Play On!
at Denis Morris

Reviewed on December 3, 2009

Katie Klassen
Eden High School
Submitted for publication to

The props were a mess and the cast was quarrelsome – part of the hilarious act put on by Denis Morris' students as they presented Rick Abbott's play-within-a-play script— Play On!

Set in a local community theater company, a troupe of amateur actors attempt to put on a play called Murder Most Foul, written by the doltish Phyllis Montague (Taylor Sedore). With only a few days until the curtain rises, director Gerry Dunbar (Brianne Lidstone), along with her not so trusty handyman Lou (Michael Manseau) and her blunt stage manager Aggie (Jenna Martin), try to polish up the production.

With a very simple set and only a few scene changes, Denis Morris' production was nevertheless infused with creativity. For example, the lights were set over part of the audience and the stage to enclose spectators in a rehearsal atmosphere. The director and script writer of the play-within-the-play entered, exited, and sat around the audience, allowing audience members to feel as though they had come to watch Murder Most Foul's rehearsal instead of Denis Morris' play. The cast engaged the audience by sometimes acting around them, instead of just in front of them.

With any play-within-a-play, the cast must show exceptional talent at differentiating between their character and the character their character is playing. Calla DiPardo played her dual roles superbly as she shifted roles between the young and foolish actress Violet, and Murder Most Foul's Diana— a flirtatious English fiancee. Celeste Cairns offered a razor-sharp interpretation of Polly, a middle-aged, supercilious actress. Marco Vitelli, who played the role of Saul Watson in Play On!, and Dr. Rex Forbes in Murder Most Foul, was equally quick-witted in both parts.

Although only briefly on stage, the play-within-the-play's director (Brianne Lidstone) and helping hands (Jenna Martin, Michael Manseau) were very believable. Lidstone, for example, showed her authority while sitting in the Denis Morris audience, booming out instructions to Manseau, who perfectly played the stereotypical sound nerd.

Occasionally, the cast seemed surprised by the hilarity provoked by the droll lines of the play. As a result, some dialogue was lost to the audience's laughter. The play-within-a-play, Murder Most Foul, also required the cast to shift quickly from awkward, amateur actors to fluent English swaggers, which also contributed to a few jumbled lines. Yet the exuberance of the cast kept both plays going.

The play offered the audience a comedic glimpse into the frustrations a director experiences in preparing a show. The idea of amateur young actors pretending to be amateur young actors is lighthearted fun, which Denis Morris pulled off with aplomb.

Tristan O'Rourke
Welland Centennial Secondary School
Submitted for publication to

With a script constantly being rewritten by an overbearing playwright, it's no small wonder the performance becomes a disaster! Happily, this was an experience only the characters had to suffer through during Denis Morris' very enjoyable production of Play On!, where everything going so dreadfully wrong went wonderfully right.

This is possible because this charming yet little known comedy by Rick Abbott is actually a play-within-a-play. It shows a community theatre group which decides to save money by presenting a drama written by their local amateur. As they keep rehearsing, however, their script is continually being revised. When opening night looms, things do not go as planned, and the drama becomes an outright farce.

Denis Morris cleverly took full advantage of the concept by using the entire theatre as their performance space. Characters enter through the main doors, stand in front of the stage, and even sit with the audience, which makes for an interesting and unique performance.

Celeste Cairns showed an impressive mastery over her role as Polly, the bossy drama queen, never once breaking character. Marco Vitelli seemed equally comfortable as Saul, the witty mischief maker, and the two together presented an entertaining duo as one constantly insulted the other. Robert Popoli and Calla DiPardo positively shone in their adorably short romantic scene, which only gained in romance from its humorous awkwardness.

While a few lines were rushed or misdelivered, the cast showed nice recoveries, and all the actors exhibited clear attitudes for their characters. Furthermore, the perfection with which the final act was pulled off, more than made up for any flaws elsewhere.

The set and costumes were simple and effective. The actors could always be heard, and the cast was almost always well lit. Additional recognition must be given to Christine Kaufhold, Clarisa Morales and Celina Parada, who not only did a great job with the usual inconspicuous stage make-up for the first "rehearsal" act, but also cleverly succeeded in giving the actors extra noticeable stage make-up for the second and third "dress rehearsal" and "performance" acts.

Though the comedic timing was not always spot on, the actors clearly had a case of the opening night jitters, but they improved markedly throughout the show. The play's momentum built nicely, and by the time the climactic last act had arrived, performers had the entire audience howling with laughter.

It is very difficult to play boring people and keep the audience entertained; it's even harder to play the funniest characters without breaking a straight face. The commendable cast at Denis Morris had to do both, and along with their crew, pulled off the show with ever increasing hilarity. In terms of sheer enjoyment, they have achieved an undeniable success.

Kacie Cruise
Welland Centennial Secondary School
Submitted for publication to

The sudden drop of houselights, random telephone sound effects, and the sound of teenagers, adults, and young children's laughter from the audience, makes Play On! an enjoyable comedy from Denis Morris High School students, and an hilarious performance for all ages.

Written by Rick Abbott in 1987, this is a play within a play. An amateur theatre company works to put on a production of "Murder Most Foul", a play written by an eccentric playwright, played by Taylor Sedore, who comes into the theater with script additions up to the day before dress rehearsal. This theatre troupe is a collaboration of an incompetent crew and a disagreeable and unrehearsed cast. It is these characters that bring the humour to life from rehearsals to the dreaded opening night. The student cast of Denis Morris has remarkably depicted the hilarious and realistic situations that occur with the preparation of any theatre production.

Although parts of the performance were rushed, the cast's energy and enthusiasm anchored the show and made it a remarkable success. The unique comical rehearsal of a romantic scene between the characters of Diana Lassiter, played by Calla DiPardo, and Stephen Sellers, played by Robert Popoli brought depth to the performance. The realistic portrayal of the Director of "Murder Most Foul", Gerry Dunbar, played by Brianne Lidstone, seating herself in the front row of the auditorium as she watched her cast rehearsing and shouting her criticisms from the same spot was brilliant.

Each member of the ensemble brought a favorable performance to the stage that should leave an impression on the audience long after the curtain closes. The actress with the most presence on stage, without physically being on stage, would have to be Brianne Lidstone, who played the director. The random yet fleeting appearances of Lou Peary, a stagehand played by Michael Manseau, and Aggie Manville, the stage manager played by Jenna Martin, also brought something special and appealing to the production. The actors playing cast members worked together harmoniously, feeding off each other in comedic moments, and making the show a delight to watch. The performances of Calla DiPardo as Violet Imbry, and Marco Vitelli as Saul Watson, were truly comedic.

Technical elements in this production added a realistic brilliance. In Act Two, the dress rehearsal, the application of stage make-up to look like stage make-up to the audience, done by Christine Kaufhold, Clarisa Morales and Celina Parada, was a clever touch. The set construction by Mr. M. Pilote's TCJ3C/E class, a regal room, made short to depict the full rehearsal set, made the intentionally incomplete surroundings for the cast rehearsal in the 1st and 2nd Acts believable.

Several moments in the show could have been more carefully developed comically, but the play in its entirety was a joy to watch and begged for an encore. The cast and technical elements made the production a high caliber performance for this talented high school group.