2009 - 2010 SEASON 

 Nick is a single, Italian American guy from New Jersey. His parents retired and moved to Florida. That doesn't mean his family isn't still in New Jersey. In fact, he sees both sets of grandparents every Sunday for dinner. This is routine until he has to tell them that he's been offered a dream job. The job he's been waiting for, Marketing Executive, would take him away from his beloved but annoying grandparents. He tells them but the news doesn't sit so well.  How could he betray his family's love to move to Seattle for a job, wonder his grandparents ?Thus begins a series of schemes to keep Nick around that includes bringing to dinner the lovely and single Caitlin O'Hare as bait !

Theatre Sarnia : Over the River and Through the Woods by Brian Hay :

The members of Theatre Sarnia gave a wonderful performance on Saturday night.

The play they presented (by Joe DiPietro) was a superb one. The characters were complex and multi-faceted. They had things that were important to say. They also had quirks that made them funny to watch. The story looked predictable at the outset but ended up being anything but. The situations conjured were funny but believable. Many scenes were thought provoking and emotionally intense. Many were hilarious.  It was a classic laugh-one-moment pull-at-the heart the next. It was completely satisfying.

Director John L'Heureux kept the material moving at a good pace and he drew strong performances from all of the actors. Charmaine Jacklin was fantastic in the role of the Paternal Grandmother, 'Aida'. She maintained the accent and mannerisms she assigned to the character flawlessly. Joe Agocs and Ralph D'Alessandro gave heartfelt and emotional performances as the two Paternal Grandfathers, 'Frank' and 'Nunzio'. Marney Austen made the character of the Paternal Grandmother 'Emma' believable and moving. Doug Murphy was hilarious as the highly strung (and beleaguered) Grandson, 'Nick'. Their timing was excellent. They all delivered their comic zingers beautifully. Ashley Shortridge was the straight player in the ensemble. She played off the antics of the rest well. When needed, she projected emotion that was intense and powerful.

The technical aspects of the production were handled extremely well. The lighting design (by Paul Richardson and Brian Austin Jr.) was excellent. It directed the eye effortlessly without overpowering the action on the stage. It was particularly effective during scene changes or when used to highlight one or two characters when what they were doing required separation from other activity. The scene changes were seamless. Stage Manager Vincent Quinn used many of them to help keep the action moving. The rest of the changes flowed effortlessly. The wardrobe (put together by Jane Mulligan) was perfect for the production. The characters looked like the people they were supposed to be rather than stereotypes. Maddy Taylor's use of makeup was outstanding. She did a fabulous job of 'aging' the actors (especially Charmaine Jacklin and Marney Austen) to suit their roles.

The set was a marvel. Designer Bill Allingham and Prop Man Len Desjardins captured the look and feel of a traditional Italian/ American home wonderfully. The dark frames around the windows and doorways gave the appearance of old wood against the walls. The design for the "wallpaper" provided a good contrast against them. The curtains used provided a bridge between the two elements. The furnishings, which appeared to be antiques (possibly on loan from Grace Brothers) complimented this backdrop perfectly. Various props such as the crucifix on the wall, candles, lace doilies and an assortment of pictures rounded out the appearance and filled the set with the sense of the personality of the family it housed. Honestly, this set generated much of the atmosphere for the production even before the lights went down.

Time and again this ensemble shows they're accomplished in all areas of Theatrical presentation. This production is yet another stellar example of that.

This Production runs fom February 5 th, 2010 through to February 13, 2010. This review covers the performance that took place at the Imperial Theatre in Sarnia on Saturday February 6, 2010 at 7:30 p.m.

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