The Seaway Valley Theatre Company is starting their 17th season with Opening Night by Norm Foster. The play’s opening night is September 16th and will run for three weekends until the final performance on October 2nd.
The play is being directed by Marion Barnes, who directed several plays for Glen Productions before they closed. She has previously directed Opening Night, as well as my Darling Judith (another Norm Foster), My Fair Lady, Wrong for Each Other, and others. The play’s producers are Josee Julien and Cheryl Snider.
Opening Night is a comedy that’s a play about a play. According to the synopsis on the SVTC website:
“Ruth Tisdale, a theatre lover, wins a pair of tickets to the opening night performance of a new play. She drags her husband Jack along with her to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, but he’d much rather be at home watching the seventh game of the World Series on TV. Comedy ensues as they mingle with guests in the VIP lounge, including the show’s cynical director, his needy girlfriend, and a motley assortment of actors. It all peaks with the “performance” of what’s got to be one of the worst plays ever written. A witty, fast-paced love letter to the theatre from Canada’s most produced playwright.”
The cast and crew have been working on this production since mid-June. Although it can be hard to cast a play over the summer, the group has great energy and comedic timing. They’ve even gone viral on TikTok!
“There is one lady who is brand new to theatre and she’s doing a super good job. We have one who is only in his second play and he’s doing very well,” shared Barnes when asked about casting the play, “The others have all had previous experience, some lots of it and some not so much.”
This play is expected to be the start of an exciting season for the SVTC, with other plays including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. (a children’s musical) in December, The Sound of Music in February, Leading Ladies in May, and Puss in Boots in July.
