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Wednesday, 27 November 2019 11:05

NFLT A Christmas Story

Once again NFLT has managed to put together a Christmas show that will delight audiences for this Christmas season. For many people “A Christmas Story” may evoke memories of the movie, by the same name, that they watched growing up in the 1980’s. It is a perfect family show to prepare everyone for the festivities surrounding the celebration of Christmas. Our young actors are hard at work getting into the character of their roles. Watching over them during rehearsal is Andrea Duggan who helps with prompting them and getting them on and off stage. Since the set was put in place on Nov. 13 the kids now are getting used to exits and entrances and blocking with many scene changes. Brian Robertson along with Jeff Siamon constructed the set at the Tichborne rehearsal Hall. Once it was completed Carol Pepper used her artistic talents to paint and decorate the set. She engaged 2 student helpers, Allison Chacon and Austin Squibb,  from GREC (who were working on their Community volunteer hours), to paint and eventually move the set to GREC. As well as painting Carol also created some of the props and was helped by Joanne Pickett and Mike Steeves. Linda Bush is a busy lady keeping track of the many props used during different scenes and making sure the kids don’t walk away with the intriguing ones. Karin Ferguson Reynolds, Stage Manager, is doing a terrific job with all the scene changes and making sure everything is done efficiently and quiet as possible backstage. And again Geoff Murray has been busily sewing up costumes for all the kids. It’s retro 80’s fashion folks and funky too. So good to have him as part of the team. Jeff Siamon is our lighting technician and Adam Parker is doing sound effects to further enhance the experience. Watch out for those Bumpus hounds they make quite a ruckus. Adam will also provide a musical interlude at intermission.

Be sure to come and see a lively show with engaging young actors and a humorous story to tell.

December 5,6,7th at 7 p.m. and Sunday Dec. 8th at 1:30 p.m. at GREC Auditorium.

Tickets available at Pharmacy, Amazing Dollar Store and Cardinal Café and also at the door.

Pamela Giroux (Producer)

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 15 May 2019 10:07

North Frontenac Little Theatre

The Boy Wonder completed a successful four day run at Granite Ridge Education Centre on Sunday afternoon. The Mother’s Day matinee had a modest audience, but sellouts on the previous two nights and a very well-attended opening night on Thursday made it one of the most popular productions for the 40-year-old community theatre company in recent years.

The play was both an original work and a throwback at the same time. It was conceived, written and directed by long time NFLT lighting director, Jeff Siamon.

Siamon is a fan of old-time musicals of the 1930’s and 40’s that were often about putting on a musical. The Boy Wonder includes a play within a play, and is constructed around songs that were drawn from the post World War I era.

The Boy Wonder of the title is Guy Martin (Christopher Hall). At the beginning of the play, he is a few days from the opening of his make or break musical “A Woeful Love” when his star and lover, Deloris (Angela Cowdy), quits. It takes him quite a while to realise what the audience has known from the start: that the typist, Monica Jones (Danielle Hall), is destined to be the star of the show and of his heart. It will take a while, but in the end “A Joyful Love” ends up being destined for Broadway successful and Guy and Monica have become an item.

There is a point, about halfway through the play, when Monica tells Guy something that, in retrospect, Jeff Siamon was also telling the audience. In the scene where the title of “A Woeful Love” is ultimately changed, Monica tells Guy that he should turn his play into a revue, because the music tells the story anyway and the audience comes out for the music, not the storyline.

This was certainly the case with A Boy Wonder, which had 24 musical numbers, creating an opportunity for not only the two leads to sing several numbers, both together and apart, but for a number of secondary characters to perform one or two songs. The chorus, as well, took centre stage at one point.

The best thing about A Boy Wonder were the musical performances. The two leads, who are newly weds in real life, complemented each other well. Danielle Hall, well known to NFLT fans from when she was a youngster, has an ease on the stage and the comic timing to keep the action flowing, as well as the singing talent to navigate a wide variety of songs. Christopher Hall, who comes from a family that is steeped in music, seemed to hit every note effortlessly and beautifully. Together, they carried the play, and some of their performances (hers: Second Hand Rose, Melancholy Baby, his: Anytime, After I Say I’m Sorry and together: Put Your Arms Around Me) were among the highlights of the production.

