For the first time ever, and as a Canada 150 project, North Frontenac Little Theatre held a theatre camp this summer. All they really needed was a place to perform.
“Louise (Moody) said ‘why not piggyback onto our barbecue’ and we said ‘sure,’” said artistic director Brian Robertson, who organized the camp with help from Andrea Dickenson.
Thirteen students participated in two weeks of three-hour afternoons as part of the theatre camp, Robertson said.
And of course, once you’ve done all that rehearsing, you want a place to perform.

“So, I ‘borrowed’ a number of different stories floating around and localized them,” Robertson said.
The result was Way Back in Oso Township (& Kennebec), which ostensibly tells a tale of pioneer life in the area. (The scenes featuring the Oso-Kennebec Township Committee for Proper Action and Civilization, while quite entertaining, had an eerily familiar ring to them.)

And the kids performing certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves.
“That’s what it’s all about,” said Robertson, who provided the musical accompaniment on guitar. “A lot of kids love hamming it up.”
Robertson does too and he’s hoping they can continue on with future theatre camps.
“I was completely delighted with the community support and the support of RFCs and this event,” he said. “I was proud that NFLT was able to participate and we have the Tichborne Hall which proved an excellent venue for the camp.
“I would like to see the partnerships and the camp continue.” And of course Robertson is quite willing to be a big part of it.

“I’ve dedicated my life to teaching children and the best part of that has been plays,” he said. “I love doing what I do and the best part is seeing the shy, nervous ones coming out of their shells.”

For their spring production, pressed with venue restrictions, the NFLT chose well with their pick of two short one-act comedies by Norm Foster, which were presented on April 25, 26 and 27.

The two plays, which called for small casts, simple costumes, and pared down sets, lighting and sound, were all cleverly adapted to the smaller stages of the Crossing Pub and Oso Hall where the three performances took place. The plot lines of the two plays were anything but simple and the players rose to the challenge, bringing lots of life and laughter to the three well-attended performances.

Real-life couple Kathy and Noel Bateman were both wholly believable and hilarious as Lacey and Miles in the first play "My Narrator". The plot tells of their attempts to surmount the usual and more unusual hurdles of dating. She, a struggling, well-mannered and earnest painter, and he a scruffy, poor-mannered but good hearted lay-about hoser, appear to be making headway in a new romance until the voices in their heads (their narrators) vie for the upper hand. First it is Lacy's narrator Barb, played to great comic effect by Andrea Dickinson who discourages Lacy's interest in Miles. The situation becomes even more complicated and hilarious as Miles acquires his own narrator Bob, played by John Stephen. The play uses the narrator premise to great comic effect with Lacy and Miles either vehemently opposing or coming under the spell of their individual narrators, who throughout the play stand behind them on a cleverly constructed two-tiered set. The plot becomes increasingly confused and comedic as narrators Barb and Bob begin to fall for one another.

Some of the highlights of this production included Lacy's unbridled disgust with Miles' choice of restaurant with its strange and sticky menus. Similarly Miles' fizzy beer scene appeared ingeniously ad-libbed with perfect comic effect by both Batemans who rose to the challenge and remained in character, making what might have been an awkward on-stage moment, a very hilarious one. Kathy was perfect as the earnest, sometimes sweet, but often shocked Lacy, and Noel was cast perfectly as the slovenly, oddly likeable good-hearted hoser Miles.

Similarly, Andrea and John as the narrators were given many chances to shine. One of their funniest scenes occurred when Bob was making passes at the normally headstrong and self-possessed Barb, who melts like a flower when Bob takes a shine to her. Similarly, the sudden appearance of the two, all flustered and flummoxed after a passionate behind-the-tier romantic tryst, was one of the play's funniest moments.

