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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday October 3, 2008 - 41 Artscene Oakville Beaver · FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2008 S E E O U RN F LY E R I T SELEC S PA P E R 353 IROQUOIS SHORE DRIVE, OAKVILLE at Trafalgar Road across from Petro Canada LOCAL TALENT: Burl-Oak Theatre Group actors are busy with rehearsals for their upcoming production of Goodbye Piccadilly. Front row from left to right are Dawn Essoe,Tamara Kunder and Maggie Luxford. Back row from left to right are Peter Coffey, Michael Brown, Andrew Rowe and Kim Overbaugh. Burl-Oak says hello to new season with Goodbye Piccadilly Theatre group's show opens Oct. 9 at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts By Melanie Cummings SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER The phone rings. Bess Brickley answers to hear the good news that her husband of nearly 50 years, Brick, has just been awarded the Order of Canada. She's anxious for him to return from his annual solo canoe trip to Algonquin Park, to tell him all the details about the ceremony they're invited to attend at the illustrious Rideau Hall in Ottawa. The phone rings again. Bess answers and her face reveals confusion, upset, tears. In a matter of minutes her world has been turned upside down. The twisting intrigue that lies ahead in this story by Kingston, Ontario playwright Douglas Bowie is the stuff of Burl-Oak Theatre Group's upcoming production, Goodbye Piccadilly. It typically takes six months of preparaA family tragedy unfolds into mystery, tion to put all the pieces together from the comedy and sentimentality when the secret initial script reading of 40 to 50 plays -- life of Second World War veteran Brick which are narrowed down to three per seaBrickley is revealed on the stage of the son -- to cast practices four months prior, Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, and rehearsals that require two months Oct. 9-11 and Oct. 16-19. preparation. Bowie will be in the audience, which Typically, it takes 40 to 50 volunteers to could be intimidating for a invest 5,000 to 10,000 director, but the unflap- "I'm really fortunate to have hours of their time into pable Andrew Park choosgetting a play stage and es to see this honour as a such a talented, experienced audience ready. crew of dedicated voluncompliment. "I'm really fortunate While this is his first teers." to have such a talented, big production, the 10experienced crew of dedyear veteran of the theatre Andrew Park icated volunteers," said company has worked in all Park. Director of Goodbye Piccadilly facets of the dramatic Maggie Luxford plays world -- from lighting to the complex character of sound, to acting to set design. Bess, Brick's wife, who is reeling from her `Encouraged' to take on the director's husband's sudden and mysterious death, as role, it's a creative outlet from his career as well as the shock of the new revelations a product manager at a financial institu- about his life. tion, said Park. Facing grief and devastated, the prim "There's something exciting about being wife of a community leader also tries to on stage, it's great to be a part of the whole keep up appearances. experience," said Park. As director "the trick "I feel as if my whole life has been a is to remain calm while in the hurricane of fraud," Bess recites. activity." Goodbye Piccadilly is Luxford's 20th anniversary with Burl-Oak Theatre. She started in 1988 on the invitation of a stranger. While her son was in hospital with croup, she spied another mom in the ward reading a script. It became the conversation starter between the thespians that led to a theatre life for Luxford. In Goodbye Piccadilly, Luxford is relishing the challenge of suspending belief. In some scenes, Brick is an apparition, in others she uses one-sided telephone conversations to tell the story. Jill Ash is the play's co-producer, along with Jim Clemens, who was her mentor. In a volunteer effort, succession planning is essential. At least three nights each week she is the production's overseer, from generating publicity to prop hunting. In her five years with Burl-Oak Theatre Group, she has learned plenty and more importantly discovered lasting friendships. Kim Overbaugh has spent 10 years with the group doing makeup skillfully aging actors through time, dolling up tarts or subduing characters. For tickets Goodbye Piccadilly, call the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, 130 Navy St. at 905-815-2021.