Old Town Hall Theatre
38 John St. S., Aylmer, Ontario
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News & Activities
"Sexy" Season a Success!
25 May 2009
With the final performance of “Last of the Red Hot Lovers” behind us, ACT celebrates its most successful season ever. ACT VIII, our so-called “sexy season”, brought in consistently large audiences and critical acclaim. “Not Now, Darling” a British sex farce, showed our ability to master this most difficult of theatre genres. “Bedtime Stories” a clever ensemble piece, went to the WODL Festival, where it picked up several awards, including Best Ensemble. “Red Hot Lovers” featured remarkable performances in a 1970 period piece.
We are now embarking on our next themed season, our “Season of Death”, wherein we take a lighthearted look at God’s biggest practical joke. Auditions start June 14th for the first show of ACT IX, “The Cemetery Club” by Ivan Menchell and directed by Jeff Rogers. See our Auditions page for details. “The Cemetery Club” opens on October, 2009. February 2010 will see the opening of “Dearly Departed” by David Bottrell & Jessie Jones and directed by Barbara Warnock. Our final show in May of 2010 is “Murdered to Death” by Peter Gordon and directed by Ron Sawyer.
In the meantime, we continue to create our own brand of murder mysteries for the enjoyment of local clubs. “Elder Hostile Intentions: The Nursing Home Mystery” will debut at the Aylmer Legion in September.
Bedtime Stories to hit the boards on February 5, 2009.
11 January 2009
Rehearsals are well underway for ACT VIII's next production, Norm Foster's "Bedtime Stories". The first amateur company west of British Columbia to launch this show, ACT VIII pursued the rights for the play, anxious to include this new Foster in the 2008-2009 "Sexy Season". Of course, "sexy" is relative. While this show includes mature content which is appropriate for 16 years and older, Foster never crosses the line, treating his subject matter with humour and respect.
"Bedtime Stories" is the ACT VIII entry in the Western Ontario Drama League festival. Adjudication by Sandy MacDonald will be on Friday, February 6 with public comments immediately after the show and a private adjudication following. Past entries by ACT have garnered numerous nominations and awards for acting, directing, lighting, etc. and "Bedtime Stories" promises to continue with the same quality of production as in the past.
The Meet and Greet, generally held on Opening Night, will be held on Saturday, February 7 to accommodate the Friday night adjudication.
ACT VIII Prepares for "Sexy Season"
22 August 2008
ACT has embarked on it's first-ever themed season with three plays to appeal to our prurient interests. "Not Now, Darling" by Ray Cooney and John Chapman, is a fun and furious British sex farce featuring mistaken identities and scantily-clad ladies. It opens in October and is part of the Aylmer Performing Arts Council season. "Bedtime Stories" by Aylmer's favourite playwright, Norm Foster, follows the lives of a series of characters as they hilariously negotiate the maze of modern sexual relationships. It can be seen in February 2009 and will be our entry into the WODL Festival. May 2009 brings us "The Last of the Red Hot Lovers" by Broadway veteran Neil Simon. Middle-aged nebbish Barney Cashman wants to join the sexual revolution before it's too late and attempts three seductions with hysterical results.
Our patrons now have the opportunity to see all three shows at a 20% discount when they take advantage of our new subscription offer, available until October 25. They make great gifts, too. For more information, click on "Subscribe!"
ACT's latest murder mystery, "Death Rides an Electro Glide", debuts at Cy's Lanes and Lounge on September 6, with another performance at the Aylmer Legion on November 1. Only $25 gets you a fine meal and our motorcycle-themed comedy whodunnit.
Another Successful Season for ACT VII
24 May 2008
Aylmer Community Theatre's seventh season pleased audiences and adjudicators alike. The ambitious lineup of "Sadie Flynn Comes to Big Oak", "The Farm Show" and "The Prisoner of Second Avenue" showcased the talents and versatility of our company in performing these three very different plays. The WODL Festival entry, "The Farm Show", directed by Laura Jean McCann, was nominated for the Outstanding Ensemble award, while the other entry, "Sadie Flynn", directed by Barbara Warnock, received nominations for Best Actor in a Major Role (Ron Sawyer) and Outstanding Lighting Design (John Bardwell). "Sadie" was also the first ACT production to be included in the Aylmer Performing Arts Council's subscription series. To round out the playbill, "Prisoner", directed by Ron Sawyer, was well received by audiences, who were especially fond of the character of Harry, played with gusto by newcomer Paul Blower. Congratulations to everyone who took part in this very successful season.