In the second play, "The Death of Me", Norm Foster proves that death can indeed be the springboard to many belly laughs. The play opens with the black-winged, heartless, sarcastic and very business-like Angel of Death, played masterfully by Ellie Steele, who brushes aside the bumbling confused concerns of a very ineffectual John Adderly, also perfectly cast and played by Craig Godfrey, who appears in her office out of the blue after suffering a deadly aortic aneurysm. After the angel coldly but clearly explains his unfortunate demise, Adderly begs for a chance to go back to earth to spare his mother the pain of finding his dead body. The angel eventually agrees but with one catch; that the saintly John tell off the fiancée who left him, in the angel’s words, “like a shovel at the altar”. In that meeting John's loud-mouthed, brash and bullying fiancée Cassie, played to great effect by Barb Matson, demonstrates her desperate inner loneliness in a quick turnaround that lasts just a short minute before she reverts to her usual self.

Next John meets with his doctor to find out why the doctor did not properly diagnose his deadly heart ailment at an earlier check up. Veteran NFLTer John Pariselli nailed the stereotypical accent, mannerisms and attitudes of a doctor who thinks more about cars, money and the quality of the table service he gets than the health of his patients. The kicker comes at the play’s end when everyone gets their just desserts: the Angel of Death welcomes the doctor to her office and John is granted a second chance at life.

Both plays were immensely enjoyed by the audience, who showed their appreciation by their laughter throughout the performances.

North Frontenac Little Theatre is excited to present two one act plays by Norm Foster at the end of April.

Norm Foster is our group’s favourite Canadian comedy writer. We’ve performed several of his plays before: Maggie’s Getting Married, The Foursome and Opening Night. He has a way of making us laugh and sneaking in a warm, fuzzy message that will stay with us.

Imagine what would happen if that little voice inside your head – the one that tells you how to behave and what choices to make – suddenly took on a life of its own?

My Narrator, is a sweet romantic comedy with a twist. Lacy (Kathy Bateman) is a struggling artist with poor taste in men. Miles (Noel Bateman) is a bumbling but sweet loser. The two hardly seemed destined for a romantic future together until their own personal internal narrators—embodied by Andrea Dickinson and John Stephen—discover a mutual attraction.

When John bargains with the Angel of Death for a second chance at life, he quickly discovers that fixing the mistakes of your past is difficult, and that perhaps his destiny is not yet etched in stone.

The Death of Me is when nice guy John Adderly (Craig Godfrey) argues with the Angel of Death (Ellie Steele) about the injustice of having suffered a fatal aneurism and wants a second chance to correct things And when John finally gets to go back for the 12 hours before he left off and informs the Angel that he will be going back to where he began his fateful last day on earth, Steele’s character derisively exclaims, "Twelve hours of life -- and you're going back to work?" So John returns to confront his ex-fiancé (Barb Matson) and his doctor (John Pariselli) with hilarious results.

Since the Granite Ridge Education Centre stage isn’t ready, NFLT will be presenting its production at the Oso Community Hall in Sharbot Lake on Saturday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 27 at 2:00 p.m.

For the first time, we will also be performing our Dinner Theatre package at the Sharbot Lake Country Inn on Friday, April 25 at 5:30 p.m. For dinner theatre tickets please contact Nina Jenkins at 613-279-2945.

Saturday and Sunday tickets can be purchased at our ticket vendors: Gray’s Grocery and Sharbot Lake Pharmacy.

Not only did Sharbot Lake teen, Madeleine R. Field-Green live up to the challenge of directing a play at the Sears Ontario Drama Festival; she had her own original script produced.

Last week, high schools from around the region took part in the annual Sears Ontario Drama Festival. The festival, which is in its 68th year, promotes and celebrates creativity, individuality and risk taking in all aspects of theatre. Plays may be written by professional playwrights but must be directed and produced by students.

Madeleine (Maddie), is a senior student at St. John Catholic High School, Perth, but she got her start in theater in many North Frontenac Little Theatre plays, starting with the production King and I in 2002, when she was only 5 years old.

