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24 ' - TheOakville Beaver, Friday March 17, 2006 Artscene gg Oakville Beaver FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2006 Self discovery theme of Enchanted April By Krissie Rutherford OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF A new appreciation for life is at the heart of the latest Oakville Players' pro duction. Adapted from Elizabeth von Arnim' s novel, Matthew Barber's Enchanted April opens at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts Thursday, March 23. It's a romantic comedy about four pre viously unacquainted Englishwomen in the post-war 1920s Depression, whose lives are changed after a sunny holiday in Italy. "These four women have sort of lost their lease on life, they're unhappy, they feel lost," said Oakville Players' acting vet eran Traci Morgan, who plays Lotty Wilton, one of the leading ladies. "This play is about their re-birth and finding a new appreciation for life." Act One is set in England and focuses on Lotty and another unhappy Hampstead housewife, Rose Arnott, played by Deborah Wyman. Lotty is married to Mellersh Wilton (Chris Reid), a solicitor who loves his wife, but is so engrossed in his work that he seems to have forgotten about romance. Meanwhile, Rose has been unhappy for the past two years with her often absent husband, Frederick Arnott (Alan Edge), a pompous writer, who travels frequently and likes to think he' s a womanizer. "The women need to get away from the inner-depression they're feeling," said director, Brenda Worsnop. "I think women who are at a certain age suddenly take stock and say, `Is this all there is?'.. .This is the story of them finding out that they are really happy with their life, their family, everything." They come to that realization after answering an ad in the paper for a month long vacation at a medieval castle in Italy. It' s Lotty, the "wild, free-spirit with no censorship," Morgan says, who finds Rose reading the ad and convinces her to come on the vacation. "She' s just desperate to get out of London - she has to get away, she's a fantasizer," said Morgan. "She' s desperate for love and for friendship." The unique part of this situation is that the women - in the 1920s - are leav ing their husbands behind. In fact, they take off for the trip against their hus bands' wishes. "It was very early for women to be tak ing that risk with their husbands, and say ing, Tm going to do this'," said Worsnop. The Oakville Players present Enchanted April by Matthew Barber from the novel by Elizabeth Von Arnim The lives of four Englishwomen blossom in the seclusion of an Italian castle. Thurs. to Sat., March 23-25 & Wed. to Sat., March 29-April 1 T h e O akville C en tre fo r th e Perform ing A rts For tickets call the Oakville Centre Box Office 905 815 2021 Tickets $21 or order online at www.oc4pa.ca OAKVILLE S ER IE THE PRAMAA m The Oakville HPLAYERS CENTRE "They were very early in pushing the envelope that way." Worsnop calls von Armin's novel "a radical statement of female empowerment" for its day, and says Barber' s stage adaptation "exudes an optimistic spirit that makes an enlightening, moving, romantic comedy most of us can relate to." "This play is one of my favourites. It' s so well written,1 ' added Morgan. "It's got comedy, a little bit of romance, a little wack iness, lots of action. It' s a good, solid/witty humour." After Rose and Lotty decide to go on the trip, they place an ad for two other women to join them. Mrs. Graves, a proper, preten tious widow in her 70s played by Maggie Luxford and an attractive, twenty-something socialite, Caroline Bramble (Renee Francoeur), answer the call. Whereas the first act in London is rainy and dreary, the second act takes place in sunny, beautiful Italy. "The setting mirrors the women' s journeys - that's exactly what happens to them," said Worsnop. "In the second act, we kind of come to life," added Morgan. After just a few days in the cas tle, Lotty decides to write to her husband to invite him to join her in Italy, and Rose follows suit, though she doesn't believe her husband will actually come to see her. "Rose has been hurting for two years and pushing her husband away," said Worsnop. "She goes through the biggest realization, because she discovers that she really does still love him." While the women all experi- BARRIE ERSKINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER Rose Arnott (bot tom) ancTTraci Morgan plays Lotty Wilton in the Oakville Players' pro duction of Enchanted April. ENCHANTED WOMEN: Deborah Wyman plays ence self-discovery in sunny Italy, so too do the men when they arrive. - "I think the play is really about the re-discovery of laughter and fun and love and life," said Worsnop. "It should leave the audience feeling really good. I'm hoping they'll go home and say, Ya, my life is really good' and just re-examine themselves." Other cast members include Adrian Gorrissen as Antony Wilding, a charming artist and Isabelle Bruno, who plays Costanza, the boisterous Italian housekeeper. Enchanted April runs at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, 130 Navy St., from Thursday, March 23 to Saturday, March 25 and Wednesday, March 29 to Saturday April 1. Curtain at 8 p.m. For tickets, $21, call 905 8152021 or toll free 1-888489-7784. Seniors and students are half price on Wednesday, March 29. If you received a blood transfusion or blood product before 1992, you may have been infected with hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus that slowly damages your liver. Symptoms do not show up for years but you will eventually get sick. Before 1992, screening for this disease was hot consistent and many patients became infected through the blood system. So ask your doctor about getting tested. Detection is key to controlling the virus and you may be entitled to financial assistance. 1 877 222-4977 - Hepatitis C Find out if you have it Get tested www.health.gov. on. ca/hepe Paid fo r by th e G overnm ent o f Ontario Ontario