It is unlikely 18 holes of golf have ever been as hilarious and laugh-out-loud funny as they are when experienced through Drayton Entertainment’s production of The Men’s Foursome.
Though the production is exclusively set at the tee-off site of all 18 holes, golf lovers and golf haters alike will enjoy the witty banter and camaraderie that unfolds on stage when four college best buds meet up for a game of golf after their 20-year college reunion.
Despite the ups and downs and the twists and turns, the Norm Foster comedy, on stage at St. Jacob’s Country Playhouse, leaves the audience feeling as if they too have been friends with Donnie, Cameron, Ted and Rick for over 20 years.
The golf game begins the morning after the reunion, with the four friends seemingly picking up where they left off when they separated after college. However, as teams are formed and bets are made, each character shows their life isn’t as perfect as they’d like it to seem.
Ted, the computer salesman, played by Dan Payne, on first appearance was the fun-loving, party-boy of the group, offering Cameron and Rick beer (not permitted on the course) within the first few moments of play.
As the golf game progresses Ted’s friends learn what has led him to his carefree lifestyle and they see that everything isn’t perfect in his world.
Payne gives the play’s standout performance, acting in the role with such ease and confidence that it was difficult to decipher where the character ended and the man began. His lines were delivered with precision timing and he exuded the laid back, confident demeanor that Ted was trying to portray to his friends in a seemingly effortless fashion.
Rick, the luxury boat salesman played by Richard Quesnel, quickly rubs the audience the wrong way with his boastful personality, over-the-top facial expressions and rude comments, making the audience love to hate him. As the play progresses circumstances give insight into why Rick is the way he is, but are also taken away with the blink of an eye, leaving the observer unsure of just where he stands.
Quesnel played the role perfectly, staying in character even when he was not in the spotlight, leaving the audience wondering how close to real life his character actually is. Quesnel played Rick with sarcasm and precision, earning the audience’s hate – and respect for his acting ability – at the same time.
After arriving to the golf game late, Donnie, the family man played by Jacob James, spends the majority of the performance talking about his wife and children. However, he too has secrets that are revealed as the game is played out.
James was beyond believable as the family man. But even more to his credit James followed through with his character in even the smallest ways. As the worst golfer of the group, Donnie rents clubs and is consistently asking his friends which one he should use. At one point James was at the very back of the stage, not part of the action, but he could be seen inspecting his bag and his friends’ bags with a look of confusion and bewilderment on his face. It’s a testament to his acting ability that he was able to draw the audience’s eye even when he wasn’t involved in the scene’s main action sequence.
In fact, James even made sure he picked up his golf bag backwards, each time, further implanting the idea that he was a newbie golfer.
Cameron, the convenor of the golf game, played by James Kall, spends the game struggling to re-live the glory years of college with his best buds, even going so far as to try to convince them that they should sing a Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons song from their past. As the game moves along the audience learns just why it’s so important to Cameron to spend time with his old friends.
Of all four actors, Kall was the least believable in his role. While he hit all of his lines and his timing and pacing were spot on, he seemed somewhat uncomfortable in the role of Cameron and at times overacted.
However, when interacting all four actors have such a strong dynamic the audience becomes lost in the friendship struggles, sometimes forgetting they’re watching actors on a stage and not reality.
On a set that could have quickly become boring, director Max Reimer had the actors enter and exit at different points, giving the illusion they were leaving one hole and arriving at the next, despite the set never changing.
However, because the entire play was set at the tee-off area the audience never actually learned how the players did on each hole. They learned how far the ball was hit because the actors often looked out above the audience to follow the ball’s progress, and Cameron often tells the par and distance of each hole, but the audience is left wondering how each character performed.
That being said, the set itself was actually quite extraordinary. Set designer Douglas Paraschuk laid artificial turf on the stage floor and had it lined up with a realistic backdrop, giving the illusion of a much bigger stage with the course appearing to extend out beyond the walls of the St. Jacob’s Country Playhouse.
Drayton Entertainment scored a hole-in-one with this uproarious comedy about four friends reconnecting after 20 years. Men and women, whether golf lover or golf hater, will enjoy The Men’s Foursome, which is running at St. Jacob’s Country Playhouse until July 29.
Regular performance tickets are $44 for adults and $26 for youth under 20 years of age. Tickets for groups of 20 or more are $36. HST is applicable to all ticket prices. Tickets may be purchased in person at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, online at www.stjacobscountryplayhouse.com or by calling the box office at 519-747-7788 or toll free at 1-855-372-9866.
