Spring 2015 – That Darn Plot!
by David Belkedirected by Ron Gardner
Winner of the 2000 Samuel French Canadian Playwriting Contest.
Mark W. Transom, one of the world’s greatest playwrights, is at the end of his rope. In order to fulfill his contract to artistic director and old friend Jo Harber, he has to create a play in one night or lose everything.
Half asleep and half drunk, Transom starts putting theatrical personalities he knows into a simple comedy about putting on a play. As the characters come to life before his eyes the play seems to be progressing well until, unbidden and without warning, Transom’s son Lloyd appears as a character and the play takes on a life of its own.
As the playwright struggles to maintain the upper hand, the out of control writing process brings him closer and closer to the heart of his estrangement with his son. Hilarious and heartfelt, That Darn Plot is a comedy about playwriting, rehearsals, rewriting and rehabilitating reality as well as a sympathetic look at a creative writer who is unable to connect with the people around him, including his only child.
That Darn Plot was originally produced by Shadow Theatre at the 1998 Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival directed by James DeFelice.
| Role | Description | Played By |
|---|---|---|
| Mark W. Transom | The Playwright, author of “The Cardboard Box” |
 Ivo Mokros |
| Geoffrey Regeant | Actor playing Martin, the father in “The Cardboard Box” |
 Lee Powell |
| Ivy Schreiver | The stage manager |
 Lisa Maranta |
| Jo Harber | Artistic director of The Harvest Theatre, director of “The Cardboard Box” |
 Tracy Facchin |
| Lloyd Transom | Son of Mark W. Transom and representative of his estate. An electrical engineer |
 Peter Veale |
| Russell Croft | Actor playing Lorne, the son in “The Cardboard Box” |  |
Director: Ron Gardner
Producer: Barb O’Dell and Helen Weeden
Stage Manager: Sasha Gardner
Check out the Program for all crew positions
Click to view the photo album.