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A NICE FAMILY GATHERING by Phil Olson Set in the Lundeen household somewhere in small town Minnesota, A NICE FAMILY GATHERING focuses on the angst-filled day of Carl (Johnny Gingell), a truck-driver journalist, whose only claim to fame is his slice-of-life column in the town's weekly local paper. Not only must he deal with his mentally deteriorating mom (Sue Sparlin), his successful doctor older brother, Michael (Steven Charlton), and his life-intimidated younger sister, Stacy (Erin Miller), Carl is also being haunted by his deceased dad (Harry Seddon), a larger than life personality, dead for 10 months, who has some unfinished business to accomplish through his less than cooperative middle son. Michael, the upwardly mobile brother, and his weepy wife Jill (Eby Luking) provide ongoing fodder for Carl's droll commentary, and Jerry (John Kevener), Dad's puckish golfing buddy, only adds to the hilarity with his quirky and delightful personality. The Lundeens are "you betcha" Norwegian stock down to their bone marrow and Olson's keen sense of the low key, emotionally repressed, natural rhythm of their accent is the basis for much of the play's humour. He has also created some memorable characters. Carl captures the simmering resentment of a natural humourist who has filtered his years of frustrations through his writings. One of his columns is devoted to his now dead father and is titled, "The Norwegian Who Loved His Wife So Much, He Almost Told Her." Mom, who is actually brighter than she acts, has mental lapses that are actually rooted more in her deep mourning for her husband than because she appears to be going off the deep end. The role of Stacey, Carl's younger sister, is hilarious as she has to keep reminding everyone that she is in the room. All the characters in this play will have you laughing the whole evening and may just make you want to come back for more!
Nicky Anderton is back in the Director's chair at Metro after directing last year's popular Affections of May. She has put together this wonderful cast who have become a family, albeit a quirky, dysfunctional family. Louise Boutin, as Producer, rounds out the company and is there to make sure deadlines are met and all the details are not forgotten and left behind. A NICE FAMILY GATHERING will open on Feb 27, 2010, with a 2 for $24 preview on Fri, Feb 26 and will play Wed – Sat until March 27 with 8 pm curtains. There will be two 2 pm Sunday matinees on March 7 and 21. Tickets are $15/$18 and may be obtained by calling the Metro Box Office at 604 266-7191 at Metro Theatre, 1370 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC V6P 5Z9.
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