Other major characters included Mitzi (Megan Hall - Christopher’s sister) and Summer Storm (Sarah McCullough). They are both first time performers who both fully inhabited their roles, Mitzi as the plucky theatre insider and confidant to Monica, and Summer as a burlesque performer looking for a way into the legitimate theater. They made the most of their scenes, and belted out their songs when the opportunity came.

NFLT veterans, Brian Robertson as Victor and Angela Cowdy as Deloris, also mugged their way through in admirable fashion, as did Braidey Merigan as Wendell Bradshaw. In non-singing roles, Greg Morris as Guy Martin’s unsupportive father, Terence Martin, was the picture of cold villainy, and Marc Veno as the gangster, Eddie Bradshaw, was in full comic book mode.

Martina Field and Virginia Beckett were positively ditsy as sister chorus girls without a lot of talent. The chorus: Pam Giroux, Joan Hollywood, Linda Bush, Margo McCullough and Carol Morris, added depth to many of the musical numbers. Rounding out the cast were Rudy Hollywood, John Stephen and Evangeline Michie as the porter, bartender, and flower girl, respectively.

The costumes (Geoffrey Murray), set design (Steve Scantlebury) and staging of the Boy Wonder were also effective, thanks to the efficient work by the stage crew under stage manager, Barb Scantlebury, who kept the numerous set changes quick.

The Boy Wonder ran long - almost 3 hours with two intermissions. Although it could have been shorter, the quality of the production numbers was at a very high level, keeping the audience fully engaged to the end during the Friday night performance that I attended. John Inglis on piano and Adam Parker on a programmed keyboard that simulated a fuller orchestration also did well, although on some occasions the music was too loud, making the vocal solos harder to hear.

The Boy Wonder was a massive undertaking for Jeff Siamon and the NFLT, a fitting kick-off for its 40th anniversary year.

Published in NORTH FRONTENAC

The North Frontenacs Little Theatre production featuring classic theater tunes from the 1930's with an original storyline, runs from Thursday to Saturday (May 9-11) at 7pm, and on Sunday, May 12 (Mothers Day) at 1pm.


The Boy Wonder – production crew
by Pam Giroux

Behind the scenes of every production, there is a hardworking crew of dedicated volunteers who generously give hours of their time to make sure the show happens. The Boy Wonder is set in New York city on Broadway in the 1940’s, so the construction and design of the set reflects that period in history. Steve Scantlebury and his wife, Barb, were able to create a set which met with Director, Jeff Siamons’, greatest expectations. Not only did they spend hours at school working out details but also at home where they manufactured the signs and poster art which decorate the flats. Barb is also Stage Manager, and along with Steve, they keep the Props people on their toes with each scene change. As well as performing on stage, Rudy and Joan Hollywood, Linda Bush and John Stephen help with the props, do set changes and listen for Barb’s cues. It’s a busy place back stage.

At performance time, the House Manager’s role comes in to play with the 50/50 raffle at intermission, setting up chairs and getting the lobby prepared for patrons in the audience. This time, Ian and Betty Anne Willens are taking care of these preparations. And then at intermissions, Dianne Lake, a long-time supporter of NFLT, will be supervising the Canteen and providing refreshments.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 29 November 2017 12:14

Sunshine Sketches of our Little Towns

The North Frontenac Little Theatre showed presented an adorable collection of skits, songs and musical numbers last weekend. The heart of the show was seeing familiar faces, in memorable situations, all coming together. The News sat down with one of the most important people in the whole production, stage Manager and long time NFLT participant Margo McCullough. This was Margo’s 9th production with NFLT, her first as stage manager. Her only performing role, was that of a dancing tree in the Wizard of Oz.

“From the beginning, I thought, hey I can do this. I am so thankful that (Director) Brian Robertson asked me. He’s such an amazing, talented and well spoken person. I couldn’t say no. I feel more comfortable behind the scenes.”

The show started with an Indigenous story, grounding the show in the history of Frances and Mary Sharbot with drumming by Sisters of the Drum in front of a dreamy treeline set. The Sunshine Sketches takes a seasonal look at this area and those changes of season are represented by a 4 part quest for the perfect butter tart with Zeke from Zealand and Martha Stewpot, with a great cameo from David Yerxa selling Lion’s 50/50 draw tickets.

