Knowlton Players offer love and light-hearted laughter
They’ve been practicing three times a week since the beginning of January and this week are ramping it up every day leading to opening night on Friday, February 16. The Knowlton Players are fine tuning this year’s production for the annual dinner theatre that runs for three weekends.
It is said that laughter is the secret to enduring love and can be an indicator of romantic connection if two are spotted laughing together. A recent study reveals that humour is a way to a person’s heart. Jeffrey Hall, associate professor of communication studies at University of Kansas, says that his research reveals that a way to a person’s heart is by carrying a good sense of humour and that “shared laughter might be a pathway toward developing a more long-lasting relationship whether romantic or simply one of friendship.”
If that’s the case, then there is no reason for all the lovebirds and romantics to miss this year’s four-act musical spoof called “Love of Power! Created by TBL’S Roger de la Mare and directed by Juli
Peasley-senier, the 14-member cast, including guitarist Erica Lacaille, brings a light-hearted jab on politics and community through the years and promises to bring a lot of chuckles to the audience.
Since 2008 when “Love for Murder” was performed, Laura Teasdale’s dinner theatre has been an annual tradition during the month of cupid and hearts. In Teasdale’s temporary absence this year, Peasley-senier, president of the Knowlton Players, jumped in to make sure to keep the tradition going by taking the reigns of director of this year’s production. Teasdale has not been entirely absent. According to Peasley-senier, she has seen de la Mare’s script and her input served to tweak it to fit the dinner theatre format.
Peasley-senier has been acting for almost 18 years. Getting her start with Sunshine Theatre, she has been with Knowlton Players since 2008. This is her fifth year as president of Knowlton Players. She admits that with Teasdale being away this year, she was left with some big shoes to fill. “Though the challenge of taking on the dinner theatre as director was a bit daunting, the decision to do it was easy.”
The spunky director knows the value of community theatre. “It is about having fun and with this cast, it certainly has been.” She knows how much the audience members love the productions and underlines that the theatre troupe has just as much fun preparing and putting it on. “To work with a script written by our very own Roger de la Mare has been the icing on the cake.” Highlighting that the production is all about team effort, she extolls the combined effort of many, from Katherine Jacques as stage manager, whose help with props, set pieces, lighting, and more was invaluable to Linda Carey, who always pours her heart and soul into finding or creating the perfect costumes, to de la Mare himself stepping in and helping in so many ways. “A special thank you goes to Rob Ossington for assisting as musical director. His musical knowledge, skill, and patience are truly appreciated.”
To be held at The Pub in Knowlton, diners will be served a three-course meal by the energetic cast. The menu consists of soup, salad, main course, and desert. A choice of pork with wild mushrooms or salmon served with rice pilaf for the main course will be offered and an option for a vegetarian meal is in the works.
While seats are almost sold out for the first two weeks people still have the opportunity to reserve for the final shows on March 2 and 3.
Tickets are $46 per person. Reservations can be made by calling Diane Matthew at The Pub (450-931-0603).