New Foster play to premiere at Playhouse

New Foster play to premiere at Playhouse
Pictured is the cast of The Ladies Foursome (in front L-R) Sharon Heldt

CORNWALL, Ontario – Upper Canada Playhouse audiences are in for a special treat, in July, when a new comedy, The Ladies Foursome, by audience favourite, and Canada’s most-produced playwright, Norm Foster, has its world premiere.

Not a sequel, but a compliment to his previous hit, The Foursome – about a quartet of men, on the golf course –  Foster, for years, had been encouraged to write a female version of his hit show, explained artistic director, Donnie Bowes. “So when he offered The Playhouse the chance to produce the premiere, (we) jumped at the opportunity.”

About writing a female version of the play, Foster said, “It didn’t really interest me; I didn’t want to write the same story again and just insert women in those parts.” Until, he says, he actually met a woman, a couple of years ago, who played in a women’s foursome once a week.

  “(She) told me what women talk about on the golf course, and I said, ‘well, I guess I have to write this now’… So I wrote it”… Lucky for us.   “The Ladies Foursome is a completely different story from the original including new characters, new situation and a whole new set of circumstances,” explained Bowes.   Like the original, audiences don’t need to know anything at all about the game. They just need to be prepared to have the time of their lives as the ladies discuss life, love, men, children, careers—everything but golf!  The friendly round soon gets personal, revealing, touching and hilariously funny, about the ladies and their relationships.   In the director’s chair, is Jesse Collins, who also directed the original Foursome, for the Playhouse, a couple of years ago.    “I’m absolutely thrilled to come back and work on this one.” It’s not a sequel, he says, although it kind of references it and shares some of its inspiration. “It’s a completely fresh piece. I’ve worked on a few of Norm’s plays, and I can say that it’s one of my favourites.   The stellar cast includes four very talented women who certainly plan on giving the men’s show a run for its money: Melanie Janzen, as Connie; Sharon Heldt, as Margot; Jane Spence, as Dory; and Leah Oster, as Tate.   Following its debut run in Morrisburg, The Playhouse’s production of the show will travel to Theatre Orangeville in the Fall.   The Ladies Foursome runs from July 3 to 27, at the Upper Canada Playhouse, in Morrisburg. For further information or to book tickets, call 613-543-3713/1-877-550-3650, or visit www.uppercanadaplayhouse.com.

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