Members of the Seaway Valley Theatre Company are currently amping up rehearsals before the May 12 opening night of their hysterically funny 2023 spring comedy, Leading Ladies, by Ken Ludwig.
‘It‘s 1952. Jack Gable and Leo Clark, (Michael DeWolfe and Mike Chatelain), two down on their luck Shakespearean actors treading the Moose Lodge circuit in rural Pennsylvania, hear that an old lady (Mari Cheffer) is about to die and leave her fortune to her two long lost nephews. They hatch a plot to swindle her out of the cash by posing as her beloved relatives, only to discover that they’re not actually nephews, but nieces! High jinks, romantic entanglements, and plenty of confusion all ensue as the pair of fashion-challenged con artists’ best laid plans go hilariously awry.‘
Leading Ladies is produced by SVTC President Lise Richer and directed by Cathy Durham, who directed the same play for SVTC 10 years ago.
“It was so successful – as were all of our Ken Ludwig plays – we had our very first sold-out show,” reminisced Durham, who has staged other works of Ludwig’s including Lend Me a Tenor, Moon Over Buffalo, and A Comedy of Tenors, “It’s a very funny show. Even us watching the shenanigans and the antics of them. I mean, we know the storyline very well and we’re just cracking right up.”
The theatre company held auditions for Leading Ladies in January before wrapping up The Sound of Music. Included in the cast are Alison Latimer as Meg, Bethany Lynn as Audrey, Matt Latimer as Duncan, Andy Davidson as Doc, and Daryle Delisle as Butch. All new faces, with the exception of Michael DeWolfe who acted in the first iteration performed by SVTC a decade ago.
DeWolfe told Seaway News that there aren’t many differences doing the play the second time around, but during rehearsals his lines came easier to him than when rehearsing a piece for the first time. A fun part of DeWolfe’s character in this play is the many quick costume changes, facilitated by the theatre company’s talented costume designers.
On May 20th, SVTC is staging a special dinner theatre show. The meal will be a pasta supper with Caesar salad, rolls, dessert, and coffee/tea. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are also available upon request (in advance).
“We want to give it a try and see if it’s going to be popular,” explained Richer, sharing that they would like to be a one-stop-stop for dinner, drinks, and entertainment.
For more information, visit www.svtc.ca/leadingladies.
