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34 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday April 23, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Artscene Oakville Beaver · WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2008 Burl-Oak heats up the stage with Night of the Iguana By Joanna Phillips SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Night of the Iguana is the kind of play where the actors break a sweat, but not just because they're in character. Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tennessee Williams, Night of the Iguana will be transforming The Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts into a makeshift Mexico, with audiences in for some hot entertainment. It's been hard work and dedication paying tribute to a play that's up there with the best. And in this instance, it's paid off. Paul Groulx has directed Cabaret, The Secret Garden, Amadeus, The Trip To Bountiful, and most recently, The Elephant Man, a Tony Award-winning drama. And now, he comes in as director-extraordinaire in Burl-Oak Theatre's last production of the season. Night of the Iguana is on stage on Thursday to Saturday, April 24 to 26 and Wednesday to Saturday, April 30 to May 3. The play takes place in the summer of 1940 with defrockedpriest-turned-tour-guide, the Reverend Lawrence T. Shannon (Vincent Guerriero) leading an all-female group of schoolteachers, headed by Miss Judith Fellowes (Virginia McEwen). The youngest member of the group, 17-year-old Charlotte, has become enamored with Shannon, and news of this has had a ripple RON KUZYK / OAKVILLE BEAVER SWELTERING PERFORMANCES: Vince Guerriero, as Reverend Lawrence T. Shannon, Nick Forrow, as Nonno-Jonathan Coffin, and Catherine Hartnett, as Hannah Jelkes, star in Burl-Oak Theatre Group's production of Night of the Iguana opening Thursday at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts. effect. Fresh-faced Lisa Miss Fellowes who wants to Hartnett, and her grandfather, Drupsteen, whose first time this is orchestrate Shannon's dismissal. Nonno (Nick Forrow), have travworking with Burl-Oak, plays the Shannon responds by disabling eled a long way -- from young girl, whose hokey pink the tour bus, and taking the stark- Nantucket -- and arrive exhaustpajama top and bottom are befit- raving mad schoolteachers off the ed, at wit's end, at the hotel. ting: the disparity between beaten path, to a run-down hotel As the night progresses, Shannon the old binge-drinking managed by widowed friend and Shannon, Maxine, Charlotte, hack and lithe, pretty Charlotte is unabashed flirt, Maxine Faulk Hannah and Nonno mix together something of a magnifying glass. (Dia Frid). like a potent rum and Coke McEwen is an envious and fiery Hannah, played by Catherine blend. Of playing mystical, desperate Hannah, Hartnett said, "the challenge is there to make her real, but not of this world. "She is broke, on her last bit of means, and her grandfather is dying." It really is a "night of desperation." In order to prepare for the role and truly capture the essence of Hannah, Hartnett researched Buddhism, Nantucket, poppy seed tea and Asian references -- all bits and pieces of the play. "You can't communicate what those things are unless you understand them yourself," she said. Hartnett has read the play and watched the movie, and hails it for its "amazing, poetic, thought-provoking" writing. She used to dance, but "my body wasn't taking the beating [anymore.]" She has found an outlet in theatre. Hartnett says Hannah is on a discovery of herself over the course of the night during which the play unfolds. This is also true for the other characters, who are looking for that lead, fighting against that rope that's tethering them -- just like the iguana in the play. For tickets, call the Oakville Centre Box Office at 905815.2021, or toll free 1-888-4897784. Tickets cost $25. They can also be purchased at oakvillecentre.ca. Curtain rises at 8 p.m., and seniors and students get in for half price, at $12.50, on Wednesday, May 1. Talent time BENEFIT SHOW: Pilgrim Wood Public School student Taylor Fitzpatrick rehearses for A Celebration of Talent, a student fundraiser for the rural Sri Lankan village they have adopted through Free the Children. The rehearsal was held Monday with the students performing at the talent show Tuesday. All proceeds for the event will be going to the cause that enables students at the school to provide educational necessities for children in the adopted village. MICHAEL IVANIN / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER