Oct 30, 2014


by Nina Jenkins

Things are a-buzz on the stage at Granite Ridge Education Centre on Tuesday and Thursday evenings as children and adults of North Frontenac Little Theatre prepare to stage their first production, Aladdin, in the new facility. Those involved are pleased to be working on a nicer, deeper stage and are getting used to working in the new space. Members of the theatre group are appreciative of the working relationship with the school administration and staff and the school board for allowing us to use the space to provide community entertainment to the surrounding areas.

Brian Robertson, who is directing this play, is pleased to have permission to include a stage extension to provide for scenes to be done in front of the curtain while a scene is being set up behind. Jeff Siamon assisted with installing it in the cafetorium.

For the first production at GREC, the theatre group has chosen the play Aladdin, a family type show with broad audience appeal, which involves young children, teens and adults. Robertson, who has directed many such plays while teaching at Land O' Lakes School, is very pleased with how rehearsals are going. The show has a lot of music and dance and so requires a good amount of practising “to get it right”.

Assisting Robertson is Andrea Dickinson who works with six of the youngest actors/dancers arranging choreography, practising lines and preparing costumes for them. Basically, she is responsible for the part of the show involving the young actors and it is amazing the progress these young people are making. Dickinson has been involved with a number of NFLT shows, most recently in My Narrator.

Also doing choreography with the other actors is Tim White who has a background in dance.

Jeff Siamon now has the theatre lights installed in the room and is grateful for the use of the “genie lift”, which allows him to reach the high ceiling to position and manipulate the lights. The process of setting up the lights to get them where you want them takes time and patience. Siamon has used a general placement of the lights which can be used not only for this play but for future plays and school activities with some minor adjustments. He is satisfied with the results and is now concentrating on fine tuning the lighting for this show.

We are happy that Andrea Jones, a newly retired elementary school teacher, is sharing her talents and is teaching the songs for the show. The songs are tricky with a lot of words and she is pleased with the progress of the actors, especially the young ones.

Rounding out the music for the show will be Gary Giller on Bass, Sandy Robertson on flute and John Inglis on piano.

Set design and construction is being done, once again, by Peter Platenius, Donna Larocque and Martina Field. Peter says that he is pleased with the space in the wings of the stage and is adjusting to the new space.

Sally Angle, house manager, is busy planning on how to set up the “house” and is planning for placement of the ticket table and refreshment site.

Costumes are being prepared by Peggy Muldoon who is busy finding the appropriate pieces, altering, tucking, embellishing and fitting them for each actor. John Pariselli and Nina Jenkins are co-producers for the show.

Aladdin will be presented at Granite Ridge Education Centre on Thursday, November 27, Friday, Nov. 28, Saturday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, Nov. 30 at 1:30. So pick a date, get on your “magic carpet” and join us for an entertaining evening or afternoon. Tickets will be on sale soon at Sharbot Lake Pharmacy and Sharbot Lake Dollar Store. Watch for future ads in this paper and for posters in the surrounding area businesses.

Support local
independant journalism by becoming a patron of the Frontenac News.