May 22, 2016
1708
Another great comedy by Canadian playwright Norm Foster, it tells the story of Teresa Parliament who finds herself at a crossroad when her husband of 32 years forgets their anniversary. A myriad of characters forms a supportive community that provides Mrs. P. with valuable and hilarious life lessons as she decides what to do about her husband and their marriage.
The 15-member cast includes three people who have never been on the theatre guild stage before. In fact, one of those newcomers is Charlene Mumberson who has the starring role of Teresa Parliament.
While new to the Kincardine Theatre Guild, Mumberson is not new to theatre. She worked for years with the Petrolia Community Theatre, onstage and backstage, before moving to London where she worked in retail. She and her husband, an avid fisherman, retired and moved to Kincardine Dec. 30.
"We had been visiting Kincardine for many years and were looking to retire here," said Mumberson who works part-time as assistant office manager at Malcolm Place.
"When we moved here, the first thing we had to do was find a church, find a theatre and find a library," she said. "We saw the production of 'Willow Quartet,' and I decided to audition for the role of Mrs. Parliament in this play."
Mumberson said she was pleasantly surprised to be given the part and is thoroughly enjoying it. "it's an interesting role to play. Mrs. Parliament seems to have been quite content for those 32 years of marriage and then everything changes. She goes from an Edith Bunker housewife to an outgoing, intriguing individual."
The Kincardine Theatre Guild is a wonderful, warm and welcoming group, said Mumberson. "One major difference here than Petrolia, is that there, we rehearsed in a hall and didn't use the stage until later. Here, you're rehearsing right on the stage where you'll be performing the play."
She and her husband enjoy the outdoors and like walking the Kincardine trails. They have a blended family of five children and seven grandchildren, with a great-grandchild due in July.
Another new face is Linda Johnson who plays the Lingerie Sales Person. A resident of Bruce County for the past 25 years, she now lives in Blair's Grove.
While she has helped with the theatre guild and been part of a chorus, she has never had a role of her own. Now, semi-retired from her job as a consultant with large retail companies, she has more time to devote to theatre.
"When the group did the 'Vagina Monologues,' I was one of the speakers and it gave me the confidence to try out for a part in this play," said Johnson. "It's not a big part. I have eight lines, but I also have minor parts in other scenes."
She said her daughters encouraged her to get back into theatre which she loves. "With my work, when I'm doing a presentation, half the time I'm acting and performing anyway, even though this is a little different."
As the Lingerie Sales Person, she is a warm and friendly individual who is a chum to Mrs. Parliament.
Johnson said she would like to continue trying out for acting roles with the theatre guild, as well as working backstage.
"It's a wonderful, inclusive group," she said. "The people are very generous with suggestions and offer good feedback. I feel as if I belong and I'm comfortable being here."
Johnson is a member of the Kincardine Community Singers. She and her husband, Ian, belong to the Scottish Dancing group in town, and the ballroom dancing group in Kitchener. He is semi-retired from his woodworking business. They have two daughters, one living in Kitchener and the other in Toronto.
The third new face is Shelley Dinsmore who plays the part of Marie, the art teacher, in the play.
A nine-year resident of Kincardine, she is the administrative assistant at a law office in Kincardine. Her husband works at Bruce Power and they have three children, ages 21, 24 and 27, living in Kincardine and Sarnia.
While she hasn't acted since high school, Dinsmore was encouraged by Kincardine Theatre Guild veteran actor Liz Small to try out.
"We've been best friends since we moved here, so I thought I'd give it a try," she said. "I was thrilled to get the part. It's been an awesome experience, the people here are great and I'm loving it. It's a big commitment to rehearse three days a week but it's a lot of fun."
The role of Marie is fun to play, said Dinsmore. "She's sassy and bossy. I had an art teacher in high school and she was eccentric, so I'm playing the part like her!"
In her spare time, Dinsmore plays golf, enjoys the outdoors and entertains friends.
The rest of the cast includes:
"Mrs. Parliament's Night Out" is produced by Donna Baxter, and directed by Jim Peddie, with assistant director Corinne Robertson-Brown.
The show runs May 27-28, June 2-3, and June 9-10, at 8 p.m., with matinees at 2 p.m. June 4-5. The gala event is Saturday, May 28, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18 each (an extra $5 each for the gala); available at J'Adorn in downtown Kincardine.
Written ByLiz Dadson is the founder and editor of the Kincardine Record and has been in the news business since 1986.
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