The First Act of the show was anchored by Autumn with the Wedding, a one act play written in North Frontenac that was put on 26 years ago in 1991. It is the story of a different kind of shotgun wedding, held during duck season, and it is still entertaining today even if some of the fashions of the times have changed.

Also in the first half, the cast showed off all of their singing, dancing, and musical talents with a rendition of the Log Driver’s Waltz, The Kick and Push and the Oklahoma inspired “Our Township Song” which includes the classic line “Where the granite’s steep, the soil’s not deep but something makes us call it home.”

The Second Act of the play took the audience through the winter months with the full cast singing The Snowmobile song, Two bearded blues brothers from Oso, a trip to the Treasure
Trunk, a good old hot tub soak and a classic wish for summer at the Cottage, a number from last year’s Turtle Crossings. The sketch about the inner working of meetings, The Ladies Committee was a hilarious piece which had four people playing committee members and four people dressed in black voicing the committee member’s thoughts. The cast finished off the night with The Frontenac County Anniversary Song written last year to commemorate 150 years of Frontenac County.

All in all it was a sweet event of community theatre, by the community, for the community and filled with maple sugar. The full interview with stage manager extraordinaire Margo McCullough will be posted shortly.

Published in NORTH FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 08 November 2017 15:45

NFLT Celebrates Where We Live

You might remember about 25 Years ago, in the early days of the North Frontenac Little Theatre, a production called “Fontenoma” was presented at the high school to much acclaim. It was a motley collection of locally written skits and songs. Those attending that show might remember Zeke from Zealand, The Ladies’ Committee, The Gift Shoppe and more.

Now in 2017, to help celebrate Canada 150 some of these songs and skits, updated for the times, will be reprised in this fall’s production, renamed Sunshine Sketches of Our Little Towns. Aspects of life in Frontenac County; the histories of logging and the railway, cottaging, snowmobiling, local foods, duck hunting season and more are celebrated.

Central to the show is a short play The Wedding, written 26 years ago by Debbie Ibey and Carol Hillier. Set on the opening day of duck hunting season…….. well, you can probably imagine the rest!

Those attending the show at GREC on November 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 26th will recognise a number of the area’s regular actors as well as some new but very familiar faces. Tickets will be available from the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy, the Tip Top Dollar shop, from your local NFLT participants or call 279-2777.
Come sing and laugh along with us- in Frontenac.

Published in FRONTENAC COUNTY

North Frontenac Little Theatre will present a local heritage revue entitled “Sunshine Sketches of Our Little Towns” as a final tribute to Central Frontenac’s Canada 150 celebratory year.
The heritage revue is comprised of a series of tailor-made songs and sketches partly resurrected from a 1997 NFLT production, “The North Frontenac Revue”.

The addition of a centre piece one act play, “The Wedding”, written by Deb Ibey, Carol Hillier, and Norma Wood of Plevna, adds a comic touch of local colour to the ensemble.
“The Wedding” came to fruition in the early 1990s through the efforts of Claudia Radfordt who at the time spearheaded the formation of a Plevna writers and illustrators group. Group member Sharel Schonauer of Ardoch came up with the idea – a wedding unwittingly booked for the opening of duck hunting season. Once finished, the group agreed that the piece had to be performed. Locals got together and made the performance a reality, showcasing it in the Clar Mill Hall in Plevna in 1991 to the delight of their North Frontenac fellow citizens.

“The Wedding”, along with other “Sunshine Sketches”, will be presented at the GREC Cafetorium November 23 through 26. Check elsewhere in this paper for ticket information.

Published in NORTH FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 27 September 2017 18:48

NFLT honours its own

North Frontenac Little Theatre (NFLT) President Brian Robertston once again presided over a ceremony to honour long time contributors to the Little Theatre at the former church in Tichborne that serves as a storage area/program space for the group.
This year the honorees included actor Norman Guntensperger, who performed in over a dozen shows in the 1990’s and into the new millenium. Guntensperger, who is also a musician, played in musicals, including Guys and Dolls and Oliver, dramatic productions such as Our Town, and comedies including The Foursome and others.

