The Matchmaker
at Eden High School

Reviewed on April 4, 2014

Liz Gross
Ridley College
Submitted for publication to The St. Catharines Standard

Drawing upon a madcap medley of quirky characters, illogical love triangles and klutzy comedy, Eden High School's masterful interpretation of The Matchmaker had the audience falling head-over-heels for Thornton Wilder's delightful blend of farce and heartfelt romance.

Adapted in 1954 by Wilder from his initial The Merchant of Yonkers, the popular slapstick Matchmaker gained even greater renown in 1964, when it was musicalized as the Broadway show Hello, Dolly! Wilder's witty script follows a temperamental and tight-fisted merchant named Horace Vandergelder in his search for a wife. To aid in his pursuit of a "practical" bride, he's enlisted matchmaker extraordinaire Dolly Levi – a crafty widow who, in need of financial stability, is secretly plotting to marry Horace herself. Meanwhile, Horace's beleaguered employees, Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker, escape the monotony of shop keeping in Yonkers, for a day of adventure in the Big Apple. Eventually, they collide with Horace and Dolly as well as a spirited hat maker, an overdramatic society dame, and Horace's lovelorn niece.

Eden's innovative production was anchored by the cast's strong command of narrative rhythm and communication of the play's underlying themes. Each performer seemed to tackle the fast-paced verbal banter and often outrageous physical comedy with ease.

With her sparkling personality and self-assured stage presence, Werda de Wet brought both calculating shrewdness and moments of touching humanity to the title role of Dolly Levi. De Wet's firm grasp of the character allowed her to convey the inner workings of Dolly's scheming mind with nothing more than a raised eyebrow. As the grumpy "old wolf trap", Mr. Vandergelder, Taylor Perry was appropriately cantankerous and high-handed, adding clout to the role of the blustering penny-pincher.

Lucas Froese took on the role of the optimistic chief clerk Cornelius Hackl with boundless energy and enthusiasm. Froese was unwaveringly animated and articulate as he demonstrated impressive range of character, frantically diving into a closet one moment and falling hopelessly in love the next. Tanner Neufeld formed the other half of this comic duo as the wide-eyed apprentice Barnaby Tucker. His jumpy mannerisms and priceless naiveté were in perfect sync with Froese, leading to impeccably executed sequences of physical comedy and witty banter.

Straying from the original 19th century setting, Eden's decision to stage the play with an authentic 1950s ‘Mad Men' feel breathed new life into the frenzied comedy. Thematic musical interludes framed each act of the show, providing continuous entertainment to mask the timely set changes, but also imbuing the production with nostalgic flavour. Set designer Evan Barrett made full use of the compact stage area, utilizing strategically placed windows, doors, closets, screens, and even a makeshift ‘cellar' box to maximize the space.

Amidst the hilarious hijinks of mistaken identity, cross-dressing, and endearingly silly scenarios, Eden High School's captivating production of The Matchmaker had a greater purpose in mind. As Barnaby so thoughtfully explained, hitting the right balance between security and adventure (or pudding!) is what really matters when navigating the peculiar maze that is life.

Jade Biggar
Ridley College
Submitted for publication to The St. Catharines Standard

It's 1950s New York and people look to the big city for adventure. In a world where reputation and status come first, there is no need for love, but what if it comes unexpectedly? Big hats, classic tunes, and checkered floors brought the 1950s to life in Eden High School's adaptation of The Matchmaker.

The lights come up with the sound of Mr. Sandman playing in the background and the adventure begins. The play follows the stories of three different couples who tackle many problems in their relationships throughout the play. They are faced with overcoming the boundaries of their reputations and financial status in order to give in to love.

Although the play centers around many different couples, the woman who finds herself in the middle of them all is Dolly Levi, played by the talented Werda de Wet. Dolly is a fixer and the thing that she likes to fix most is relationships, especially those that will advance her own standings. When Dolly steps on stage, everyone knows who is in charge. De Wet took command of the stage every time she was present. She was constantly in character from her voice to her gestures to her facial expressions. She was able to make the character of Dolly real for everyone watching.

As the play continues, the audience is introduced to those of a less fortunate financial status: Cornelius Hackl played by Lucas Froese, and Barnaby Tucker played by Tanner Neufeld. These two actors brought comedy to the world of the play in every aspect. Their physicality, expressions, use of the stage and tone brought to life characters that were impossible to take one's eyes off of. Froese brought comedy and a genuine happiness to the role of a man in love for the first time, while Neufeld perfected the role of trusty sidekick with not only comedy, but also a sense of sincerity.

One cannot talk about the talent of Cornelius Hackl without mentioning that of his romantic counterpart, Mrs. Irene Molloy, played by Lexxi Williams. She started the play with a sense of needing to follow others' expectations, but Williams created a flawless transition that allowed her character to open up to the world and really experience love for love's sake, not for money.

The set pieces were well chosen, as was the color scheme of the entire show, from paint to costume pieces. Although the set changes may have been long, the cast and crew were able to use music to keep the audience interested while cleanly doing these transitions.

The entire production was a pleasure to watch and though the stage may have been small, Eden High School was able to bring the bustling city of New York to life.

Grace D'Achille
Denis Morris Catholic High School
Submitted for publication to The St. Catharines Standard

What happens when romance, comedy and adventure collide? Eden Secondary School's production of Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker provided an exciting journey, with humorous and exciting characters that made the adventure memorable.

Eden changed the original 1800s setting into one in the 1950s, including costumes, sets, and music that reflected the era. The play follows the stories of different characters who desire various things: love, adventure, and money.

The characters collaborated together in a way that made the production serious, yet fun at the same time. The adventures of Cornelius Hackl (Lucas Froese) and his right hand man, Barnaby Tucker (Tanner Neufeld), provided a source of entertaining comedy. Froese and Neufeld worked together to portray the characters' desire for adventure and love through a sarcastic and comedic relationship.

Dolly Levi (Werda de Wet) is an adventurous woman who helps out all of the characters in one way or another. Striving to marry Horace Vandergelder (Taylor Perry), Dolly finally wins Horace over with her intelligence and self confidence. De Wet successfully showed what a confident woman in 1950s New York would be. Complete with appropriate costume and tone of voice, she brought out the character of Dolly in a divine way. Likewise, Perry, through his serious tone of voice and convincing facial expressions, was able to make the transition from Horace being angry at the world to him begging for Dolly's hand in marriage feel natural.

The actors in The Matchmaker were able to overcome several challenges. For example, the tableau scene in a Chinese restaurant required lengthy periods of holding props while other action took place elsewhere on stage. Although there were some minor noticeable movements in the still piece, the actors were able to carry on in a professional manner.

In the last act of the play, the character of Miss Flora Van Huysen (Margarete Penner) was introduced as a comedic, yet dramatic woman. Penner brought out Miss Flora's dramatic and playful personality by engaging and expressing the character throughout her stage time.

The set design by Evan Barrett was done exceptionally well. Having only a small amount of space to work with, the crew made good use of the stage. They made stairs with a hatch at the top that the actors could enter into, which gave the effect of there being two levels in the set. Also of note was how the cast and crew made smooth transitions while moving the sets, playing 1950s style music during these transitions that complemented the show very well. The costumes designed by Rachel Guy reflected each character in a unique way. All of the technical aspects corresponded with the play and made it truly realistic.

Eden Secondary School's production of The Matchmaker successfully showed the 1950s style, and that it is always good to have a little love, humour and adventure.