She decided last summer to write a play. Lots of people do that. Maddie, however, joins an elite group of Canadian women, in that her play was actually produced and performed on public stage in competition with plays from the likes of Norm Foster, Lindsay Price and Daniel MacIvor.

On one level, the one-act play, entitled Now What? presents snapshots of human beings as they come and go through a cafe during an unspecified time. The audience is invited into their most private thoughts about life, work, love and dignity. I think that for some in the audience that was the play. And on that level it worked, owing to a solid performance by the cast.

On a deeper level, some of the audience couldn't help but feel they were watching a play about two people, at various stages in their life. I started thinking that the young student (Aidan Adrain), lawyer (Meaghan Brackenbury), street person (Isaiah Kafrissen) and piano player (Maddie Fied-Green) were all one person at various stages in life. Similarly, the female student (Sarah Noonan) was also the lonely college professor (Bridie Kafrissen).

I left thinking that perhaps the theme of the play was “choices “. In life, we make choices, and when they don’t work out we ask, Now What?

In the foyer after, I asked the play's set designer, Sofia Ratzinger, also a local teen (from Crow Lake Village) about the theme and she replied, “The beauty of art is that it is open for personal interpretation”.

As a member of North Frontenac Little Theatre, and teacher for the past 30 years I was proud of all the students from all 16 plays. I must mention the stunning performance of another NFLT student actor, Dayna Stone from McDonalds Corners (Annie, Tom Sawyer, Best Christmas Pageant) representing her school, Perth District Collegiate.

Madddie cast herself in the role of the silent, watching piano player, and co-directed the play with Paige Brackenbury

Now What? is the work of a true artist who wants control over her work. She didn’t need to worry because her work was in the loving hands of a strong protective cast and crew. And so, we wait for the next offering from Madeleine R. Field-Green.

Feature article,April 21, 2005

Feature article April 21, 2005

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Trillium grant caps Little Theatre development Plans

by Jeff Green

As the North Frontenac Little Theatre headed towards its 25th Anniversary, the community theatre company took a look at its future development and decided to move forward on a few fronts. The first step was to become a not-for-profit corporation; the second was to establish a website; and the third was to mount a fundraising campaign in order to update their lighting system, purchase tools for set building, new curtains, multimedia equipment, and sponsor theatre workshops.

The total cost of all these initiatives was pegged at $33,000. The Little theatre put in $2,600 from its own revenue, and received $1,500 from Sharbot Lake High School, $500 from the Limestone District School Board, and $300 each from the four northern feeder schools. The campaign was capped off when NFLT was informed a few weeks ago that a Trillium Foundation application from last fall had been approved, and a cheque for $28,100 arrived about 10 days ago.

Wasting no time, NFLT purchased removable curtains and put them in place in time for their production of Guys and Dolls last weekend. They also took delivery of a new $20,000 plus lighting system a few days before the opening of Guys and Dolls, but as Little Theatre President John Pariselli said at a Trillium announcement event last Friday, The manual for the new lighting system is 300 pages long and we were busy enough getting the show together, so we knew we would have to wait until after the production to install the new lights.

The lighting system which is to be replaced, was purchased with funds from a Wintario grant in the early 1980s, the only other grant the Little Theatre has ever received.

The announcement was attended by Don Clark, a member of the Trillium Foundations Grant Review team, MPP Leona Dombrowsky, Central Frontenac Mayor Bill MacDonald, and Sharbot Lake High School Principal Tom Taylor, along with the drama class at the school.

The relationship between the Little Theatre and the High School was highlighted. The High School has hosted the productions over the years, and students from the school have been involved with many of the productions, both on stage and behind the scenes. Tom Taylor also pointed out that the new lighting system will be set up in the High School and will be available for use by the High School as well.

Leona Dombrowsky said she was happy to be able to celebrate this occasion at Sharbot Lake High School. Live theatre provides great enjoyment for participants and members of the community, and also attracts visitors to the area. I congratulate the North Frontenac Little Theatre for helping to contribute to the quality of life in this community.

