Sunday, August 31, 2008

Just came from a brilliant performance of George Bernard Shaw's "You Never Can Tell" at Tir-na-nog Theatre School. The play is a bittersweet comedy set on the threshold of the 20th century and it pits the old world against the new, the values of the old century against the new dawning world, and it does a brilliant job of articulating the struggle to rationalize the spaces between competing world views.

It's a great play, and it has a superb cast, my favourite cohort of the Tir-na-nog School. Mariah Fleetham, Beverly Rapley, Kailie and Sam Speares, Calder Stewart, Natasha Wehn and Justin Fitzpatrick are joined by Jack and Julie Headley in what may be the last performance that these kids will put on together for a long time. They are all perfectly suited for their roles, and Kailie and Sam especially are briliant - this is easily the best production I have seen them in. Their comedic timing is sensational and the exude the same kind of playful confidence that their characters play.

The perfromance is being done as a fundraiser for the school, and it runs with one more performance next weekend. It is WELL WORTH ATTENDING, and I can't emphasize that enough. It is an outstanding production from a troupe of seasoned young actors who have worked together for more than 10 years in some cases and who are all making tranistions in their lives. We may not see them together again for quite some time (although here's hoping) so catch their brilliant chemistry while you can.

Also next weekend at Tir-na-nog, Jack's son Hamish has returned from New York with a couple of his acting buddies from NYC and they will be staging a couple of short plays to raise money for Tir-na-nog as well. This is another not to be missed opportunity from one of Bowen's truly great acting alumni.

See you there!.

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