Tag Archives: Thousand Islands Playhouse

Waiting for the Parade a Triumph for Those Who Stayed Behind

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by Lorraine Payette, written September 10, 2014

“They also serve who only stand and wait.”
– John Milton

Whether rolling bandages, practicing for possible blackouts, or trying out leg make-up to substitute for impossible to come by silk stockings, the women who stayed behind while their men went to war always had a lot to do. And those whose men stayed home also felt a fierce duty to help in any way they could.

Waiting for the Parade chronicles the time spent by five women, each waiting in her own way for the war to end. One has sent two sons overseas, one a husband. Two have husbands who have stayed at home – one simply through no wish to enlist, the other to continue his job as a radio announcer reporting the daily news. The last is in perhaps the least enviable position of all – a German immigrant whose father has been placed in an internment camp on suspicion of being a Nazi sympathizer. – to read more>

The Ugly One Cuts Deep at Firehall Theatre

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The Ugly One – production photos by Jay Kopinski

written by Lorraine Payette, August 18, 2014

“Start with the nose – it sticks out the farthest from the face…”
– Scheffler in The Ugly One

(Gananoque, ON) With a sickening crunch of breaking cartilage, metamorphosis begins and life will never be the same. In a twisted world where personal appearance is more important than talent or ability, where the real “you” doesn’t matter so long as the package is perfect, anything can and does happen, and it isn’t always pretty.

“It’s a wonderful play,” said Lois Creed of Dexter, NY. “It takes a good look at a very serious subject, and makes you think about just how shallow people really are. At the same time it’s very funny. I really enjoyed it, and think everyone should come out to see what they can learn.” – to read more>

The Ugly One – Dark Comedy’s Cutting Edge

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The Ugly One – rehearsal photos

By Lorraine Payette, written August 7, 2014

(Gananoque, ON) Lette has found success in the business world. As an engineer, he’s at the top of his field with a brilliant new invention bound to make all kinds of money. But as fate would have it, he’s also unspeakably ugly. Even his own wife finds it hard to look at him, so he decides to go under the knife and have the problem corrected once and for all. The surgery is an overwhelming success, and he emerges as an Adonis – irresistible to women, the envy of every man he knows. Fame, fortune, everything he wants is there for the taking. But his nightmare truly begins when the surgeon decides he will now sell this same magnificent face to anyone with the money to pay…

“This play is a play I directed in the past at my little theatre company, Theatre Smash,” said Ashlie Corcoran, artistic director of the Thousand Islands Playhouse. “It’s a company I founded in 2005 and still run in Toronto. When we did this play in 2011, it was a smash hit and we were nominated for six Dora Awards.” – to read more>

The Importance of Being Earnest – Proper Victorian Humour Proves Timeless

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by Lorraine Payette, written July 29, 2014

“I am sick to death of cleverness. Everybody is clever nowadays. You can’t go anywhere without meeting clever people. The thing has become an absolute public nuisance. I wish to goodness we had a few fools left.”

– Jack in The Importance of Being Earnest

Be prepared for a Wilde time of it as the Thousand Islands Playhouse treats you to a proper Victorian look and laugh at ourselves and our inner fools in its delightful production of The Importance of Being Earnest.

“I think it’s pretty good,” said Chris, a student from Ajax who came to the show with family. “I’m not used to this kind of humour, but I find it witty and a lot of it is pretty relevant even now. I would definitely recommend this to friends. People my age might think they wouldn’t like it, but if they go, they’ll definitely end up enjoying it. I’ve never seen another play like this, and the jokes are still really funny. Everyone seems to be having a good time – my mum’s laughing, I’m laughing, it’s perfect.” – to read more>

“Bird Brain” Triumphs in Town Park

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A Handful of Characters

by Lorraine Payette, written July 4, 2014

(Gananoque, ON) A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush… Keep it under your hat… A kind heart is worth more than any kingdom… Follow your heart and your dreams will come true…

Woodcutting is hard, tiring work, more than enough to break the spirit and kill the dreams of most men. But when Bird Brain finds a nest of freezing orphaned baby birds in the forest, he knows the only way he can save them is to put them under his warm, comfortable hat. – to read more>

She Loves Me a Delightful Step Back into 1930’s Romance

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She Loves Me – Performance Photos

by Lorraine Payette, written June 26, 2014

The sweet aroma of love is in the air at Maraczek’s Parfumerie as Ilona Ritter (Kristen Galer) and Steven Kodaly (Kevin McGarry) continue their on-going affair. Not quite as obvious is the love developing between shy and stressed manager Georg Nowack (Ron Pederson) and his mysterious pen-pal, “Dear Friend”. But things get tense and tempers start to flare when a nervous young woman, Amalia Balash (Alison MacDonald) applies to work with them. She and Georg aren’t quite sure if they can tolerate each other or not. However, poor Amalia also finds that her best stress relief is through writing to her pen-pal, a “Dear Friend” …

What will happen when they discover who their pen-pals really are? – to read more>

“She Loves Me”: Largest Romantic Musical in Many Years Comes to Playhouse Stage

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Rehearsal Photos

by Lorraine Payette, written June 10, 2014

(Gananoque, ON) Opening on June 21, the Thousand Islands Playhouse will be dancing its way into your heart with the largest cast musical they’ve performed in years. “She Loves Me” promises to be a feast of sight and sound, with 13 gifted performers bringing you the story of a nervous young woman, Amalia Balash (Alison MacDonald) and Georg Nowack (Ron Pederson), the manager of Maraczek’s Parfumerie. The bane of each others existence in the workplace, each is so certain they’d be happier if they never had to see each other at all. As they both indulge in their favourite passion and stress reliever of writing and receiving letters from their secret pen pals, neither realizes that this is about to become the most wonderful summer in 1930’s Budapest that either of them could ever imagine. – to read more>

“Salt-Water Moon” Brings Stars to Your Eyes

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by Lorraine Payette, written October 2, 2013

(GANANOQUE, ON) – Two young lovers, a star studded sky and a “Salt-Water Moon”…

Prepare to spend a bewitching August evening on the front porch in Coley’s Point, Newfoundland, as 18-year-old Jacob Mercer (played by Edward Charette) tries every trick in the book to win back the heart off his one true love, Mary Snow (Shannon Taylor) in the Thousand Islands Playhouse’s final show of the 2013 season. He knows he’s been a heel. He left without warning, was away for a very long time – a whole year – and he hurt her terribly, but surely now that he’s back she’ll want nothing more than to fall into his arms and be his once again. – to read more>

A Tide of Emotions Comes in With “No Great Mischief”

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by Lorraine Payette, written September 15, 2013

(GANANOQUE, ON) – All of us are better when we’re loved.”

Truer words have never been spoken, and “No Great Mischief” is a love story, not of young and foolish people coming together on a star crossed path, but of the hard and sometimes almost impossible love of a man for his brother, and by extension, his entire family. – to read more>

“No Great Mischief” Brings Cape Breton to the TI Playhouse

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by Lorraine Payette, written September 12, 2013

“No great mischief if they fall”
– Findlay, J.T., “Wolfe in Scotland in the ’45 and from 1749 to 1753”

(GANANOQUE, ON) – Cold blasts of salty sea air carry the mists in and over a rugged coast as we fall back into the mind and memory of Alexander MacDonald. Alexander has come to spend some time with his brother Calum in “No Great Mischief”, a story steeped in the rich heritage of not only two men, but of a family, a clan, a province and two nations. – to read more>