Feature Article - November 10, 2005

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November 10, 2005

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Delia's Hereafter Society

by Jeff Green

Sydenham resident Jennifer Bennett has had a successful career as a gardening writer for many years, but all along she has maintained an interest in fiction and music.

“I’ve thought about doing a musical for years and years,” Bennett said, “and have written songs for different musicals; and now it’s happened.”

The impetus to finally write a musical came from an unlikely source, however. Jennifer’s husband died several years ago, and she took part in a bereavement group. She observed that bereavement takes many forms, and thought the different says people react to loss could be a good source for dramatic tension, and even humour.

In Delia’s Hereafter Society, four people are invited for a weekend in a cabin the woods by the Social Worker who had facilitated a bereavement program they all participated in.

Each of the characters has a solo that talks about their own experiences, and their deceased partners make ghostly appearances as well.

Delias Hereafter Society deals with some major questions, such as whether or not there is an afterlife, but “it’s actually quite funny,” Jennifer Bennett says. Some of the humour comes from the characters coping with the rural setting, and some from the way the characters relate to each other and their deceased mates.

Jennifer Bennett moved to the local region in the early 1970’s. She was one of the first members of the editorial staff at Harrowsmith Magazine when it was established in 1975, and she maintained an association with the magazine, either as a staff member or a freelance editor, until they closed up in Camden East in the early 1990’s. She continued to write gardening books, at a rate of about one every two years, for Firefly Publishing, until very recently. Her most recent book was called Dry Land Gardening. At the same time she has continually wrote fiction, mostly in the form of short stories, but has not pursued publishing her fiction too much. She was a founder of the Frontenac Women’s Chorus, and completed her Master’s degree in music at Queen’s in 2002.

Inie Platenius is directing the play, which is being staged in Kingston at the Octave Theatre on November 24, 25, and 26. The producer is John McDougall of Verona. Ann McDougall is the pianist, and their son Rob, who lives near Perth Road, directs the lighting. Geoffrey Murray of Verona is the set designer. Among the actors are Susie Ralph, Dan Robinson and Deborah Spaar, all of Verona and Barb Bell and Wilma Kenny of Sydenham. Loughborough Public School teacher Alan MacDonald, who is well known to supporters of North Frontenac Little Theatre, is also performing. The other actors are Joan Jones and Gord Love. The music director and violinist is Danielle Lennon.

All proceeds from the show will go to Breast Cancer Action Kingston.

“This charity was chosen in part to honour Inie”, Jennifer Bennett said.

The show will run Thursday November 24, Friday November 25, and Saturday November 26 at the Octave Theatre in Kingston. To get to the theatre, take the Sir John A. Macdonald exit south off the 401, then turn immediately right on Dalton, then immediately right into the parking lot of Marie Rivier High School, which holds the Octave Theatre. You can buy tickets from the Grand Theatre Box Office on Sydenham Street, or phone 530-2050. Adults are $15, seniors and students $10.

Feature Article - October 26, 2006

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Feature Article - October 26, 2006

Backstage antics take center stage!

by Brian Robertson

North Frontenac Little Theatre is at it again. Since September the cast and crew have been meeting regularly at their new rehearsal hall in Tichborne. The play, Noises Off, is written by Michael Frayn. Considered by many in the industry to be one of the most technically difficult plays to perform, it is also considered to be one of the most hilarious and witty comedies ever written.

Sir Paul McCartney, in the title cut from his most recent album, sings "There's a fine line between chaos and creation". Local theatre goers will be hard pressed to find any semblance whatsoever of a "fine line", as they witness the actors go about deliberately creating pure unadulterated chaos .

Noises Off is a masterfully woven play within a play format which takes a lighthearted look at the British bedroom farce and a fast paced romp around the antics backstage. On top of that, the whole set turns around 180 degrees in Act ll, so the audience watches everything from backstage.