“Pipe Dreams” Garners WODL Nominations
18 February 2007
ACT’s recent hit show, “Pipe Dreams” by Seymour Blicker, besides breaking all previous box office records, picked up three major nominations in the WODL out-of-Festival awards for 2007. While not the winner in each category, ACT is proud to have been recognized for the quality of its efforts.
Barbara Warnock was nominated for Outstanding Director, “Pipe Dreams” for Outstanding Ensemble Production, and Peter Leack and Ron Sawyer were jointly nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Major Role. Congratulations to everyone who was part of this great show! (For a complete list of nominations and winners, click here.)
This recognition, along with record attendance and great audience response made “Pipe Dreams” one of ACT’s most successful shows in its history.
The final production of the season will be the popular musical comedy, “Nunsense” by Dan Goggin and directed by Laura Jean McCann. It promises to be a music- and fun-filled way to end our sixth season. Our seventh season is due to be announced shortly, so keep coming back for the latest news.
ACT Hosts WODL Minifest
22 July 2006
Aylmer Community Theatre hosted the 2006 WODL Minifest on Friday night and Saturday, July 21 and 22. A huge effort was made by the large and enthusiastic ACT Minifest committee to ensure that the event was a success, and by all indications is was. The 80 people attending enjoyed a great weekend of theatre, food and fun.
Four area theatre groups participated: Elgin Theatre Guild, Elmira Theatre Company, London Community Players and Theatre Kent.
They performed the play “Autumn Blooming” by Fred Jacob. The WODL description of the play was: “Set in a victorian sitting room overlooking a garden, and the action takes place in 1924, which will present an interesting costuming challenge for the participating groups. The cast is four women, various ages, and two men - an older woman, her grasping and selfish daughter, her equally avaricious sons, a lively young maid, and a very eccentric neighbour. Lots of room for interpretation.”
The workshop leader was the always-entertaining Brian Van Norman. After each performance, he discussed the show and then spoke at length on a particular aspect of theatre, using that show for inspiration.
Food was an important part of the weekend, of course. Friday night’s Taco Bar was fun and flavourful. Saturday’s Box Lunch had something for everyone to enjoy and the Banquet on Saturday night was a big hit. The Banquet theme was a 1920’s speakeasy known as “The Prinking Pansy” from a line in the play. People were encouraged to dress in costumes of the day an there were many wild outfits on display. After dinner, awards were presented by Brian Van Norman and then, instead of dancing, there was a Karaoke Night, ably hosted by ACT’s Dwayne Gagne. This proved very popular and continued into the wee hours with the diehard singers demanding “one more before we go”.
The heady mix of theatre, learning, good food, fun, meeting old friends and making new ones made this one of the most successful Minifests of recent times. For the hosts, it was a busy but extremely satisfying experience, and one we will remember always.
Aylmer Well Represented at Theatre Festival
19 March 2006
Aylmer Community Theatre’s production of “When the Reaper Calls” by Peter Colley received several important awards at the Western Ontario Drama League Festival held March 13 - 18 in Owen Sound. The Festival is an annual event showcasing amateur dramatic talent within an area covering southern Ontario from Windsor to Burlington and Lake Erie to Georgian Bay. It features an adjudicated competition in addition to workshops and other learning experiences for participating theatre companies.
The entry of Aylmer’s show into Festival was much anticipated and appreciated by the WODL membership. “Reaper” was given the highly-prized final night slot and performed before a sold-out house at the Roxy Theatre, a fully-equipped 400 seat auditorium which serves as the home of Owen Sound Little Theatre. ACT was delighted that Mayor Paul Baldwin and his wife Jacquie were able to attend the performance and lend their support on this exciting evening.
