Searching for heaven? Look no further than home

Rural Root begins new production

by COURTNEY SYMONS

courtneysymons@metroland.com

You can find heaven here on Earth - or at least a little piece of it.

A Little Piece of Heaven will be available to West Carleton this October, the newest production by the Rural Root Theatre Company.  Auditions are currently underway to fill 16 roles.

Carp’s Simon Wellman is directing the play, which was written in 2008 by American playwright Matthew Carlin.

“It’s about a small shop where people find things that have been missing or lost for a long time,” Wellman said. “The shop solves their problem for them.”

The shop owners are portrayed as angels of a sort, who open up a “piece of heaven” to help people find what they have lost.

“Unfortunately, we kill off one of the main characters in the end,” said Wellman, “but we do it nicely”.

Rural Root Theatre Company is a non-profit, volunteer performance group based out of Constance Bay.  They put on two productions per year (in the spring and fall), and operate out of the Constance and Buckham’s Bay Community Centre.

Wellman first became involved in the company after going to see a play that his wife was working in as a stage manager. As a carpenter by trade, Wellman paid close attention to the props and back- drop.

“I saw one of their sets and thought, ‘I think they could be a little better than that,” he said.

After working on sets for various productions, one year no one stepped up to the directing plate for an upcoming show.

“I thought, well, if there’s not going to be a play without a director, I’ll give it a go.”

Little Piece of Heaven will be Wellman’s second directorial contribution to Rural Root.

Helen Weeden has been with the company since its conception in 2005, along with her husband Martin.

It’s nice to have a theatre in this neck of the woods,” she said. “A lot of people don’t want to drive all the way into the city to see a play”.

Weeden said she knows a play is no hockey game, but it’s affordable entertainment for the whole family at only $15 a ticket on weekends and $12 on week days.

Around 30 members belong to Rural Root, consisting of jacks- and jills-of-all trades.

“We try to encourage that everyone does everything,” Weeden said. “If someone is acting this show, we’d like to see them come back and do props or have a go at costumes.  We’re trying to make it so that everyone works together and shares roles.”

Weeden is handling the publicity for this play, but in the past has written and produced plays of her own.  Her husband, Martin, who started off behind the scenes has since found his way to centre stage.

“You’d never have thought 15 years ago that he would ever get on stage,” she said, “but he’s actually a very good actor.”

His British accent puts him in high demand.

One of Weeden’s more humorous memories of working with Rural Root happened a few years ago during a production called Bull in a China Shop.  One of the characters was a policeman so desirable that women would set fire to their own homes just for the chance to flirt with him.

As the audience left the theatre after the final curtain call, three fire trucks pulled into the parking lot right outside.  Turns out that some kids had lit a fire in the woods nearby, but the timing couldn’t have been better.

“They thought we’d planned it as part of a grand exit,” Weeden said.

A Little Piece of Heaven will debut on Oct. 19 and run until Oct. 22.  Until then, twice-weekly rehearsals will take place on Wednesdays and Sundays at the Constance and Buckham’s Bay Community Centre.

“If we’re getting behind, we’ll add in a Monday wherever we can beg borrow or steal a place to do it, “Wellman joked.

Some roles are still up for grabs, and Rural Root is always looking for new people to get involved – both behind the scenes and on stage.  Contact Rural Root at 613-839-3595 or visit their website at www.ruralroot.org for more details.