HAWK Theatre brings small-town characters to life in production of Small Town Homecoming

You don't have to come from a small town to enjoy HAWK Theatre's production of "Small Town Homecoming," but it helps.

Mainly because you will recognize every single character on stage as someone you know or have encountered, from the cranky oldtimer to the coffee shop owner, and everyone in between.

And that's what makes this play so funny.

Written by Harold Menary, this is the third in a series that began with "Small Town Politics" and "Suspicious Death in a Small Town." He has also written three Christmas plays: "Small Town Christmas," "Christmas in the Family," and "The Christmas Lesson."

This play, says Menary, includes an examination of the May-September relationship and the double-standard intrinsic therein: an older man and a younger woman seems fine, but an older woman and a younger man seems dubious at best.

While it is set in a small town, Menary says the people are the same everywhere.

Director Murray Yungblut has done a tremendous job bringing this story to the stage. It's a difficult play because there are six actors and little to no action - all the interplay is done through conversation.

But that conversation is uproariously funny.

Ben Miltenburg as the crotchety old coot, Bill McMillan, steals the show with his bombastic attitude and quick wit. He knows everything about the town and all the major players from years back, and he's not shy to make his opinion known.

Sparring with him constantly, is Lillian Dalton, played expertly by Lynn Shepherd-Adamson. As she pours the coffee, she draws many a laugh with her jibes at Bill.

Joining them on stage, are Jonathan Nelson as Calvin Hobbs who runs the local newspaper just as his father did before him; Lillian Abbott as Fran Cooper who works at the newspaper; Tony McQuail as George Henry who grew up in town but moved away and has returned to clean out his aunt's house after she died; and Marilyn Miltenburg as Mary Helm, another native of this small town who moved away and has come back for the homecoming event.



Marilyn Miltenburg (L), Jonathan Nelson, Lynn Shepherd-Adamson and Lillian Abbott in a scene from "Small Town Homecoming," the HAWK Theatre production that continues May 1, 2, and 3, at the Lucknow Town Hall Theatre

There is plenty to love and laugh at in this play.

You will recognize the recently-deceased Aunt Emma who knew everything and stored up an abundance of keepsakes in her house which George must now wade through and decide how to dispose of it all.

George and Mary once had a fling way back when, and now they have returned for the homecoming, trailing young people behind them - and of course, the speculation is that these youngsters are recent flames.

There are some great lines throughout the play.

Lillian at the coffee shop says that Bill is a grumpy, old man; in fact, he was born old and grumpy.

George intones that wise people leave things buried in the past.

After one too many derogatory remarks about the newspaper business, Jonathan says that his family is committed to truth in publishing, which is greeted with great laughter.

And George's response? "No matter how you slice it, it's still baloney." Menary credits that line to Charlie Wilkins who always loved a good, rousing argument about politics.

So, will George and Mary get back together?
Is grumpy, old Bill going to the city to get tests done because he has some terminal illness?
Will the decorations ever be found for the homecoming celebration?

To find out, get a ticket to "Small Town Homecoming," which opened Thursday and continues May 1, 2 and 3, at 7:30 p.m., at the Lucknow Town Hall Theatre.

Tickets are $15 each, available at Jerome Flowers in Kincardine, the Lucknow Library, Everlastings Flowers in Lucknow, Susan Nichol Pottery in Ripley, Earth Angel in Wingham, or by calling 519-528-3019.



Tony McQuail (L) and Ben Miltenburg in "Small Town Homecoming"