"Gem" of a comedy set in the Emerald Isle to shine in Sharbot Lake

Submitted by NFLT | Feb 12, 2020

Production of "a gem" of a comedy set in the Emerald Isle is to start in Sharbot Lake this week.

North Frontenac Little Theatre is bringing a touch of the Irish to the area as it holds auditions for the North American Premiere of the award-winning drama, Ciara's Coming Home, written by international author and playwright, Glenys O'Connell.

The play, which NFLT President, Pamela Giroux, described as "a gem" will be staged in late April and early May at Oso Hall, Sharbot Lake, and the production will celebrate the theatre group's fifth decade in operation.

Auditions for aspiring actors between the ages of 11 & 60 years will be held on February 18 & 19 at Oso Hall (see details on page ...) and candidates with no prior acting experience as well as seasoned thespians are welcome, said Director, Adrian O'Connell

The play reveals with hilarious unpredictability, the chaos that ensues when a young, New York-based Irishwoman suddenly decides to pay a return visit to her rural Irish farm family home in the year 2004.

The play was penned by Arden resident, Glenys O'Connell, while she and her husband, Adrian, were on sabbatical in Ireland in the early 2000s and was staged in five regional theatres throughout Ireland at the time, picking up several awards along the way. Subsequently, after the couple returned to Canada in 2007, the comedy won first prize for original drama in North America in a contest jointly sponsored by the Government of Ireland and the North American Gaelteacht (Irish language) Association, based in Ottawa.

Said NFLT President, Pamela Giroux -  "We're really delighted to be able to present this play in the spring. I read the script and I just loved it. It's a real gem."

Rehearsals for Ciara's Coming Home will take place at Oso Hall throughout March and April, said Director, Adrian O'Connell, adding that the play presented a great opportunity for people who'd always wanted to act but never gotten round to it.

"Many people who have described themselves as basically shy, including, famously, the late Hollywood idol, Kirk Douglas, have gone on record over time, to say how performing on stage changed their lives for ever, making them far more confident about themselves and able to speak in public without fear," said O'Connell, adding that he himself had learned a great deal from professional directors who had worked on plays in Ireland, including those written by his wife, Glenys.