Performances will be held at the Sharbot Lake High School gym, and the dates are Thursday, November 23rd, Friday, the 24th, Saturday Dinner Theatre on the 25th and a Sunday Matinee on November 26th. Check the website for more information at www.nflt.ca

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Feature Article - October 26, 2006

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Feature Article - October 26, 2006

Backstage antics take center stage!

by Brian Robertson

North Frontenac Little Theatre is at it again. Since September the cast and crew have been meeting regularly at their new rehearsal hall in Tichborne. The play, Noises Off, is written by Michael Frayn. Considered by many in the industry to be one of the most technically difficult plays to perform, it is also considered to be one of the most hilarious and witty comedies ever written.

Sir Paul McCartney, in the title cut from his most recent album, sings "There's a fine line between chaos and creation". Local theatre goers will be hard pressed to find any semblance whatsoever of a "fine line", as they witness the actors go about deliberately creating pure unadulterated chaos .

Noises Off is a masterfully woven play within a play format which takes a lighthearted look at the British bedroom farce and a fast paced romp around the antics backstage. On top of that, the whole set turns around 180 degrees in Act ll, so the audience watches everything from backstage.

Performances will be held at the Sharbot Lake High School gym, and the dates are Thursday, November 23rd, Friday, the 24th, Saturday Dinner Theatre on the 25th and a Sunday Matinee on November 26th. Check the website for more information at www.nflt.ca

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Feature Article - March 29, 2007

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Feature Article - March 29, 2007

"Maggie's getting married":NFLT's spring production

Maggie Duncan has lived at home for 29 years and she's marrying Russell tomorrow if they can survive the rehearsal party tonight!

Maggie, the bride-to-be ( played by Margaret Sullivan) is momentarily happy that her boy-crazy older sister, Wanda (Danielle Harding) has made it home for the wedding. Wanda has brought her x-rated boyfriend Axel, (Barry Harding) to meet the family and the Duncan girls' parents, Cass, (Susan Stopford) and Tom, (John Pariselli) have their own problems... Russell (Kevin Melcher) the hapless groom, is in for a nasty surprise when he arrives late to the party. Directed by John Pariselli, this adult play will have you laughing at the foibles of family life and relationships. Plan to come and see this delightfully funny NFLT spring production, written by Norm Foster. Performances will be--Thursday April 26 through to Sunday April 29 in the Sharbot Lake High School Auditorium. Saturday night will be a dinner theatre and the tickets($25) must be purchased beforehand by calling Nina @ 279-2945 by April 21. Show times are 7pm Thursday & Friday; 6pm Saturday dinner theatre and 2pm Sunday Matinee. Tickets are $12 adults/ $10 students and seniors. They are available at the door and at Gray's Grocery, Sharbot Lake Pharmacy and Rona in Verona. Ticket availability can be checked at www.nflt.ca

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Feature Article - April 10, 2008

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Feature Article -April 10, 2008 Getting Ready for 'The Wizard'by Susan Stopford

What does it take to put on a North Frontenac Little Theatre musical production the size of NFLT'S upcoming "The Wizard Of Oz"?

At NFLT's annual general meeting, about a year prior to the show going on, names of plays are suggested by various members and the play list is narrowed down as the members discuss what plays have gone before and what they are interested in doing next. A director is found who has the interest and ability to direct the play, in this case the multi-talented Brian Robertson, a familiar face on NFLT stage. Christina Wotherspoon is asked and thankfully agrees to be the musical director and John Pariselli brings his expertise to the role of producer.

With these key roles filled the play starts to take shape. Audition dates are set and advertised by the director and the producer obtains the rights to the play and orders the scripts and the musical scores. People start to volunteer or are asked to take on various jobs. Some people like to stick with a job they are familiar with and others do something different in every play. Each play consists of both those who have been involved with the theatre group for years and newcomers. All are welcome if they are able and willing to do the work.

