Comment: Lakefront (The Slotkin Letter)

Alas closed: Sept. 22. Played at Lighthouse Festival, Port Colborne, Ont. but worth a comment.

By Lynn Slotkin | The Slotkin Letter

September 25, 2024

Written by Norm Foster

Directed by Jeffrey Wetsch

Set by Eric Bunnell

Costumes by Alex Amini

Lighting by Kevin Fraser

Starring: Terry Barna (who jumped in for Ralph Small who injured his knee)

Melodee Finlay

Derek Ritschel

Imagine it, a comedy about senior citizens? Whoda thought it? Well, playwright Norm Foster of course. And artistic director, Derek Ritschel who was wise enough to programme it for the Lighthouse Festival.

Christine (Melodee Finlay) and Robert (Terry Barna) are strangers who meet at a wedding. Both are single and lonely. They seem to hit it off, although we are told that there was ‘some’ liquid refreshment that made them brave. They decided so see if they were still sexy and attractive to the other and planned to take off two days and spend it together in a rustic cabin by a Lakefront. Sex was the object. One doubted they were there to discuss Schopenhauer.

We meet them as they arrive at the cabin and are shown around by Duane, the buoyant but awkward son of the owners who are away. Duane seems to burst into the place at inopportune times. That’s part of his charm and the humour of the piece. We learn that Robert is 70 and divorced and Christine is 68. The place is called Lakefront although one can’t see the lake from the cabin. Duane says that the lake receded eons ago, but the name stuck.

While Robert and Christine are a bit awkward, they are also intelligent, funny characters who have life experience on their side. They know why they are there. They have easy and believable banter and both have a keen sense of humour. It does help that their creator is Norm Foster, who knows his way around a quip and a funny laugh-line.

The production is directed with a wonderful sense of wit by Jeffrey Wetsch. The humour of Robert and Christine is never forced thanks to the wonderful performances of Terry Barna as Robert and Melodee Finlay as Christine. A note: Robert was originally to be played by Ralph Small but a few days before he injured his knee and had to leave the show. Terry Barna saved the day and with two days notice began doing the show, with the script in his hand. For my performance (two days after jumping in) Terry Barna hardly consulted the script at all. His manner is easy, funny, laid-back and full of nuance. As Christine, Melodee Finlay matches him with finesse and understatement and that makes her all the funnier. Rounding out the cast is Derek Ritschel as Duane, who pops into the cabin without knocking, without a clue and full of awkward humour. Lovely.

The set by Eric Bunnell is quirky and appropriate for a play that is quirky too. Alex Amini’s costumes are casual for Robert and Christine. Duane always wears over-warm hat and clothes and is so wide-eyed odd, he’s hilarious.

There is a sweet gentleness to Lakefront. It’s full of the wisdom and humour of people looking to get on with life as joyfully as possible, ideally with someone as searching and as funny as Robert and Christine.

The play closed Sept. 22, but it deserved comment.