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www.oakvillebeaver.com Artscene Oakville Beaver · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2006 29 Self-Help will make you feel better By Krissie Rutherford OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Struggling actors turned successful scam artists, a naked dead body, a marriage that's on the rocks and lots of laughs are featured in the latest Oakville Drama Series play. Burl-Oak Theatre Group's production of Canadian playwright Norm Foster's Self-Help opens tomorrow at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts. "It starts with a believable situation, then it becomes more and more silly," said director, Rob McMullan, who added he was "in tears laughing" when he first read the play. "It's a farce, and it's very funny. I love Norm Foster's plays, he's Canada's number one comedic playwright, and very witty." Self-Help is about two struggling actors in Flin-Flon, Manitoba who decide to become self-help gurus. In a short time, Hal and Cindy Savage become a pumped up, motivated couple who are dedicated to selling their ridiculous mantra: "The time is now, the battlefield is life, the soldier is you." The pair write books, make videos and host "life-changing seminars" that feature their ideas, like `out with the doubt' and no more `stinkin' thinkin.'" "The play reminds me of a Carol LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER HELP: Burl-Oak Theatre Group presents Self-Help with Jacqueline Curtis Walker (Cindy Savage), Arlene Purpura (Bernice) and Michael Walker (Hal Savage) at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts. Burnett skit, an episode of I Love Lucy, or The Dick Van Dyke Show," said Jacqueline Curtis Walker, who plays Cindy. "It's kind of like a sitcom speed comedy." "With farce elements thrown in," added Michael Walker, who plays Hal. "It's witty humour to basically about as cheap jokes as you can get." As the Savages become more successful, their marriage starts to fall apart, and the play follows as they pick up the pieces and once again recognize their love for one another. Jacqueline and Michael, who are married in real life, jumped at the chance to play the Savages. In fact, the pair met in 1980 at an audition for The Mumberly Inheritance. They landed roles as the play's sweethearts, a relationship that soon blossomed off the stage. "I fell in love with him at the audition ­ I knew that I was going to marry him," said Jacqueline, smiling. While they've been acting ever since, "We never managed to get on stage since then at the same time in that couple relationship," said Michael. "This will be the first time that we'll be back on that stage (at the Oakville Centre) together since we first met." "We're playing a couple that's falling in love again," added Jacqueline. "I think that's pretty cool." It was also a good situation for McMullan, a long-time Burl-Oak actor who's directing his first play since his university days. "It's been a wonderful experience," he said. "We're very happy with the cast. We have Jacqueline and Michael, and because they're actually husband and wife, that makes the on-stage romance easier. They've also obviously put a lot of work into their roles. "It's a veteran cast all the way down the line, I'm very pleased." Randy Smye, who has recently been doing more behind-the-scenes work for Burl-Oak, is back on-stage in Self-Help as Jeremy `Cold Hard' Cash, the sleazy investigative journalist. "Randy agreed to come out of retirement," said McMullan. "I basically convinced him to come in and be a villain." Arlene Purpura plays Bernice, the Savages' maid, who McMullan says "steals the show." "She's sort of taken for granted, and she's bought into this self-help scam. In the end, she comes out as the one you want to get up and cheer for." The fast-talking, no nonsense agent Ruby Delvecchio is played by University of Windsor acting graduate Tamar Kunder, and Nick Forrow plays the fumbling and funny Detective Snow. "A dead body comes into it as part of the farce, the police are snooping around, an investigative journalist and a hard-nosed, brassy agent are all there, it's a lot of action," said McMullan. "Even when you think the chaos and complications can't get any worse, everything suddenly sorts out and the play forces everyone to reflect on the moral values that got them into the mess in the first place." Burl-Oak Theatre Group's presentation of Self-Help runs at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, 130 Navy St., from Oct. 5-7 and 11-14. Curtain at 8 p.m. For tickets, $22, call the box office at 905-815-2021 or visit www.oakvillecentre.ca Super fan has a gas interviewing Corner Gas cast By Krissie Rutherford OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Corner Gas super-fan Barbara Tuszynski now knows exactly what happens on the set of her favourite show. The Oakville resident was invited to interview the cast of the popular Canadian sit-com -- Brent, Ellen, Fred, Oscar and the Mayor -- live from the Saskatchewan set. "It was a thrill meeting everyone and seeing all of the places where they actually film," said Tuszynski. "When I watch the show now, I can kind of identify with it, which is neat." She got the opportunity because her son, Andy Ross, is Program Director of 96.9 JACK FM in Vancouver. The station was invited to send a reporter to the set on Aug. 18 to promote the CTV season premiere that night. "We always do things a little differently at JACK," said Ross, "and this was another of those perfect opportunities." Ross told the morning team that his mom was a huge fan of the show and minutes later, he had her on the phone. CLOSE ENCOUNTER: Corner Gas super-fan Barbara Tuszynski interviews Corner Gas creator and lead actor Brent Butt for radio station 96.9 JACK FM in Vancouver. "I said to him, `Ok, give me time to added Ross. "She couldn't say no. She's a think,'" said Tuszynski. "About 30 seconds huge fan. She even has one of those clingy later he said, `Time's up.' I was delighted, but window stickers on her car that says, `I filled I was wondering, can I do it?" up at Corner Gas.'" "She reluctantly jumped at the chance," Tuszynski was flown to Saskatchewan, where she did a tour of Dog River ­ which is actually the town of Roulou, where the gas station and outdoor scenes are shot. "It was a wonderful experience, everything was so well organized and everybody was extremely friendly," she said. "The whole idea of being there was absolutely fascinating." Tuszynski has been watching the show, she says, "practically from day one." "I'm a great fan and I think it's a great show. It's different, it's not like a sit-com, sitcom," she said. "The sense of humour is a little different, which I like. It's very honest. In the show, nobody bears a grudge -- they're rude to each other, but the next thing you know they're friends again." Tuszynski says she wasn't nervous meeting the cast, but did have to get used to a few things -- like the headset. "The first words out of her mouth were about her hair. The guys asked, `Barbara, are you there?' and she said, `This headset is running my hair completely," said Ross. "The morning guys just died laughing." The radio station had scheduled three See Local page 30