“I’m glad he moved to Kingston so I could have a chance at some roles,” said Robertson when handing out the award.
There were two recipients in the Youth category. Nic Alarcon-Belanger has been in a number of productions, but he is best remembered for playing Alladin a couple of years ago, a roel he took on only three weeks before the production when the actor who had originally been cast in the role had to back out.
“It was very stressful but exciting learning all those lines nad getting ready for the play,” he said in accepting the award as presented by Robertson.
Tim White, who played The Music Man a couple of years ago and is a choreographer for the NFLT, presented a second youth award, to Gillian Hoffman. His tribute, which including an exhortation to Gillian to continue on her artistic path after performing in numerous productions in a short few years, brought tears to Hoffman’s eyes, and White’s as well.

There were also two community awards this year. One went to Dianne Lake, who ran the cafeteria at Sharbot Lake High School for many years and over saw Dinner Theatre as well as intermssion snacks for dozens of productions. In he presentation, Pam Giroux talked about the dinners that Lake prepared with the help of students, and her ability to serve them and clean up before the play started, and then serve dessert during intermission.
Finally, the Frontenac News received an honour for helping promote Little Theatre Productions over many years, going back to the founding of the NFLT in 1981. In his remarks, award presenter Craig Godfrey took a light hearted approach, talking about how as a producer he learned how to get more coverage in the paper by engaging the community columnists, and about the reviews of his own performances over the years, rave reviews that this writer does not remember seeing in the newspaper.
The next scheduled Little Theatre Production, Sunshine Sketches of our Little Towns, is set for November 23-26.

Published in FRONTENAC COUNTY
Wednesday, 08 October 2014 23:39

NFLT Lifetime Awards evening

By Brian Robertson

NFLT veteran Pam Giroux walked up to the stage, picked up her award, delivered a short acceptance speech, and then burst into song: “Overture, light the lights, this is it, the night of nights!” And the ‘night of nights’ it certainly was for Pam and the four other 2014 NFLT Lifetime Recognition Award honourees - Doug and Lynda Boulter, Craig Godfrey and Karen Steele - as the North Frontenac Little Theatre’s second annual Lifetime Recognition Awards Evening was celebrated last Saturday, October 4 with a flourish of praise and appreciation.

The NFLT Hall in Tichborne was resplendent in autumn decorations and a variety of paraphernalia honouring the recipients. Fred Langton, a next door neighbour who gave extensively of his time and resources to ensure that essential services were all in place for the big evening, had a chance to tour the finished product with his wife Cindy, and both were in awe of the transformation to a formal banquet hall that had taken place.

Emcee Brian Robertson’s opening monologue included the sharing of a dream he had had in which The Frontenac News editor Jeff Green and reporter Julie Druker were both moonlighting as gossip columnists for the National Enquirer, submitting articles to the mother company in LA. about the humourous activities of our NFLT celebrities.

Each award presentation was prefaced by an informative and entertaining video montage produced by Wendy Parliament, NFLT videographer and photographer. The short films included excerpts from interviews conducted in the summer by Brian Robertson with still shots and videoclips, (often hilarious), from show footage, highlighting the recipients’ stories of their history with the Little Theatre.

The honourees spoke with the fondest, (and at times with the most sorrowful), of memories of their individual journeys with NFLT. Doug Boulter, (actor and director), and Lynda Boulter, (actor and costume mistress), recalled the tragedy of the passing of actor and teaching colleague Maurice Lowery during the production of ‘Oklahoma’ in 1987.

Pam Giroux, (wearer of all hats including actor and set painter), was recognized not only for her involvement in over 30 NFLT productions throughout the years, but also for the fact that her four children and husband Marcel eventually followed her into the arena making a considerable mark on the theatre company’s legacy.

Craig Godfrey, (actor, house manager, producer), spoke of his longstanding involvement with the troupe, (dating back to 1980), quipping that if you were male you automatically got the part, referring to the fact that there seems to be a perennial shortage of male actors available for productions.

Karen Steele, (actress, director and a former president of NFLT), spoke of how the Little Theatre was such a wonderful diversion for both her and her family, giving them an enjoyable break from the routine of daily life.

If there was one overriding message from all honourees, it was that the North Frontenac Little Theatre is a place where you make lifelong friends, form family-styled ties, and build community with fellow actors and audience members alike.

Congratulations go out to each of this year’s Lifetime Recognition recipients and we look forward to many more entertaining productions from our very own community theatre, NFLT. Check the NFLT website for links to the Recognition Evening video presentations.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

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.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 09 April 2014 20:00

NFLT To Present Two One Act Plays

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.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
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