Alone Together Again — A Crowded Empty Nest!

Alone Together Again — A Crowded Empty Nest! - theHumm February 2019

By Dana Ruprecht

A very wise and witty play is coming to Studio Theatre Perth this month.

Alone Again Together, by playwright Lawrence Roman, is the honest and funny story of an empty-nester couple whose nest refuses to stay empty, leaving them in a chronic state of parenthood.

Helena and George Butler’s adult sons have finally moved out, and husband and wife are both looking forward to the next phase of their lives together. Anticipating leisure and privacy, Helena has set new professional goals for herself, and George is on board and supportive. But their oasis of peace and quiet is quickly interrupted when elderly parents come to stay, bringing unique new problems and predicaments.

Alone Together Again mixes comedy with pathos; light-hearted conversations unexpectedly detour to reveal deeper layers of truth and frustration. Helena and George’s relationship is tested by the needs of their extended family, who face new struggles with aging and trying to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world.Director Grey Masson felt the brisk and dialogue-driven play was an ideal piece for the directorial début of his first full-length production. “There’s a lot here,” he says. “I think people will recognize the situations, recognize the characters. It’s funny, it’s touching. And it’s got its moments of drama.”

Masson brings to this show many years of theatre experience, formerly with The Prior Players, and also a decade at Studio Theatre Perth. He is joined by a seasoned and accomplished cast, who have appeared in countless theatrical performances across the Ottawa Valley and beyond.

Veteran actress Joanna McAuley-Treffers (with 30+ local shows to her name) is the conflicted Helena, torn between new ambitions and family responsibilities. Jeff Wilson, a performer with Full Circle and the Perth Community Choir, makes his Studio Theatre début playing her husband George, who soon realizes that being “alone together again” may not be as harmonious as he had hoped.

The cast also includes Craig Young (a performer for many years with Quebec’s Pontiac Community Players) and Loretta DiEugenio (with a lifelong background in theatre) as Helena’s quirky and quarrelling parents. Deb Ward, a familiar favourite at Studio Theatre, adds her talent as George’s mother Grace.

When asked what the audience can relate to in this play, Studio Theatre alumna Joanna McAuley-Treffers immediately replied: “everything!” She adds: “it’s less common that the parents would be coming back to inundate the empty nest, but all the emotions and relationship issues are going to resonate with everybody.”

Alone Together Again opens at the Studio Theatre Perth on Thursday, February 21 at 7:30pm for seven shows: February 21, 22, 23, March 1 & 2 at 7:30pm and February 24 and March 3 at 2pm. Be sure to book your tickets in advance! Advance tickets are $24 exclusively at Tickets Please in the Matheson House Museum Visitor Centre, 11 Gore St. E. (485–6434, ticketsplease.ca) which accepts in-store, phone, online and credit card purchases. Tickets are $24 at the Studio Theatre box office on show nights, subject to availability. Rush tickets for students with ID are just $10 at the door, subject to availability. Attend opening night and save $5!

In the spirit of classic family “dramedies,” Alone Together Again is a window into the dynamics of marriage, parental relationships and responsibilities. Truly, the themes of this play will ring true with many audiences. Don’t miss it!

And the Award Goes to… Don Wiles! - theHumm February 2019

By Sally Hansen

Art… and Soul

theHumm is celebrating this awards season by commending Almonte’s beloved and esteemed Don Wiles for his interest in his community and the contributions he continues to make that enrich its cultural and intellectual life.

Journalists should never miss a chance to invite a nonagenarian to share their most treasured piece of advice. Soon to be 94, Dr. Wiles was momentarily surprised at my invitation, and then counseled, “Be interested.” He is a persuasive example of the wis......

Alone Together Again — A Crowded Empty Nest! - theHumm February 2019