A young punk was off on a farcical adventure to discover who his father is after his mother told him on his 18th birthday that he didn’t really die climbing the Himalayas. With mistaken identities, zany characters, and people continually trying to explain situations away led to a comical evening at Cornerstone Theatre’s annual dinner theatre. Directors Dianne Twietmeyer and Joan Bue, presented the play, “It Runs in the Family,” with a wonderful cast.
Laughter rang through Carlyle Memorial Hall as the cast performed. The entire play was set in the Doctors’ Common Room at St. Andrew’s Hospital in London on Dec. 22. Dr. David Mortimore (Lane Easton) was preparing to deliver the Ponsonby Lecture, which comes with a lot of prestige. However, his preparation is first interrupted by his wife, and later by a woman named Jane Tate (Laurie Fornwald). Dr. Mortimore recognizes Jane as the woman he had an affair with approximately 18 years ago. Tate explains it was more like 18 years and nine months ago.
The news that Dr. Mortimore has a son does not go over well and as people come and go from the Common Room lies told by Dr. Mortimore are twisted into tall tales as he attempts to explain away Jane’s presence at the hospital.
With his son Leslie (Matt Gesell) looking for him and a police sergeant (Jesse Twietmeyer) searching for an erratic Leslie, shenanigans ensue as Dr. Mortimore confides in Dr. Hubert Bonney (Shannon Klatt) who pretends to be Leslie’s father.
Big laughs came from supporting characters including Matron (Bertha Isleifson) who chased Leslie with a very, very large needle filled with sedative. The chase took them outside, on the window ledge, where Leslie wrestles the needle away from Matron and gives her the dose meant for him. The incredible set design (constructed by Paul and Dianne Twietmeyer, Marion Biram, and Dough Waldner) coupled with great acting brought a lot of laughter as Matron, Jane, and Leslie all find themselves out on the ledge as Dr. Mortimore and Dr. Bonney draw attention from them inside the Common Room.
Bill (Craig Savill) also brought many laughs as he was mistaken as a husband of Jane’s. As an elderly man he sat and listened to the doctors’ conversations, but as the doctors attempted to cover their lies while talking to the police sergeant, Bill would have none of it.
Other characters included Dr. Mike Connolly (Mike Logan), Rosemary Mortimore (Colleen Easton), Sir Willoughby Drake (David Slykhuis), Nurse (Melissa Savill), and Mother (Megan McAuley). Each one brought humour and a unique twist to the storyline.
Lights and sound were operated by Doug Waldner, decorating of the hall was up to Marilyn Carter and Marion Biram, while make-up for the actors was done by Jossalyn McConnell.
In addition to the hilarity that was the performance (April 8-10), David and Shelley Slykhuis with help from family served up a delicious roast beef meal for the theatre goers on the Friday and Saturday nights.
Don Carter with Cornerstone Theatre said that numbers for attendance ranged, but there were approximately 140 people for both the Friday and Saturday productions, while around 160 came out on Sunday to enjoy the production.
“Thank you from Cornerstone Theatre to all those who came out,” Carter said. “We are very grateful to our audiences for their continued support.”
