Frankie Cottrell, Sabrina Prada, and Sharon Crandall. Photography: Barry J. Brady
CHEMAINUS – Chemainus Theatre has a lot to crow about with their latest offering, Home To Roost.
Excellent performances by the actors and a “ooh. . .ahh. . .” flavor accentuating the script, there are plenty of reasons to look for an excuse to venture to the Little Town That Did for an enjoyable, entertaining evening.
While the presentation was not the standard family-friendly fare served up by Chemainus Theatre, the audience devoured it. Laughs were consistent, loud and genuine, with more than a few memorable one-liners evoking loud belly laughs from the opening night crowd.
Canadian playwright Kristen Da Silva’s writing deserves top marks, as the story line revolved around a pair of elderly sisters “mothering” their daughter/niece, returning home from her busy professional life to discover that while home is where the heart is, it’s also a worthy choice for permanent residency.
A promotional piece captured the essence of the play thusly: “’Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters!’ Glenda and Suzanne enjoy their retirement selling homemade jam and cherishing visits from Suzanne’s adult daughter, Beth. This poignant comedy beautifully captures the essence of family ties as they stretch, strain, yet ultimately weave a fabric of unwavering love and support.”
All four actors were worthy of standing ovations. Glenda, the aunt, played by Sabrina Prada, previously a flautist/nun housekeeper in The Sound of Music; Port Moody native Sharon Crandall as mother Suzanne in her first Chemainus Theatre appearance; and Vancouver’s Evelyn Chew as the indomitable Beth.
The cast “sleeper” performance came from Patrick, the lone male, expertly portrayed by Frankie Cottrell, a multidisciplinary Indigenous artist and graduate from the Musical Theatre Program at Capilano University. As plays go, it was expected that he would eventually become the love interest of visiting Beth, and he warmed his way into the crowd’s hearts with comical gestures and poignant one-liners.
A rather raucous first half was followed by a somber start to the second. Da Silva cleverly wound the narrative through the family coming to grips with the challenges that lay ahead, bringing it back to a more light-and-warm-hearted conclusion.
Highly recommend!
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