Happy New Year
Year of the Blue Jay?
As always, this is the day when I announce the shows that I'm planning to do in the coming year. Sometimes I have a theme, sometimes I don't. For 2026 there is no theme, just a couple of shows that I hope you'll enjoy.
Our first show is called Dirty Deeds at Handlebar Dan's House of Old Wives, or, How Sally Simple Saved the Sarsaparilla Saloon. This is a “gay-nineties” melodrama (think of it as the American version of a Panto, if that helps). It calls for exaggerated, over-the-top performances. Actors shouldn't hold back, or try to over-analyse characters, and the audience is encouraged to cheer for the heroes, boo for the villains, and have as much fun as the actors on stage.
Instead of our usual set-up, for this play we're going to transform the Ennotville Library into Handlebar Dan's, with the patrons seated at tables, cabaret-style. Maybe we'll even get Dan to serve real Sarsaparilla to the audience before the show!
This play has a rather zany cast of characters:
This play has a rather zany cast of characters:
- Handlebar Dan, the epically-mustached owner of the House of Old Wives, a widower
- Claribel, Handlebar Dan’s only surviving daughter from his dear departed wife
- Gertrude Gretchen Gwillimbury, a failed nightclub singer with a secret past
- “Dizzy” Delilah, the new girl, a retired freak show star. Wears dark glasses, and a kerchief over her head, to guard against the prying eyes of the paparazzi
- Fifi McGee, a French Maid, retired, but still in uniform, and still rather boy-crazy
- Beulah Belle, an old battle-ax (this role should be played by a large man)
- Munro “Moneybags” McLean, a vain, tightfisted, dastardly villain, clad in black
- Natasha Nubile, a young lady, hopelessly infatuated with Munro
- Joshua “Pretty Boy” Josephat, a hapless hero, clad in white from head to toe
- Sally Simple, an honest, homespun girl, just trying to make her way in the world
Dirty Deeds at Handlebar Dan's House of Old Wives will run July 17th and 18th at 8pm at the Library. Because I think this show will be fairly popular, we just might add at 2pm matinee on the 18th to make sure we can accommodate everyone who wants to see it.
Our second show might look a bit familiar. We're going to take another stab (pun fully intended) at The Electra of Euripides: July 24th and 25th at 8pm, again at the Ennotville Library. I said last year that I've always wanted to direct a Greek tragedy, and I still do. The cast list isn't as large for this one (I'd like to keep to the three actors+chorus of the original), but still offers some very intriguing characters to play:
- ELECTRA (actor 1): daughter of Agamemnon and Clytaemnestra
- ORESTES (actor 2): son of Agamemnon and Clytaemnestra, brother of Electra
- Actor 3, playing:
- PEASANT: a poor farmer in the countryside
- PYLADES: a friend of Orestes
- OLD MAN: an old servant of Agamemnon’s
- MESSENGER: one of Orestes’s servants
- CLYTAEMNESTRA: mother of Orestes and Electra
- DIOSCOURI: Castor and Polydeuces, twin brothers of Clytaemnestra
- CHORUS (actor 4): Representing the Argive country women
For both shows I'll also need some crew - Handlebar Dan's is a prop-and-costume heavy piece, as is Electra, but I'd also like to explore using puppetry for that show as well, so there are lots of ways for people to get involved both onstage and off.
As the year goes on there may be other shows added to the mix - a few things are up in the air right now, but nothing definitive at this time. Watch this space for the latest information on new shows as the season goes along.
Once again, on behalf of myself, Jules, and all the animals, Happy New Year. I look forward to seeing you in 2026!
Eric Goudie
Creative and Executive Director
Grinder Productions
Eric Goudie
Creative and Executive Director
Grinder Productions
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