Producing community theatre is what the Chester Drama Society has always done, but this spring, it's embarking on a new journey: Outreach Theatre--bringing theatre to where you live.
Recently, Laurel Darnell and Andre Haines pitched the idea to CDS of going beyond a one-production/one-venue of the Neil Simon comedy "The Good Doctor" by taking it on the road to various communities in Lunenburg County. Now the show is in rehearsal, and everyone's energies are directed to Opening Night at the Atlantic Hotel Oak Island, Thursday, April 28.
Gavin Flinn (The Writer), George Evans (The Policeman) and Barry Redmond (The Drowned Man) ham it up for the camera in this scene from "The Good Doctor."
Written by Neil Simon, "The Good Doctor" is a series of nine comedic scenes, all based on the short stories of Anton Chekhov. Like Conan Doyle, Chekhov wrote to support his medical studies, and always regarded himself as a better doctor than writer. Simon refers to Chekhov as the good doctor, but it's Chekhov's stories, not his medical skills, that this collection celebrates.
Andre Haines directs Barry Redmond and Gavin Flinn, while Stage Manager, Sue Evans, keeps everyone on book.
Following its opening on April 28 at the Atlantica Hotel Oak Island in Western Shore, "The Good Doctor" will move on to Blockhouse's Waldorf School on April 29, Trinity United Church in Mahone Bay on April 30, Chester United Baptist Church on May 6, Lunenburg Academy on May 13, and Martin's River Fire Hall on May 20, 21. Laurel points out that each host is using the show as a fund-raiser; audiences will get the twin benefits of enjoying themselves while supporting good causes in their own communities.
Donna Whitford continues as make-up mistress to the stars as she adjusts one of the many hats worn by actor/producer Laurel Darnell.
Moving from venue to venue will stretch Lighting Director George Gore's creativity, but he did wonders with a slide projector and screen in last summer's "The Last World Tour" making the visuals one of the highlights of that show. Just as usual, Erin Gore will provide wonderfully appropriate costumes for the cast.
This article and the photographs were originally written by Doug Ross on www.chesterns.ca and copied over by me to the CDS blog.
ReplyDelete