Patchwork Players Dinner Theatre
Patchwork Players is a member of Theatre Saskatchewan.A little history
The Shell Lake Patchwork Players started in 1994 with three plays: The Patchwork Quilt, 'Mrs. Olson', and Jumping.
In 1995 they performed Roundup
In 1996 it was The Curious Savage.
In 1997 they again did three plays: This Train, Babel Rap, and Rest in Peace.
In 1998 everyone took a year off.
In 1999 Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling was performed on March 25, 26, 27.
2000 - When the Cat's Away by Johnnie Mortimer & Brian Cooke was performed on April 13, 14, 15 & 16.
2001 - The Odd Couple (Female Version) by Neil Simon was performed on March 30, 31 & April 6 & 7
2002 - Suppressed Desires by Susan Glaspell was performed on Nov. 3, and then taken to the one-Act Play Festival in Meadow Lake.
In 1999, four new actors come to the stage: Lenore Jessop, Eileen Perry, Michelle Toulejour and Judy Mayo. And the new people behind the scenes were Phyllis Melton, Roxanne Diesen, Sandra Potts and, so that we couldn't be accused of being sexist, Jeff Shepherd and Ryan Prafke.
The old-timers, who have been involved from the beginning are Donna Strate and Beth Pott. Beth played Anne Wendall, the greedy daughter in The Patchwork Quilt; Darcy Petrescu, the rebellious daughter in Roundup; the lovely but plain Fairy May in The Curious Savage; and Hazel Wilmerding, wife of the "dead" man and stubborn daughter in Rest in Peace. This year Beth was finally cast as the mother and played the role with sincerety.
Donna made her acting debut in Jumping as Denise, the social activist. She went on to play the stressed wife, Verna, in Roundup; the eccentric Mrs. Savage in the Curious Savage; and Rose, the depressed stationmaster's wife in This Train. In Steel Magnolias, Donna played a light-hearted role, the beauty shop owner, Truvy.
Phyllis Johnson, the producer, acted in The Curious Savage, and also directed Hi Lord, It's Me Again and Food for Thought. Carol Francouer, the stage manager, has taken her turn at many of the roles: prompter in Jumping, actor in Roundup and The Curious Savage, and director in This Train. Doreen Madsen, the prompter, played in The Curious Savage and Rest in Peace. This is the fifth year that Rebecca Kennel has directed a play. One of these years she will be forced onto the stage.
Patchwork Players is a member of Saskatchewan Community Theatre, Inc. (SCTI), an organization that provides resources to amateur theatre groups around Saskatchewan. Support the arts in our area - buy a lottery ticket!
The Patchwork Players performed
The Shell Lake Patchwork Players kept the crowd in tears during the production of Steel Magnolias. Tears of sadness, yes, but also tears of laughter.
Steel Magnolias was written by Robert Harling after the death of his diabetic sister. It is set in Chinquapin, Louisiana in Truvy's beauty shop. Truvy (Donna Strate), who is built for comfort, not for speed, along with her new assistant, Annelle (Lenore Jessop), who may or may not be married to a dangerous criminal, take care of the "ladies of the neighborhood": Clairee Belcher (Eileen Perry), the former mayor's wife who is trying to find a purpose in life; Ouiser Boudreaux (Judy Mayo), who is not crazy, she's just "been in a bad mood for 40 years"; and M'Lynn Eatonton (Beth Pott), who works at the mental guidance center but "can't seem to manage the people in my own family". M'Lynn's daughter, Shelby Eatonton/Latcherie (Michelle Toulejour) becomes part of the group when she comes to get her hair done on her wedding day. The action follows her through her fatal decision to have a baby, all the while supported by the love and strength of her mother's friends.
The play is filled with hilarious moments: Clairee finding the gun in M'Lynn's bag, Shelby informing Ouiser that she has invited Owen to their open house, Clairee gossiping about her nephew Marshall. Ouiser stole the show with her energetic performance and cutting remarks. The climax came with a round of spontaneous applause after the delivery of "Lucky me! I am now receiving chain letters for Christ."
After Shelby's death the title of the play becomes clear. The bare emotion reveals the hidden strength of these women in dealing with the tragic loss. Laughter through tears was the main emotion, for actors and audience alike.
Production Crew: