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(Posted 7 a.m., June 21)
Orleans
Older Players have fun with John Cook script in 'Bugface
and the Princess'
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online
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Queen Insectella, played by Céline
Nadon, is confronted by her nemesis Baron
Bugface, played by Tina Chan, during the Orleans
Older Players production of 'Bugface and the
Princess'. Fred Sherwin/Photo
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The Orleans Older Players are at it again. This weekend
the rag tag group of amateur thespians will wrap up their
spring class with a production written by local playwrite
John Cook entitled "Bugface and the Princess".
Shakespeare
it's not, but it is a great deal of fun with a mix of
OOPS veterans and a couple of fresh faces, one who's never
been on stage before and another who hasn't been on stage
in 50 years..
Céline
Nadon, Tina Chan, Sue Ashton, André Lacasse, Lynne
Shackleton, Ian McGregor, Pam Ryan and David Shackleton
are the returnees, while Mark Edwards and Muriel Lobban,
at 87 years young, are the newbies. Accompanist Marc Leguerrier,
who plays guitar, is also new to the stage.
Nadon
plays the insect princess, while Chan is wonderfully cast
as the villain Baron Bugface who is bent on avenging the
teasing his great-great-great-great grandfather endured
at the hands of the insects after he lost his leg in a
horrible accident.
Bugface's
plan is to trick a couple of exterminators into fumigating
the Princess Insectella's palace. The pricess, however,
has other plans.
Protaganist
and antagonist both have a special formula that allows
them to take human form which the use to try and manipulate
the exterminators. Fortunately for the insects, one of
the exterminators have a soft spot for tiny creatures.
Instead of exterminating them, he catches them in a pickle
jar an sets them free. This almost gets him fired by his
boss, played by Edwards, who sings a wonderfully campy
version of "I'm a lumberjack", to the words
"I'm an extermnator".
Bugface
is assisted in his dastardly scheme by a pair of cockroaches
played by Lynne Shackleton an Lacasse. Unfortunately,
or fortunately, depending on whose side your on, the bugs
are no match for the Princess' bumble bee assistants,
Lady Flobee and Lady Clobee played by Ryan and Ashton.
They
save the day with a pair of pepper shakers, which, when
liberally shaken over the antagonists three times, turns
them to stone.
While
the "Bugface and the Priness" is not exactly
Broadway material, or even off off Broadway, it is tremendously
entertaining. Although it's probably a lot more fun for
the cast than it is for the audience, it still beats staying
at home and watching reality TV, or blowing $20 bucks
on a movie that inevitably fails to live up to its trailer.
You
can see "Bugface and the Princess" later today
and tonight (Saturday, March 4 ) at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30
p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students.
(This
story was made possible thanks to the generous support of
our local business partners.)
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THE ORLÉANS BREWING CO. presents Oyster Wednesdays every Wednesday Co. is located at 4380 Innes Rd. near the Innes Road McDonalds. For more information visit 
THE OTTAWA SCHOOL OF THEATRE presents an all ages production of Treasure Island in the Richcraft Theatre at the Shenkman Arts Centre. Showtimes Thursday, April 18 and Friday, April 19 at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tickets $20 for adults. Students and youth 25 and under $10. To purchase visit 
TAPROOM 260 presents Michael Ben-Shalom live from 8-11 p.m. at 260 Centrum Blvd. For more information visit 
TAPROOM 260 presents The Underground live from 8-11 p.m. at 260 Centrum Blvd. For more information visit 
CLASSIC PIANO RECITAL – Orléans pianist Emily Hou will be performing works by Chopin, Mozart, Rachmaninov and Liszt at Kanata United Church as part os the Beaverbrook Community Concert Series. The recital will start promptly at 3 p.m. Kanata United Church is located at 33 Leacock Dr. in Kanata. For more information visit 
