(Posted
6:30 a.m., June 15)
Latest OOPS production is a great, great, great, great play
By Fred Sherwin
Orleans Online
Watching
an Orleans Old Players production is like watching amateur theatre in its truest
form. Most of the cast members previous theatre experience is either limited to
watching their son or daughter perform on stage, or having performed themselves
in a school play many, many moons ago.
The
Spring Orleans Old Players class benefited from the presence of a couple of OOPS
veterans in Tina Chan and Randy Bellini who have participated .in a number of
OOPS productions.
OOPS
teacher/director Susan Flemming went old school for the class' latest project,
drawing her inspiration from the 1963 cinematic production of "It's a Mad,
Mad, Mad, Mad World" in which an eclectic mix of protaganists attempt to
track down a hidden stash of stolen cash.
In
"It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad OOPS", the characters are even more "eclectic",
if I may use the term loosely, but they meet the same fate with a slightly different
twist at the end.
The
play opens with twin sisters Othelia and Ophelia Smirch posing for mug shots at
the local constabulary. The pair are played perfectly by Sue Ashton, who has a
dry wit and is funny without even trying, and Celine Nadeau, who is the perfect
straight woman for Ashton's humour.
During
the early part of the play we are introduced to the characters who are all enroute
to parts unknown. There is a French truck driver named Roméo Vendredi,
played by Vincent McDermott; Zelda and Eugene Pitts, played by Tina Chan and André
Lacasse; and Ray and Clementine Valentino played by Randy Bellini and Annmarie
Neilson, who are travelling with Clementine's mother Winifred, played by Biz MacDonald.
The
final member of the cast is Monique Ricketts who plays Wanda Bell and provides
most of the lyrical accompaniment.
They
are all wanderers in search of a bigger piece of the pie. Eugene Pitts is in the
sewer industry, which the audience is made amply aware of during Chan's wonderfully
hilarious performance of Art Carney's "Song of the Sewer"
The
motely cast of characters are all parked near a rest stop when they hear a horrible
crash. When they run to the scene they see a man apparently deceased clutching
a hub cap. As it turns out the victim is none other than the notorious bank robber
"Four Fingers", played by Freddy Cyr-Michaud.
As
"Four Fingers" is lying on the ground, Chan launches into an evangelic
rant, which hs the effect of raising "Four Fingers" from the dead, or
at least reviving him long enough to tell the group to "look for the money
under the large O".
Once
they are certain that "Four Fingers" is dead, they search for the mysterious
"O" which miraculously descends from the heavens sending them scattering
to find whatever implements they can to help them in the search. But before they
can find the cash they are all scooped up by the authorities leaving Wanda Bell
to snatch the loot herself.
This
is the fourth or fifth OOPS production that I have seen and its abundantly obvious
that those lucky enough to be part fo the cast thoroughly enjoy the experience,
and who wouldn't. It's not every day that you get to have total unadulterated
fun with a group of people who are as eager to cast off their acting inabitions
as you are.
Registration
is already underway for the next OOPS class which begins in September. For more
information on the program visit http://www.oypts.ca/classes-camps/class-descriptions/oops/.
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| Zelda Pitts, played by Tina Chan, covers the mouth of her on-stage husband Eugene
Pitts, played by André Lacasse, in a scene from the OOPS production of
'It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad OOPS'. Photo supplied by OYPTS
(This
story was made possible thanks to the generous support of
our local business partners.)
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BLACKBURN FUN FAIR next to the Lois Kemp Arena in Blackburn Hamlet with activities for the whole family include a free concert by SOS: The ABBA Experience on Saturday, June 6 at 9 p.m. on the man stage. Fun Fair parade down Bearbrook Road starting at 10 a.m. on June 6. For more information visit 
CUMBERLAND BLOCK PARTY from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Cameron Street in Cumberland Village. BBQ by Meatings BBQ. Ice Cream and desserts from Black Walnut Bakery. Wood-fired pizza by Firebox Pizza. Live music.
TRIVIA NIGHT from 7:30 p.m. every Monday night at the Royal Oak Pub Orléans. Free to play. Prizes for the winning team! The Royal Oak Pub is located at 1981 St. Joseph Blvd. near Jeanne d’Arc. For more info visit 
TRIVIA NIGHT from 6:30 p.m. at the Stray Dog Brewing Company. Exercise your grey matter before it turns to mush over the holidays. Reservations are a must to secure your spot. Send your team name and number of people to info@straydogbrewing.ca. The Stray Dog Brewing Company is located at 501 Lacolle Way in the Taylor Creek Business Park.
