by Norma Jean MacPhee
This week at the Boardmore Playhouse, take the opportunity to step into a familiar household and meet the McGarrity’s in The Maritime Way of Life. Well, familiar, to a certain extent. Mainly bizarre, twisted and uproariously amusing.
Hilarity ensues when you mix together familial loyalties, the thirst for money and shades of deception. These can all be found in The Maritime Way of Life, a play by Charlie Rhindress.
“I love comedy,” says director Carolyn Dunn. “This is a very big challenge because it can be very dark, it breaks some boundaries,” says Dunn. “In our world today where everything is so politically correct, it really does stretch it a little, but it’s done as humorously as we can.”
In The Maritime Way of Life Daughter Maggie comes home from the big city “Trawna”, because her father had a lung removed. The surgery didn’t knock a tick off Pa as he still goes into the pit every morning, never mind it’s been closed for years. Meanwhile, Maggie’s brother Donnie heads to work each day at video lotto terminals. “At least you’re trying, at least you’re trying,” Ma says sympathetically to her son when questioned by Maggie as to the validity of his profession. Amidst it all, wheelchair-bound Grandmother McGarrity is unable to speak anything but the “old language”.
The seven seasoned actors have chuckled their way through rehearsals for months.
“It’s a very, very funny play,” says Carol Ann Gillis, who plays the role of Ma. “We’ve had absolutely the best times rehearsing. There’s times we’re just doubled over in laughter.”
Tony Hajaar agrees. “Not cracking up and breaking character is the hardest challenge even months into it because all the people in this play are really, really funny,” says Hajaar, who plays the insurance adjustor Thereault from Ontario.
“The first read through with everybody we were just laughing ourselves silly with tears streaming down our faces at some of the lines,” says Shauntelle Mombourquette who plays Maggie. “Just to make these characters come to life in our own way with Carolyn’s direction and vision, it’s been a really fun ride.”
The Maritime stereotypes are portrayed to such a twisted precision, the laughs are unavoidable. They even pay extra just to keep their party line.
“We laugh because we recognize ourselves or someone we know,” says Dunn. “So you have the truth there and then you stretch it as far as you can; that’s what I like, seeing how far can we go.”
Diana MacKinnon-Furlong portrays wheelchair-bound Grandma. “I read the script and thought, ‘what a hoot’,” says MacKinnon-Furlong. “And you can actually see how a family could be this way at certain times, especially in economically-depressed areas you’ll try anything to get some money. My character will do anything for the love of her daughter. Really, anything,” MacKinnon-Furlong says with a twinkle in her eye.
This is no doubt a dark comedy, and in Dunn’s astute director hands it runs with integrity and gratifying wit. “If it gets too dark you can tell, because then the energy just goes poof—it just pops,” explains Dunn. “So it is a comedy, but it’s got meat to it, truth. I don’t want it to be a farce that you forget about when you walk out the door.”
Mike Keating returns to the stage as Dr. Drury after a 40-year acting hiatus. “It feels great, I missed it,” says Keating. “It’s like coming home.”
CBU student Ben Walter plays the lotto terminal loving son, Donnie.
Many of the actors and Dunn have worked together for decades and bring an easy comradery for their rapid, witty dialogue.
That joy and bellyaching mirth is what actor Bruce Cathcart says is their hope for the audience.
“We’re in the middle of our mid-winter blues, so if they just go away happy and they’ve had a few laughs,” he says, “and if you recognize some people on the stage as people in your own life, so much the better.”
Dunn laughs as she explains her goal to judge the success of the play with the audience.
“I want them to have belly laughs, deep laughs, not just ‘oh hahaha’,” chuckles Dunn. “I want them to tell a friend, ‘come see this, but you better wear Depends because you’re going to pee your pants’. I would love that!”
The Boardmore Playhouse’s production of The Maritime Way of Life opens Tuesday, February 11th at 7pm and runs evenings all that week, ending on Sunday, February 16th with a 2pm matinee. As with all the Boardmore plays, opening night is “pay what you can” and Friday, February 15th is “talkback” night, where the cast and crew engage in a dialogue with the audience after the performance. CBU students can get free tickets when they show their student card.
The CBU Playhouse Box Office (902-563-1652) is open 1-5pm Monday-Friday and one hour before showtime. The Box Office will be open one week prior to performances and during week of performances. General Seating for all plays.
