HARRISTON – It will be ‘panda-monium’ on stage when the Grey Wellington Theatre Guild stages the offbeat comedy, The Revenge of the Space Pandas or Binky Rudich and the Two-Speed Clock.
The one-act comedy is a special GWTG youth production this weekend. With director Megan Raftis leading a cast of young actors ranging in age from 6 to 16, drawn from Harriston, Palmerston, Clifford, Durham, and Drayton areas, the production will showcase young talent in the area.
Written by David Mamet, the story revolves around earthlings Vivian and Binky and their friend, Bob the Sheep, and their adventures on the planet Crestview. On Crestview, Supreme Ruler George Topax is out to capture Bob the Sheep with the help of the Space Pandas.
An acclaimed playwright, Mamet is best know for more serious works. He received a Pulitzer Prize, and a Tony nomination for Glengarry Glen Ross (1984). As a screenwriter, he received Oscar nominations for The Verdict (1982) and Wag the Dog (1997). In Revenge of the Space Pandas he displays a touch for quirky humour.
“It’s an hilarious play,” stated Raftis, adding that adults will enjoy the production as much as the younger crowd. “Much of the humour is actually more aimed at adults. It’s almost (Monty) Pythonesque.”
Staging the production through the summer allowed the guild to cast many of the 60-plus hopefuls who came to the spring audition for the guild’s fall production of the musical Annie.
“We knew that we would get a great turnout for the Annie auditions and felt this was an excellent opportunity to allow more young people to be involved in a show. It’s also important for the guild to expose a new audience to the fun and magic of live theatre,” said president Peggy Raftis.
Although she has handled numerous backstage and on-stage roles with the GWTG, Megan Raftis noted she has really benefitted in her first turn in the director’s chair, from the wealth of experience provided by seasoned guild members, including her mother, Peggy, veteran director Patrick Smith, and GWTG artistic director Richard Jaunzemis.
The play will be staged Aug. 14, with performances at 2 and 7:30pm and on Aug. 15 at 2. Tickets are available for $5 at Harriston Home Hardware or by calling the GWTG box office at 519 338-2778.