Aylmer competed against entries from Kincardine Theatre Guild (Marion Bridge),Theatre Kent (Marvin’s Room), Theatre Windsor (Misery) and Theatre Sarnia (Jake’s Women). Among the five competing groups, “Reaper” was proud to be ranked second overall, while the winner, Theatre Sarnia, continues to the Ontario finals at the Theatre Ontario Festival to be held in Sarnia in May.
Acting honours bestowed on Aylmer’s production by adjudicator John P. Kelly included the coveted Best Actor award to David Bogaert for his role as the stoic “Harlan”. His commitment to the character and his excellent sense of timing, so essential to comedic acting, were singled out by the adjudicator. A Special Award of Merit was presented to Jennifer Leack for the comic skills she brought to her performance as the pistol-waving “Colleen”. She brought a sense of reality to her character which made her outbursts of energy all the more hilarious. She was also nominated for Best Actress.
The show garnered two technical awards in addition to the acting accolades. Master Carpenter Pierre Marchand accepted the Best Visual Production trophy for what was clearly the most beautiful set of the Festival. The award acknowledges the skills of Aylmer’s team of set dressers, scenic painters, designers and construction people responsible for this richly decorated and highly realistic set. One of the most desirable technical prizes is the Best Coordinated Production Award, which is presented by the host theatre’s stage manager to the most organized and safety conscious group in Festival. ACT’s stage manager, Paul Evert, with the support of a highly competent crew, was instrumental in leading the team through the intricate load-in, set-up and tear-down process and proudly accepted the award.
John P. Kelly had additional comments for the group at the private adjudication which took place the morning after Friday night’s performance. He gave particular praise to the choice of music, the numerous special effects and the high quality of acting in a well-rehearsed and disciplined company. He commended cast members Meghan Leitch (Officer McGuire), Mark Smith (Victor) and Barbara Warnock (Dora), and approved of the “search for reality” in their performances. He disagreed with some of the choices made by director Ron Sawyer in controlling the action in certain scenes, and while recognizing the beauty and practicality of the set, suggested it was too clean, and should have had a more lived-in look. He found the pacing slow in places, and felt the use of music during the axe fight scene was “too cinematic” for live theatre. In the end, Mr. Kelly pronounced that despite any flaws in the production, it was still a totally entertaining show for the audience. For Aylmer Community Theatre, this was the ultimate tribute.
These comments are the opinions of an internationally known and very experienced director and adjudicator, and are the primary reason for attending Festival. It is an opportunity for learning, and serves to give ACT the tools and confidence to continue to represent Aylmer beyond our community with high quality and enjoyable theatre. In their first WODL adjudication last year, ACT received the awards for Best Director (Ron Sawyer) and Best Actress (Barbara Warnock), both Aylmer natives. Having built on those successes this year, there is good reason to expect further achievements in the future. Aylmer Community Theatre appreciates all the support it receives from its community partners as it strives to let people at home, and far and wide, realize that “Aylmer” means “excellent theatre”.
After a short respite, ACT has begun rehearsals on their next show, “Office Hours” by Aylmer favourite Norm Foster and directed by Barbara Warnock. Watch for this uproarious comedy to hit the boards at the fabulous Old Town Hall Theatre in early June.
“When the Reaper Calls” Owen Sound Bound!
Sunday, February 19, 2006
After an encouraging adjudication by Karen Rickers on Feb. 4 and a highly successful run, ACT’s production of “When the Reaper Calls” has been chosen to compete in the 2006 WODL Festival in Owen Sound on Friday, March 17. The Friday night slot is most desirable because of the likelihood of large audiences and the fact that the Awards Banquet is held on the following evening. It will perform opposite shows from Windsor, Chatham-Kent, Sarnia and Kincardine. See the lineup at http://www.wodl.on.ca/Festival06.html. Since the costs of remounting the show well after the normal run are substantial, and are not part of our regular season’s budget, we are now seeking donations from our community partners to defray these costs. If you wish to help us financially with our Festival appearance, please contact us. Any help would be most appreciated.
