Strong performances pace production of Amadeus

By MARIA TZAVARAS
Scarborough Mirror, June 10, 2010, page 14

The biggest challenge we have in life is making it feel meaningful so when our time is up we’ve done more than just “existed.”
In Amadeus, Scarborough Players final show of the season, composer Antonio Salieri struggles with this idea through his rivalry with Mozart, and his feeling of being mediocre in comparison to his talent.
This dramatic story, by Paul [sic] Shaffer, takes audiences through a decade of these mens’ lives in mid-18th century Vienna, Austria. Through a series of Salieri’s flashbacks, the audience is shown what transpired once these men’s worlds collided, and up until each man’s death.
While some community theatre groups play it safe in what they stage, Scarborough Players always takes a risk by staging something outside the predictable. Given an opening night standing ovation, they succeeded in performing an amazing show and bringing some much needed variety to the stage.
The show begins with Salieri (James R. Woods) wheelchair bound and ill claiming it’s the last day of his life. However, before he dies, he transports us back to when he was the royal court composer and the town is buzzing about the arrival of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (John Palmieri).
He is envious and in awe of Mozart, a seemingly immature little boy, who can compose with ease, the music flowing out of him effortlessly. This gift angers Salieri to no end.
The story goes that as a boy, Salieri had a conversation with God promising to create beautiful music if he is used as a conduit to do so. But because Mozart is so obviously more gifted, he sees this as a direct slight from God.
This puts him on a mission of derailing Mozart’s career and undermining him at any opportunity. He even tries to seduce his wife, the fiery and captivating Constanze (Melanie Scrofano), in exchange for giving Mozart a job he so desperately needs.
With scandalous moments in abundance, the Venticelli (Elaine O’Neal, Rich Burdett) are Salieri’s eyes and ears, listening and dispensing information in the town as necessary. These characters were not only entertaining, but crucial in narrating the story’s details.
His plan working – Mozart is penniless, his wife has left with his children and he is delusional with sickness – Salieri soon realizes that in his quest to ruin Mozart he has done the same thing to himself and must now live with those consequences.
It’s obvious both Woods and Palmieri dug deep to bring these two colourfully tortured characters to life. The fact they made you feel a multitude of emotions, pity, anger, sadness, is proof they played their roles well.
Woods was so convincing as Salieri you could really empathize with his feelings of inadequacy, while despising him for what his jealously propels him to do. Woods brought realism to this role that was amazing to watch.
Palmieri as the playful and genius Mozart was funny, lively and made for a believable depiction of this epic historical figure. His depiction of a sick and emotionally bankrupt Mozart before his death was the most powerful scene in this show.
Don’t let this historical drama fool you into thinking it’s a run of the mill biography. This show is full of intensely moving moments, beautiful period costumes and all the juiciness of scandal that our historic figures can offer.

The Rainmaker brings heartwarming story to stage

By MARIA TZAVARAS
March 19, 2010 10:14 AM

When you need hope, sometimes it can be found in the most unexpected people and places.

In the Scarborough Player's latest show, The Rainmaker, a con man is the unlikely source of hope and help for one family that is in desperate need of both.

A touching story about family and the pursuit of happiness that has the perfect combination of likeable characters, comedy and a well-written storyline, The Rainmaker, by N. Richard Nash, reminds us that blind faith and believing in yourself can go a long way.

Set during The Depression, this story centres around the Curry family, the widower H.C (Tony McCann), sons Noah (Harry Lavigne) and Jimmy (Luke Slade) and his daughter Lizzie (Carolyn Tutchener), who are going through some hard times trying to keep their ranch afloat during a terrible drought.

The Curry's have one thing they cling to more than the hope of rain - a strong family bond, and while the drought threatens their livelihood and their peace of mind, something else is threatening to divide them.

For the full article, click here to visit the Inside Toronto web site.

Moving performances in The Curious Savage

By MARIA TZAVARAS
December 09, 2009 10:03 AM

Maybe being crazy is the only way a person ever gets to truly be who they want to be.

In Scarborough Players latest production, The Curious Savage by John Patrick, some people are "locked away" in an institution, but it takes one woman being locked away against her will to realize what freedom really means and who actually has it.

This show is set in 1950 in an institution full of the most beautifully crazy residents you'll ever meet. Each are said to be out of touch with reality and living in one of their own to keep them sane and safe from the world they fear.

As the show begins, the residents Fairy May (Marisa King), Florence (Shelley Mitchell), Jeffrey (Zac McKendrick), Mrs. Paddy (Caron Garside) and Hannibal (Chris Hardess), are eagerly awaiting their new "housemate," Mrs. Ethel Savage (Robin Phillips).

From the moment she arrives, it's clear we are in for a treat with her blue hair, witty demeanour and the oversized teddy bear she takes everywhere.

For the full article, click here to visit the Inside Toronto web site.

Fine performances in Twelve Angry Men

By MARIA TZAVARAS
September 16, 2009 10:28 AM

It takes courage to be the person with the unpopular opinion, and conviction to stand by that opinion under pressure.

