out what happened after the final curtain call.

Yet another great job by NFLT!

The play, the Miracle Worker, is the inspirational and true story of Helen Keller and her miraculous transformation from a wild, frustrated, and unruly child who throws tantrums and lashes out at people into a literate, well-behaved, respectful young girl. The North Frontenac Little Theatre's production of the play, now half way through its four-show run, is well worth taking in.

Helen Keller, 1880 – 1968, became deaf and blind due to an illness when she was 19 months old. She eventually became a world-famous author, speaker, activist and advocate and was the first deafblind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree.

Helen is played by Sydney Drew in the NFLT production and the story focuses on how she gradually learns from her young and dedicated teacher Annie Sullivan (Annika Putnam), not only to become communicative and literate, but equally how to behave as a civilized human being.

Sullivan, who herself had a very difficult life growing up in “the poor house” with her young brother and who remains haunted by those memories, refuses to abandon her young charge although her efforts are questioned and criticized by Helen's family. Their love and pity for Helen proves detrimental to the child and leads Sullivan to conclude in one of the play's most poignant moments that it is their love and pity that is more of a handicap to Helen than her deafness and blindness. The beauty of this story is in watching the changes in Helen, who from the start is a bright and intelligent child. This transformation is the main dramatic and narrative arc of the play, with Drew and Putnam front and center, and many of their scenes are perfectly drawn.

There are numerous subplots that weave throughout this drama, which include the family patriarch Captain Keller (John Stephen), whose denial and obstacles are almost insurmountable. Other softer obstacles posed by Helen’s loving mother Kate Keller (Barbie Matson) are also depicted. There is the coming of age sub-plot of son James (Nic Alarcon Belanger), whose mother's death leaves him not knowing his proper position in his father's new family, while Aunt Evelyn's (Angie Cowdy) confusion exemplifies the conflict of wanting progress but also trying to maintain the status quo. The play also investigates the history of the conflicting values of America's North and South at that time, with this Alabama family having trouble coming to terms with the outcome of the Civil War.

The play is profound, dramatic, and covers some heady subject matter, and director Carol Belanger along with her formidable cast and crew are up for the task. It is a play that will long be remembered as one of the NFLT's most successful undertakings in the category of drama.

The Miracle Worker continues its run at the Granite Ridge Education Centre in Sharbot Lake, with shows on Saturday, November 28 at 7pm and Sunday, November 29 at 2pm. Tickets can be purchased at the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy, the Cardinal Cafe and at the door. or by calling Nina Jenkins at 613-279-2945.

At the end of November, North Frontenac Little Theatre will present the Samuel French production of William Gibson's “The Miracle Worker”.

In researching this play, certain aspects of Helen Keller's life stood out. Firstly, she keenly appreciated nature and described it with exquisite attention to detail. She also took great pleasure and comfort in simple, daily tasks and in learning about life. These enjoyments were expressed much later when she wrote several books. Her early years however were marked by much struggle.

Because she could not speak or hear but she could think and reason, she was terribly frustrated and expected much from herself. She put her hands on others' lips to feel them speak for example, and wondered how to make her own mouth work. She had a tendency toward terrible outbursts.

The play The Miracle Worker is a vivid portrayal of Helen's family life and their struggles. We get a good picture of her mother's fierce love and anguish, of her father's frustration, and of her brother's resignation. We see their family dynamics not centred on Helen, but greatly influenced by her.

We learn of key people in their lives, including Dr. Alexander Graham Bell who suggested that Helen could be taught, and Bell's son-in-law Mr. Anagnos of the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston who sent a young teacher, Miss Annie Sullivan, to Alabama to live with the family.

Annie struggled with her own levels of blindness and had a fierce stubborn streak that left an indelible mark on her existence. When Helen and Annie met they clashed greatly. There are several scenes of their conflicts in the play. Yet Annie's perseverance and Helen's determination come to a pivotal moment, when together they create the poignant connection in Helen's communication between words, objects and letters.

This is an award-winning play that has some timeless qualities including the families’ personal evolution in overcoming hardship, their colourful family dynamics, and their struggles in finding breakthroughs in understanding and communication.

The cast and crew are working hard at creating a memorable performance. Mark your calendar to see this NFLT production. Performance dates include Friday, November 20 & Saturday, November 21 at 7pm; Saturday, November 28 at 7pm and Sunday, the 29th at 2pm. You won't want to miss it!