Theatre Wellesley is inviting audiences to take a seat in their living room and turn on the tube for a night of live sitcom humour.
Held in the upstairs portion of the Wellesley library, the theatre group is putting on The Second Time Around – a witty look at starting over. The space can only hold 30 people per performance, so producer Jamie McLean says it will be an intimate experience.
“It is written like a sitcom, so there are lots of quick one liners and the dialogue is really fast-paced. It is really funny,” she shared, adding that the community theatre group’s spring performances are traditionally smaller than in the fall. “Our spring shows have much smaller casts. There are usually five members, maximum. The audience should feel like they are sitting there in their living room as they watch.”
The play, written by Canadian playwright Uwe Meyer, centres around David and his 16-year-old daughter Samantha. He is a widower who makes the decision to move back to his small hometown into his mother-in-law’s house with his daughter. He decides it is time to get back into dating, and reconnects and starts up relationships with two sisters, Heather and Nicki, whom he went to high school with.
David doesn’t know much about dating after being out of the game for so long, so he relies on advice from his daughter, whose knowledge of love and relationships comes strictly from years of reading Cosmopolitan magazine.
McLean says the show will be something the audience can relate to, as well as have plenty of big laughs.
“It is a romantic comedy and it is always fun to see the potential screwed up lives of other people compared to yourself,” she said with a laugh. “Audiences will be able to relate to the relationships that are developed throughout the play, and the characters themselves. Every character is hilarious. Every character has their own nuances. I really love how it is written. It is very, very funny.”
The show is being directed by Theatre Wellesley veteran Al Strong who has directed shows for the community theatre for eight years.
“He has been a part of Theatre Wellesley from the beginning,” said McLean.
![Sarah Kipp and Lori Hoelscher, as sisters Heather and Nicki, share a drink during a rehearsal for Theatre Wellesley’s The Second Time Around, premiering this weekend.[Submitted]](https://www.observerxtra.com/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/post_arts_second.jpg)
Playing David is John Settle, and in the role of his daughter Samantha is Madeline Da Rosa. The two love interests, Nicki and Heather, are played by Lori Hoelscher and Judy Johnson. David’s mother-in-law, Shirley, will be played by Judy Johnson.
The script, ultimately chosen by Strong, was just one of many the script committee looked at when deciding on their spring production. McLean says there is a lot of reading involved.
“We look at synopses of different plays from the Playwright’s Guild of Canada, then the committee reads them, along with several others, and they come up with the three that they like,” she said. “This is only our third spring production. Normally we only have one show per year, and that is a fall production. With our fall production, we usually do farces and comedies. With our spring show, we have been able to stretch a little bit in terms of what we can produce.”
She hopes that audiences can see what community theatre means, and the kind of effort that goes into it, not just on stage, but also behind the scenes.
“I really hope that the audience just takes away the idea that it is community theatre and the amount of work that all of the volunteers put into each and every show,” she said. “But also, just to have a good laugh and to have a good time.”
The show debuts on Apr. 15 at 8 p.m., with matinee performance at 2 p.m. on Apr. 16 and 17. The cast will take the stage again the following weekend at 8 p.m. on Apr. 22, and again at 2 p.m. on Apr. 23 and 24.
For tickets to The Second Time Around, visit Pym’s Village Market in Wellesley, email contact@theatrewellesley.ca, or call 519-573-2992. Tickets are $15.
