Sexy laundry

Middle-aged couple tries to rekindle the romance

After twenty-five years of marriage and raising three children, Henry and Alice’s relationship has become stale and predictable, or so Alice thinks. Armed with a library copy of Sex for Dummies—and other items—she books a room in a swanky hotel for a romantic weekend getaway. Henry, however, is less enthused. What follows is a revelation for both of them, as told in the play Sexy Laundry to be staged at Mount Tabor Playhouse in Milford this weekend and next week . The play, by Vancouver playwright Michelle Riml, was brought to director’s Cheryl Singer attention by Colleen Simm, who plays Alice. Ms. Singer thought that the play would be a perfect summer offering, as it has just two actors in the cast, and particularly since many of the local community theatre members are involved in the production of In the Key of Blue, which will be staged at the Regent Theatre at the beginning of July.

Ms. Singer has had a lot of experience in community theatre, both as an actor and as a director. She has appeared in The Sweet Delilah Swim Club and Steel Magnolias, among others, and has directed a number of plays, including The Legend of Georgia McBride and On Golden Pond. She said that the choice of being an actor or being the director is made when she first reads a script. “When I’m reading it and I can see it playing out and I can see the pictures being created and I can hear the actors speaking, then I know it’s one I’d like to direct. If I read it and a character jumps out at me and I think it would be fun to play, then I go that way,” she said. She enjoys directing because she said it’s fun to translate those pictures in her mind onto the stage. “My directing style is helping the actors with those little nuances of how to speak, how to look at each other how I would like them to move, whether to be close of far apart. It’s almost like creating my own vision of the story as I get them to move and ‘dance’. When I see it work, it’s just beautiful,” she said.

This play is a “two-hander”, and Ms. Singer immediately thought of Ms. Simm and Thomas Harrison for the roles, and she said they were “ready, willing and able”. Colleen Simm has had over 35 years of experience in community theatre, the past six years of which was in the County. She said the story was very relatable, with themes that hit home. She describes her character Alice as a typical woman who gets to a certain age where she’s feeling a little more selfconscious and less youthful—and less beautiful—and she’s looking at her husband to reassure her. “But the fact is that it’s not your husband who’s going to reassure you, you have to find it from within. She’s looking to re-spark their relationship, but she learns a lot about herself,” she said. Ms. Simm said the playwright gives clues to Alice’s character within the text, but she also drew on her own experiences in a 30-plus-year marriage, as well as her friends’ lives to round out her own interpretation. She added that Ms. Singer has been immensely helpful. “She made sure we were comfortable with each other. There’s a lot of touching and husband-and-wife kind of interaction. There is also a lot of emotional content, a lot of ups and downs.” There are many comedic moments in the play, but Ms. Simm said that’s because the characters are being their normal selves. “The audience will perceive it as funny, but the characters certainly won’t. They’re just being real.”

Thomas Harrison has been involved in community theatre for only about three years, fulfilling a dream from his younger days to be an actor. His first audition did not result in getting a part in the play, but the director asked him to try out for a subsequent play, where he got the part. “I had so much fun and I thought this is something I want to do more of. It’s a real chance to be creative in a different way. I’m also a writer, so I get to see the dramatic presentation of roles and that helps me with my writing. It’s also very therapeutic. So much of what you do is having to think about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, and it helps you self-reflect on your own journey,” he said. He said his character in this play is similar to his own age and place in his life—he recently celebrated his 36th wedding anniversary. He noted that the playwright wrote this play when she was in her 20s after imagining what it would be like 15 or so years into her then-new relationship.

He said the play will appeal to people in his own age group, who can look back upon a long relationship, but it has a young person’s perspective. “Young people will appreciate the perspective and the reflection the characters go through on stage. It’s very moving.”

Ms. Singer said the play is not a farcical laugh-out-loud comedy, but there are real-life situations that will draw laughs. “You’ll say, ‘Oh my goodness, I’ve been in that situation.’ But there are also some beautiful, tender moments as well that get created through these two actors.” She said the small Mount Tabor venue is ideal for a play like this. “It’s easier to see the facial expressions of the actors; you can see the little nuances in a look or a glance or a touch.” She said that this is a play about relationships and will appeal to all ages. “If you’ve ever been in love, if you’ve ever had your heart broken, or if you’ve ever seen someone in a long-term relationship, you’ll enjoy this play. The real message is that relationships take work, and I think that’s the real beauty of this play,” she said. Ms. Simm was much more succinct. “Come on out and see this play,” she said. There are performances at Mount Tabor Playhouse in Milford on June 6, 10, 12 and 13 at 7:30 pm, and June 7 and 14 at 2 p.m. For tickets, please visit pecommtheatre.ca.