The arduous task of stage-manager will once again go to Dawn Hansen and NFLT newcomer, Derek Redmond, who teaches film and media at Queen's, is running the lights. All the members of the NFLT community discuss which acting rolls they are or are not going to try out for and some even get their costumes ready in case they get the part!

Auditions finally arrive, early - December 2007 - and people pack the cafetorium of SLHS despite the weather. There is excitement in the air and the noise level is high. Everyone is nervous, knowing that tonight they are going to be asked to sing or read in front of a room full of people and some are perhaps a little worried as to whether they'll be given a much coveted role. Because the "Wizard Of Oz" has many children and teens in the cast the room has the added high energy of the young. Eventually everyone has been heard by Brian and Christina, some in groups and some individually. There's a lot of laughter and jokes and everyone goes home happy and hopeful that they'll get a part.

Two weeks later the decisions have been made! Emily Dickinson will be Dorothy. Paddy O'Conner has the part of the Lion, Dylan McConkey the Scarecrow and Normand Guntensperger will be the Tin man. The part of the wicked witch, which has been hotly contested, goes to Martina Field and the good witch will be Amelia Redmond. All of the other 55 or so roles have been filled and the play can proceed.

Now the director's work of organizing such a large group of people begins; setting deadlines for lines to be learnt, deciding on a look to the play from costumes to sets and props, finding a choreographer, discussing the lighting and trusting that people will show up at practice are but a few of the jobs that he must be sure get done before the show can go on. He is also busy working with the actors on stage, guiding them through the development of their characters and telling them where to stand and when and often how to move. Every step of the way involves a lot of discussion and agreement among the director and the actors, as well as everyone else involved.

With three practices a week, the play quickly becomes a big part of the lives of everyone who is involved. There's a buzzing hive of activity during each practice as everyone goes about their jobs with great industry. The sets are being built in the midst of dances being learnt and costumes tried on. The director starts to feel horribly overwhelmed although he tries not to show it. His sleep may be disturbed. How can everything and everyone, possibly be ready in time?

Mike Gold, the set designer/builder for the “Wizard of OZ” and a graduate of theatre technology college course, trots by with a partially constructed wall and says that he's "happy doing this." His sets consist of 100 - 8 foot pieces of 1x3's, 9 sheets of plywood, 22 meters of (cheap) muslin, 6 cans of paint, 400 nails, 100 - 2 and a half inch #8 screws, 5 lbs of wood glue, 20 hinges and 20 feet of chicken wire. He designs and builds for two hours every day and 10 hours every Thursday!

There are 10 mother and child actor combos in this play and also a set of twins. The 7-year-old twins, Alex and Jack Revell, join their grandfather John McDougall in this play. Alex says she is in this play "because I want to" and Jack says he's in it "Because I like to sing and I wrote a song called 'Criss Cross Applesauce' and I have it on CD!"

Tom Christianson at 79 is possibly the oldest actor in the group." I wanted to be the Lion but Paddy got the job so I ended up as a guard. I like to be in plays because it's fun and you are not the same person on stage." He has been in a least 20 plays both here and in Sault St Marie.

Students from nine different schools are involved. There are 60 cast members and 24 people working behind the scenes. NFLT has presented 53 successful productions over the past 29 years in Sharbot Lake! By the time this show goes on May 1, 2, 3 & 4 at SLHS, 130 hours of practice will have taken place and $4,700 dollars will have been spent!

With all the years of devotion to theatre by the members of NFLT, this promises to be a great show!

Tickets are available at Gray's Grocery and the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy as well as Verona Rona Hardware. Adults are $12, students $10 and on the Sunday matinee there is a special $5 rate to encourage families with children to attend. Don't wait to get your tickets at the door; they may be sold out. Check www.nflt.ca for more information or call John at 613-279-2662.