For one man, his opinion means the difference between a murder conviction and freedom in the fascinating and engaging Twelve Angry Men, by Sherman Sergel, based on the Emmy Award-winning 1954 teleplay by Reginald Rose. The story also became a famous film starring Henry Fonda in 1957.

An interesting choice for Scarborough Player's premiere show of the season, this jury room drama features a cast of 13 men, 12 of which are the jurors in a New York City murder trial of a 19-year-old who is accused of stabbing his father to death.

What seems to be a cut and dry case of murder quickly becomes anything but when Juror 8 (Sean Ballantyne) decides to be the sole voter of "not guilty." This sparks outrage, especially in Juror 3 (David Cardinal), and kiboshes any hope of a short deliberation process.

Some of them, particularly Jurors 4 (Mike Woodbridge), 10 (Joseph Cochrane), 7 (Jim Hyslop) and Foreman (Kevin Shaver) strongly believe in his guilt, while Jurors 2 (Mena Massoud), 11 (Fabio Saposnik), 6 (Ben Trister) and 12 (Craig Estrella) are less certain.

For the full article, click here to visit the Inside Toronto web site.

Talented cast presents entertaining Romeo and Juliet
Scarborough Players bring Shakespeare to the local stage

By MARIA TZAVARAS
April 08, 2009 2:21 PM

When love is deemed forbidden there are only two choices: accept what you cannot change or fight to change your destiny.

In the Scarborough Players (SP) production of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, two lovers decide to go against everything and follow their hearts, proving love is stronger than any obstacles it may come up against.

When a community theatre group stages Shakespeare, often the criticism is that the plays are too difficult to pull off, whether that's because they are likeable to only a select audience or the company lacks the talent or resources to make the production believable.

The Scarborough Players not only proved those criticisms to be unfounded, but staged such an impressive production of Romeo and Juliet that it proved you don't have to go to Stratford to watch a quality, professionally done, theatre production.

Romeo and Juliet fall in love despite the feuding of their families, the Capulets and Montagues. Their future forbidden, being caught would mean being exiled by their families.

For the full article, click here to visit the Inside Toronto web site.

Scarborough Players Live up to Of Mice and Mena

By MARIA TZAVARAS
January 15, 2009 12:58 PM

Human beings are hard-wired to think that once they attain certain goals they will be fulfilled.

But often, goals are tied to the idea of having someone to share them with as portrayed in the Scarborough Players latest show, the award-winning Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck.

When classics like this are staged, one hopes it will do some justice to the original. This cast delivered; not only were they exceptional in their roles, but after the first scene, anyone who loves live theatre, or this story, may remember exactly why they do.

In the first scene, friends George (Saad Siddiqui) and Lennie (David Cardinal) are perched alongside a river bank on their way to another ranch job, which was all the work they could find during this Depression-era story set in the California agricultural belt of the 1930s.

These childhood friends travel everywhere together, but it's not without its hardships. George promised to take care of Lennie and often becomes frustrated with him, the gentle giant who has the mind of a child and the strength of a bull.

For the full article, click here to visit the Inside Toronto web site.

Jake's Women Offers Great Performances
Scarborough Players open 50th season with Neil Simon play

By MARIA TZAVARAS
October 07, 2008 10:36 AM

Writers create characters and stories in their heads, put them onto a page and through their readers, the story comes to life.

However, for one writer, Jake (Mario D'Alimonte), this method of creation interferes with his reality and causes marital strife in the Scarborough Players premiere show of their 50th anniversary season Jake's Women by Neil Simon.

This play is a unique look at how one man's refusal to come to terms with his past, negatively affects his present. Staged with an incredibly talented cast, this show may make you think twice about what's holding you back from being happy.

The show is set in Jake and Maggie's Soho loft in New York City, and begins with a scene showing Jake and Maggie (Carolyn Tutchener) meeting for the first time. Soon, it's revealed that this is happening through Jake's imagination but is being portrayed live in the present moment.

Jake not only conjures up moments from his past, he also has imaginary conversations with the other women in his life, like his daughter Molly at age 12 (Shannon Toms) and 21 (Krista Lawley), his dead wife Julie (Kat Karpenchuk) and his psychiatrist, Edith (Mary Panoulias), calling on them as he needs answers or reassurance.

For the full article, click here to visit the Inside Toronto web site.

Complete Works of Shakespeare hilarious from start to finish
Trio of actors put in excellent performances

By MARIA TZAVARAS
May 27, 2008 10:36 AM

How do you make 400-year-old Shakespearean text appeal to modern-day audiences? Put three guys on stage to abridge all 36 of his plays and turn them into one massive comedy.

The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged) by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, is an outrageous take on the classics we learned in high school but would have retained so much easier had it been taught this way

Scarborough Players took a risk in staging a show with Shakespeare in the title, but the risk paid off as it is definitely the funniest and wackiest show you will ever see.

You don't even have to know anything about Shakespeare to appreciate the play as comedy at its finest.

The three men who succeeded in giving Shakespeare an image adjustment and making it appealing to all, John Palmieri, Martin Buote and Trevor Cartlidge, play actors bringing their abridged version to stage because it is "impossible" to do all 36 plays in 90 minutes.

For the full article, click here to visit the Inside Toronto web site.