Georgina
November 19, 2008 05:25 PM
The Red Barn Theatre’s 2009 season will offer highlights from the past 60 years and celebrates six decades of creating entertaining, engaging and dynamic theatre, performed by top Canadian talent, executive director Wendy Fairbairn said last week.
Robert More, celebrated Artistic Director of Victoria Playhouse, Petrolia will direct the comedy Harvest and Sue Miner one of Canada’s most sought after artists and next summer’s director of the Dream in Hyde Park for Canadian Stage will direct the musical, The Fantasticks, she added.
Also, back for his eighth season is artistic director, Jordan Merkur, who will be direct two plays: the classic The Glass Menagerie and the touching comedy The Melville Boys.
Originally performed during the inaugural 1949 season at The Red Barn Theatre, The Glass Menagerie will be the first production of the new season from June 18 to July 4.
One of The Red Barn’s newer productions is Norm Foster’s debut comedy hit, The Melville Boys (July 9 to 25), which was first produced here in 1992.
This production captures the essence of Mr. Foster’s writing.
Brothers Owen and Lee Melville arrive at their aunt’s cottage for a weekend of fishing and beer, but their plans are thrown out of whack by the arrival of two sisters.
The women become catalysts for a humourous and unsentimental look at four lives in transition.
Performed twice at The Red Barn Theatre, during the 1968 and 1982 seasons, The Fantasticks (July 30 to Aug. 15) is the longest running musical in the world.
It is an allegorical story concerning two eccentric fathers who put up a wall between their houses to ensure their children don’t fall in love.
The result is a timeless fable of young love that manages to be nostalgic and universal at the same time, punctuated by a series of catchy, memorable songs, many of which have become standards including Soon Its Gonna Rain and Try to Remember.
The final show of the 60th anniversary season is a co-production with Victoria Playhouse Petrolia of the new comedy, Harvest (Aug. 20 to Sept. 5) by Ken Cameron.
Allan and Charlotte have retired from farming and, even though they’ve sold the land and moved to a condo in the city, they can’t bear to part with the old farmhouse.
So, they rent it to Ron who seems too good to be true.
The tale that unfolds is full of twists and surprises and is based on a true story of a couple who nearly lost their life savings when “a nice young man” turned their family farm into something not quite legit.
If you are looking for a perfect Christmas gift, this would be it.
Tickets are on sale now.
As an added bonus, for each subscription or FlexPak you buy before Dec. 31, you will receive an extra theatre ticket complimentary to a Mainstage show.
Call the box office for tickets and information at 905-722-3249 or 1-800-RED-BARN.