New Stone Fence Theatre musical laughs with veterinarians
EGANVILLE: Tickets have gone on sale for Stone Fence Theatre’s latest original musical comedy. This one asks some tricky questions.
What happens when a young male veterinarian from the city gets his first job in the Ottawa Valley and encounters lonely middle-aged farm women, resentful colleagues, skeptical farmers and a profession going through lots of changes?
Stick Out Your Tongue and Say MOO – Making the rounds with the Amorous Veterinarian answers some of these tricky questions in musical romantic-comedy fashion. Stone Fence Theatre producer Ish Theilheimer interviewed veterinarians and veterinary workers to learn about the ups and downs of their work, and he tried to bring out their experiences.
With fewer performances this year, the number of shows the company completely sold out last year, and such an intriguing subject matter, he anticipates and is already seeing a big demand for tickets.
“There are a lot of animal lovers out there, and most of them love their vets,” Mr. Theilheimer said. “As an animal lover myself, it was fun for me to be able to get to know a few vets personally a little by meeting up with them.”
The show features eleven new songs that attempt to capture some of what he heard from them – the hard work, the pressure, the wacky clients and the sense of doing something important.
The show, under the direction of Chantal Elie-Sernoskie, features Danielle Bissonnette, Evan Burgess, Chantal Elie-Sernoskie, Shirley Hill, Cathy Lyons, Ambrose Mullin, and Derek Tolhurst, with support from Fran Pinkerton and Lesley Sneddon. The band includes Peter Brown on keys, John Doddridge on guitar, Derek Tolhurst on bass and Ish Theilheimer, also the show’s musical director, on fiddle.
Although the details about modern veterinary practice and agriculture are based on interviews, the plot is pure fiction: Young veterinarian Robert finds himself repeatedly accosted by lonely clients, much to the annoyance of female colleagues in a clinic that reflects the current trend of young women far outnumbering young men in the profession.
“I heard some very funny stories doing the research for this show,” said Mr. Theilheimer, adding, “And also very moving ones. It’s not an easy job, theres a lot of pressure. I hope the show will strike a chord, especially with rural residents and pet owners from everywhere.”
Due to construction at the recent summer home of Stone Fence Theatre in Eganville, performances this summer will be at the Rankin Culture & Recreation Centre, about 15 minutes north of Eganville. The first performance is July 19, with more shows July 20, 26, 27, August 2 and 9. There will be a show in Barrys Bay August 10 at the Paul J. Yakabuski Community Centre. In fall, Stone Fence Theatre returns to the Eganville Community Centre for shows on September 16, 23 and 30, and October 14. On October 20 and 21, the show will be in Pembroke at the Knights of Columbus Hall, with the final performance on Sunday afternoon, October 29, at St Andrew’s Parish Hall in Killaloe.
Also, on August 1, 2017 in Rankin, Stone Fence Theatre presents a real East Coast Ceidlih with some of Cape Breton’s finest talent – Andrea Beaton (fiddle/piano) and Troy MacGillivray (fiddle/piano), Matt MacIsaac (pipes/whistles) and Nathan Bishop (vocals/guitar). Each of the band members is an outstanding talent in his own right, and collectively, the evening promises to be a real Down East treat.
Tickets for all shows are available at www.stonefence.ca or by phone at 1-866-310-1004.