Christmas Opera On Track Sunday
November 13, 2005
Casting is complete for "Amahl and the Night Visitors", which will commence performing December 1st, 2005. The show is being helmed by Musical Director Julie Pietrangelo and Artistic Director Laura Jean McCann, who is pleased with the turnout of talent at this busy time of year. The principal cast includes Tricia Flatley as Amahl, Helen Janik as Amahl's Mom, Kyle Rostad as King Kaspar, Rick Traczuk as King Malchior, Tyson Bree as King Balthazar and Gabe Traczuk as The Page. The chorus of shepherds and villagers come from various local churches. Click here for more details.
Rehearsals have begun for ACT's entry into the 2006 WODL Festival, "When the Reaper Calls" by Peter Colley, due to open at the Old Town Hall Theatre on February 2nd. The players consist of ACT veterans Mark Smith, Barbara Warnock, David Bogaert, Jennifer Leack and Meghan Leitch. Director Ron Sawyer is confident that this dynamite cast will turn this comedy-thriller into another ACT success. We have been fortunate to find some of the more esoteric props required by the script, thanks to Dunc Sinclair of East Elgin SS and ACT alumnus Mark Wellwood of the Ontario Police College. Stay tuned for further details.
Special thanks go out to our 2005-2006 Season Sponsors. We could not present our best efforts without the financial encouragement of our community partners. We all say "Bravo!" to:
Imperial Tobacco Leaf
McTaggart, Armstrong, Dewar and Owen Insurance
Hill's Pharmacy
Duncan Sinclair
Don and Judy Durkee
The Pizza Factory
New Executive Elected
Sunday, July 24, 2005
It is with regret that the Executive of Aylmer Community Theatre has accepted the resignation of President Sean Avram, who is stepping down due to time commitments with a burgeoning family and career. Happily, he will continue to be active as a member and we wish him good luck in his future endeavours. A meeting was held this date to select an interim President. The new ACT Executive is now as follows:
Artistic Director: Laura Jean McCann
President: Ron Sawyer
Treasurer: Barbara Warnock
Secretary: Colleen Sawyer
Fun at Mini-Fest
July 23, 2005
ACT took part in this year's WODL Mini-Fest, held at ITOPA, in Ingersoll, Ontario. Ours was one of five productions af a one-act comedy by Brian Van Norman entitled "Crosscurrents" The cast included Laurie Deven, Keith Falconer, Harry Edison, Dennis Angyal and Megan Leitch. It was directed by Colleen Sawyer and stage-managed by Mary Morin. In addition to the fun of doing the show, much was learned by seeing the other companies' interpretations of the play. Our show garnered some interesting awards at the concluding banquet: The Buster Keaton Award went to Keith Falconer for his inspired portrayal of a nebbish, the Berlitz Conversational German Award went to Harry Edison as a narcissistic male model and the Anthropomorphic Award was given to Dennis Angyal for creating our evocative version of the "pipes". The Ensemble Award and Plumbing Trophy was awarded to all groups and ours was accepted by director Colleen Sawyer. ACT will host the 2006 Mini-Fest at Aylmer's fabulous Old Town Hall Theatre next July.
Major Awards for "Twigs"
March 19, 2005
At the Awards Dinner winding up this year's WODL Festival in London, Ontario, Pre-Festival awards were presented by adjudicator Brian Van Norman to this season's winners. ACT was honoured with two major awards for its production of "Twigs": the Audrey Vale Memorial Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Major Role went to Barbara Warnock for her remarkable portrayal of four distinct characters, and the Anne Reaume & Mark Mooney sponsored award for Outstanding Direction was given to Ron Sawyer. ACT congratulates these winners and everyone who helped make this very challenging play a great success.
ACT Enters WODL Pre-Festival
November 19, 2004
ACT entered the WODL Pre-Festival with its production of "Twigs" by George Furth. Adjudicator Brian Van Norman viewed this well-attended performance and afterwards offered some much-appreciated comments. At the discretion of the adjudicator, "Twigs" could receive awards at the upcoming WODL Festival in March, 2005.
Aylmer Community Theatre joins WODL!
August 19, 2004
The Aylmer Community Theatre Executive Team met with the Western Ontario Drama League's President George Wood and Area Vice President, Dianne Clark. ACT has joined WODL, which opens up a whole new world of networking and collaborative possibilities. This is a sort of "coming of age" tale for our little theatre group, as we shall be entering Twigs into the festival, and may even host Mini-Fest in the very near future!