makemeamatch

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Make Me A Match

Reviewer: Laura
Victoria Playhouse Theatre, Tuesday July 15/2003
*******************

I had a pleasure of attending a wonderful show at the Victoria Playhouse Theatre in Petrolia. What a great evening we had! We made it a much needed girls night out and we got there about a ½ hour pre-show. Just enough time for a wine spritzer to start off the evening while sitting outside enjoying the beautiful weather. As a child I had lots of exposure to the theatre through my parents and I even did my dues as an usher & behind the scenes so the theatre has always played a special spot in my heart. I am always welcoming the opportunity to see a live play so when this came up I jumped at it. Am I ever glad I did! Firstly the Victoria Playhouse is a stunning hall! The historical remnants throughout mixed with modern architecture made an intriguing atmosphere. The staff was very friendly and accommodating and even with the big line up at the bar the staff smiled, was courteous and never skipped a beat. That’s nice to see people in the right field for a change!

We enjoyed the view outside and the ambiance of the hall then made our way to our seats. We sat way over to one side, about ¾ of the way back and it was great. You know people are funny cause they always say, “I hope we get good seats” and I always find it comical cause these places are built specifically to ensure you can see from each spot. They are all great seats; just hope the guy in front isn’t wearing a hat! So, in our case, no one had big hair, or a huge hat and we saw it all perfectly.

The play was about a career driven woman, Stephanie Mills a.k.a. Stevie, who felt her biological clock ticking and she has accomplished all she ever wanted but is unfulfilled without a family. She lives with her Mother, Grace, who would love to have grandchildren, and ultimately wants her daughter to be happy so she “strongly” encourages her to find a husband. Stevie is also very conscious of her successes and the fortune she has achieved and wants someone to love her for her... not her money, but is untrusting of the motives of potential suitors. She also has worked very hard to get to where she is today and this has hardened her to her own feminine side and although she is confident in the business world she is lacking the confidence and the skills to develop a long-term relationship. This is where the Matchmaker, Robin, comes into the scene and a very handsome one at that! I would have hooked up with him right off the hop and skipped the rest, lol, but the play would have been much too short. Robin with his comic wit, Stevie, with her overbearing hang-ups with a splash of the "Mother" keeps the crowd in stitches. Robin sets up some dates for Stevie ( with Owen & Wendall) but they don’t work out for reasons you’ll have to see for yourself. This awesome cast continuously kept the crowd laughing with their wit and humour as the night went on.

I was looking forward to meeting the cast after the show but on this night they held a question answer period on the stage so the patrons could talk to them which was neat. At least half of the patrons stayed behind and the cast was very honest and open about their experiences in life and careers. Stevie’s Mother Grace was played by Dawn Wells who is well known to have played “Mary Ann” from Gilligan’s Island. Although I grew up with the show it was refreshing to see that people asked her questions about her other interests and not only about that one period of the overwhelming accomplishments she has achieved in her life. I’ve done a little research on Dawn through her sites and other media and she is an astounding woman. Although I always favoured Mary Ann over Ginger, I like Dawn the best! She rocks!

If you do nothing this summer treat yourself and go out to at least one show at the theatre, and I suggest this is the one to see. It is still running until the last week-end in July so check it out and treat yourself to an evening filled with laughter and good hearted fun.

~ Laura

Cast:

Stevie Mills ~ Stephanie McNamara

Grace Mills ~ Dawn Wells

Robin McFee ~ David Rosser

Owen Grant ~ Derek Boyes

Wendall Tucker ~ Terry Barna

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