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Monterey players bring ‘suspense yarn’ home to stage

The Second Passenger is Thursday, May 18 at Monterey Recreation Centre
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Helen Bunyan and Dennis Eberts focus on the weapon, a prominent plot element in the Monterey Drama Club’s show The Second Passennger. They offer the dinner and a show at the recreation centre, 1442 Monterey Ave. (Christine van Reeuwyk/Oak Bay News)

Monterey Drama Club portrays a suspenseful scene from Ottawa Airport, 1963 in its latest production making rounds on regional stages.

The committee selected the “suspense yarn” The Second Passenger by John Bennett, adapted by Zuzanna Macknight for the Monterey Drama Club in celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday. The show addresses the aftermath of the 1956 revolution in Hungary when Canada welcomed approximately 30,000 Hungarian immigrants.

“It’s a spy yarn, a suspense … usually we do comedies,” said Dennis Eberts, who co-directs alongside Terry Oliver. “We had a few people who had to drop out for various reasons. I was originally slated to direct the play but I had to step into a role.”

With plenty of experience, Oliver, who also wrote and produced Circling the Drain showing in the Fringe Festival this summer took over that position.

Multi-talented multi-tasking isn’t really a new way of doing things for the Monterey players. “We do have to wear a lot of hats,” Eberts said.

“I also had to step in to a part when somebody dropped out,” said Helen Bunyan with a laugh. “Dennis and I both came in a little later on.”

She’s also among the six characters with a reason to shoot the deputy – among them a retired teacher and longtime political activist, a mother of an imprisoned Hungarian scientist, a nurse, an author, and a depth to the Hungarian president.

After a tour that includes Sidney, Esquimalt and other Oak Bay locations, they return to the Monterey Recreation Centre for a dinner show May 18.

“We always enjoy doing a matinee or a dinner theatre for them. We’re looking forward to coming back to our home base,” Bunyan said.

The Second Passenger, with dinner beforehand, is Thursday, May 18 5:30 p.m. in the Garry Oak Room at the Monterey centre. Tickets are $19 for members and $26 for others. Tickets available at reception, 1442 Monterey Avenue.

Preview of Circling the Drain

Langham Court Theatre’s Readers Theatre offers a preview of Circling the Drain on Saturday, May 13 at 9:15 p.m.

(Readers Theatre starts at 6 p.m.)

3rd Age World Productions presents Circling the Drain, written and directed by Terry Oliver. This one-act black comedy on the hot-button issue of the ‘right-to-die’ includes a cast of seven doubling 16 roles in a mock-Music Hall cabaret style. This is a fast-paced preview of the a 2017 Victoria Fringe show from Aug. 24 to Sept. 3.

At 6 p.m. that day, students from Monterey Middle School drama club celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday with two short classics of Canadian comedy. First, Roman Numerals by The Frantics, in which some citizens of ancient Rome show that coping with change has been an age-old struggle. The second piece is Shakespearian Baseball by the legendary comedy duo Wayne and Shuster. This piece answers that long-debated question, “What might have happened if the Bard was a baseball fan?”

Directed by Mitch Barnes.

Admission is by donation for all Readers Theatre.

cvanreeuwyk@oakbaynews.com



Christine van Reeuwyk

About the Author: Christine van Reeuwyk

I'm dedicated to serving the community of Oak Bay as a senior journalist with the Greater Victoria news team.
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