From The Shopping Channel to The Dining Room
When Richard Nester retired from The Shopping Channel in December, he had two things on his ‘to do’ list when he returned home to Niagara: Work part-time in a winery, and do live theatre.
Both jobs were offered to him on the same day.
“I got a job at Colaneri Estate Winery and got this play, The Dining Room, on the very same day,” he says. “Be careful what you wish for!”
Nester is now a wine tasting associate at Colaneri Estate. And starting April 21, he’ll play no less than six different characters in A.R. Gurney’s classic play, being staged by Something-Something Productions at Corks’ Playhouse Theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Directed by Stacie Primeau, the play is a bittersweet look at America’s middle class told through 18 different scenes connected by the same dining room furniture set. It puts a heavy work load on its cast, requiring seven actors (sometimes just six) to play more than 50 different characters.
Nester, who spent 22 years with The Shopping Channel, is feeling something he hasn’t felt in awhile: Nerves.
“On the Shopping Channel, I had no problem talking to a camera,” he says. “You’re not realizing you’re in thousands of households from coast to coast. There might be 60 people in the (theatre) audience and you’re just like ‘Eeeeeee!’
“And this is a small theatre. I keep telling my family and friends, ‘Don’t tell me when you’re coming. Just let me be surprised.’ But once the first night is over with, then you can start having fun.”
Born in Niagara Falls, Nester moved to Toronto 36 years ago to pursue an acting career. He found himself behind the scenes at TVO before stepping in front of the camera on The Shopping Channel. Over the years he crossed paths with Joan Rivers, George Foreman, Suzanne Somers and Richard Simmons while on air.
“I met so many fabulous people,” he says. “It was a great paying job, and I was very well respected. Yes, I worked a lot of weekends — we were only closed one day, Christmas Day. I missed a lot of events, but look what happened. I got to retire early.”
But there was more to his retirement than found in the press release.
“I had a twin brother, and we were very, very close. He was born (in Niagara), and then he moved to Toronto eight years after me. He suddenly passed away while he was on vacation in Rome. It’ll be two years in September.
“That was the light bulb that went off and said ‘That’s not going to happen to me.’”
Now living in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Nester has plans for more theatre.
“I call it off-Shaw way,” he says. “We’re just down the street from the Shaw!”
The Dining Room also stars Elizabeth Unruh, Christopher Haynes, Natalie Iggulden, Xander Warrender, Margarete Overend and Milo Boccinfuso.