34 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday April 20, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Artscene Oakville Beaver · FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2007 DEREK WOOLLAM / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER ANYTHING BUT NOBLE: Burl-Oak Theatre Group presents The Noble Pursuit, opening at the Oakville Centre Theatre Thursday, April 26. At left, Chris Reid, left, David Kinlough, middle, Nick Forrow, right while at right Kinlough plays a scene with Catherine Fitzgerald during rehearsal at their Speers Road studio. Oakville Centre stage for Noble Pursuit By Krissie Rutherford OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Noble Harmsworth is on the verge of becoming the first Canadian to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. He lies, steals, cheats and drinks a lot of Scotch. That's The Noble Pursuit, the Canadian comedy that opens Thursday, April 26 at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts. "This play definitely has some fun at the expense of the Canadian literary scene," said director of the Burl-Oak Theatre production, Peter Kunder. "It's very, very funny." Writer Douglas Bowie takes most of his shots at Canadian writers through Harmsworth, an internationally successful author with a booming English accent whose love for Scotch outweighs his desire to write. "Noble is sort of this amoral, pompous character who has no problem taking credit for other people's work," said a smiling Chris Reid, who plays Harmsworth in a Santa Claus-like white beard and mustache. "He's wealthy and respected and successful and influential and desperate. He's become a binge alcoholic because he's encountered writer's block," added Kunder. That's why Harmsworth hires two assistants to write for him. Struggling author Lyle Lemmerman, played by David Kinlough, and Harmsworth's editorial assistant Abigail Bliss help the aging author because both would do anything to get published. The pair have been working on his last four novels, but know nothing of each other. Lemmerman writes the first draft thinking Harmsworth is editing it. Bliss edits the first draft thinking Harmsworth wrote it. "He does nothing and completely takes all the credit," Reid said, during a recent rehearsal break. "He has no qualms doing that at all." Harmsworth sits back, drinks and waits to put his name on the finished product. "Everyone has a very different pursuit in the play," the director said. "Nobel wants to keep his reputation intact and win the Nobel Prize. The assistant and Lyle want to get published. His agent wants to make money and turn his novel into a Danny Devito movie, and the Toronto agent wants to expose him for being a fraud." The play unfolds with mistaken identities, door-slamming, drunken conversations, physical fights, tugs of war over scripts, impersonations, romance and lots of Scotch or as Harmsworth calls it, "Noble nectar." All of this is worked into a truly Canadian script, with mentions of Michael Ondaatje, The Toronto Maple Leafs the play even mocks Canadian Tire commercials. Much of the discourse is between Bliss and Lemmerman, the two writing assistants. "The play really is about these two," said the director, "they don't know one another, and then find out they've both been living a lie." After a series of discoveries, will Harmworth win the Nobel Prize as expected? Will he be exposed? "It's a comedy, so it all resolves happily," said Kunder, smiling. Including for Bliss, the "mousy PhD student" played by Catherine Fitzgerald. "She thinks she's living one life, she finds out she's living another life, and she has to scramble to turn that into a life and a career she wants to achieve," said Fitzgerald. "She's very desperate for money, for love, for being noticed." And, the long-time Burl-Oak actress admits, with all the funny on-stage banter between herself and the play's other struggling author, Lemmerman, it's hard not to crack a smile. "It cracks me up every time," said Fitzgerald. "I can never keep a straight face. It's always just a joy to come to the rehearsal and just laugh." The five-person cast, which includes Lana Borsellino as the money-hungry agent, Jasmine, and Nick Forrow as Percy Fawcett, the agent trying to expose Harmsworth, has been rehearsing the past three months. The Noble Pursuit, the last play of the 2006/2007 Oakville Drama Series Season, opens Thursday, April 26 at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, 130 Navy St. It runs April 2628 and May 2-5. Curtain at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $22, and half price for seniors and students on Wednesday, May 2. For tickets call the Oakville Centre box office at 905-815-2021 or visit www.oakvillecentre.ca. Get on the WATER this summer... Final 2 Days...Sale ends Sunday COME IN FOR THE BEST DEAL AND A GREAT SELECTION! Take advantage of manufacturer and dealer incentives from Carver & Regal Runabouts, Cruisers and more... CRATE MARINE SALES LTD. 290 THE QUEENSWAY SOUTH · KESWICK 905-476-4552 MAP AND MORE DETAILS AT: www.crates.com THE BOATING STORE Your one stop chandlery store