While there is usually a lot of love in close-knit families, there is also a lack of breathing room at times.
This reality is addressed head-on in Over the River and Through the Woods, a family comedy being performed by local theatre troupe Ham Sandwich this weekend.
“It’s very much a feel-good play with a lot of laughs,” said director Murray MacDonald.
“And if you aren’t crying when you go out the door, you haven’t got a soul.”
The play features a cast of six, including Joe Buie as Nick, a single Italian-American man who spends Sunday dinners with his two sets of doting grandparents, played by Raphael Saray, Elfriede Reimer, Dianne Therien and Tom Heine.
When Nick considers leaving his New Jersey home for a new opportunity in Seattle, his grandparents hustle and scheme to keep him close. The dominant scheme involves a love interest in the form of the lovely Caitlin O’Hare, played by Landice Yestrau.
“It’s a beautiful play,” said MacDonald, who fell in love with Over the River and Through the Woods when he performed in the play with another theatre club several years ago. He thought it would be a good fit for Flin Flon.
“It is an ideal play to do here because it deals with family, immigrants to the country, all that sort of thing that audiences in Flin Flon are not unfamiliar with,” MacDonald said.
The conflict faced by the young protagonist – a decision to pursue greener pastures or stay close to family – is also one that many local families know well.
“It used to be that sons and daughters just automatically went to work for the company. Now the jobs aren’t there anymore, or they move away looking for other things,” said MacDonald.
“In the case of the play, it’s not only the job…[Nick] is moving away to find his own life,” he added.
For this production, Ham Sandwich is testing out a Saturday matinee performance with half-price tickets. MacDonald hopes the reduced price will encourage attendance from families and those who might otherwise “not be able to swing the ticket price”.
Over the River and Through the Woods will be performed at the Flin Flon Community Hall on Friday, April 15 at 7:30, on Saturday, April 16 at 2:00 and on Saturday at 7:30. Tickets are available at Northern Rainbow’s End.
