NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release
Touchmark Theatre Announces New Play Reading Courting Italians at River Run Centre in Guelph
(Guelph, ON, December 2, 2009) ......Touchmark Theatre, Guelph,s professional theatre company, will offer a reading by actors of Courting Italians, a new play by Touchmark's Artistic Director Douglas Beattie (author of Blessings in Disguise), December 13 at River Run Centre.
Courting Italians is set in mountainous country not far from Rome during the Second World War. It follows the fortunes of a female refugee from Naples who flees the devastated city and lands a job as waitress in an out-of-the-way restaurant. She handles the animosity of the chef and the lecherous attentions of a rival restaurateur with relative ease. The interest of the local German commandant and a communist resistance fighter are potentially more dangerous. Soon she and the restaurant's proprietor are caught up in an intrigue which threatens not just their livelihoods but their lives as well.
Courting Italians is a love story, a war-time adventure and a drama with frequent moments of comic relief. Its characters include fighting men and more-or-less innocent bystanders caught up in the machinery of a terrifying war.
The reading will feature seven capable and experienced actors who will bring dramaturgical as well as acting "smarts" to bear on the workshop process. (casting subject to change)
Rod Beattie, known across Canada for his portrayal of Walt Wingfield (and everyone else) in Dan Needles' popular Wingfield series, will take part as the chef. Rod is not only a terrific actor (and a fine cook!) he is an excellent script doctor with many "fixes" to his credit.
Michael Spencer-Davis, one of Canada's busiest stage actors, will play the restaurant's proprietor. Touchmark audiences will recall his Tegeus in A Phoenix Too Frequent (2004) and his Christy Mahon in The Playboy of the Western World (2001).
Randy Hughson, an audience favourite across Canada, has performed leading roles for Stratford, the Tarragon, Factory, Passe Muraille, CanStage, Soulpepper, Necessary Angel, National Arts Centre, the Citadel, and Blyth among many others. He has toured in such shows as High Life, Earshot and Half Life. He makes his Touchmark debut as the rival restaurateur.
Andrei in Stratford's 2009 production of Three Sisters, Gordon S. Miller will play the communist resistance fighter. Gordon's credits include seven seasons at Stratford as well as engagements with the National Arts Centre, Oakville's Festival of Classics and VideoCabaret.
Actor, director and teacher Donald Carrier, a veteran of nine seasons with the Stratford Festival and a leading performer in regional theatres across Canada and the U.S., will take on the role of the German commandant.
Phi Bulani, last seen as Shep in Touchmark's Bell, Book and Candle (2007), will play a German sergeant, and a Canadian airman stranded behind enemy lines.
The Neapolitan refugee will be played by Martha Farrell. Martha has appeared in over a dozen Stratford productions, covering major roles this past season and giving exquisite performances as Sister Claire and the Food Seller in Cyrano de Bergerac. She is a graduate of Stratford's Birmingham Conservatory, winner of the 2009 Mary Savidge Award and an alumna of Sheridan College's Musical Theatre Performance Program.
The reading of Courting Italians will take place in Co-operators Hall at River Run Centre on Sunday, December 13 at 2.30 PM. A talk-back session will follow the presentation in which audience comments and questions will be invited.
There is no ticketing for this event and no admission charge. Reservations by email are required. Those wishing to attend should contact Touchmark,s Artistic Director Douglas Beattie: dbeattie@execulink.com
Touchmark Theatre gratefully acknowledges its presenting partner, River Run Centre, and the financial support of the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.
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