Meet Cameron Johnston, Stage Manager for Silver Spotlight Theatre’s Into The Woods

by Richard Young

“Once upon a time, when I was waiting to go on stage for the first performance of my first acting role (I was the lead in a play called “To Die For” by London playwright Tim Bourgard), I was so intrigued by what was going on backstage that I forgot to be nervous about the prospect of spending the next thirty-seven minutes lying in a hospital bed, centre-stage, in front of a theatre full of people.

Fast forward to the present, and I find myself calling the show for Silver Spotlight Theatre’s most ambitious work to date – Stephen Sondheim’s fractured fairy tale, Into The Woods. I am chuffed to be working with such an enthusiastic cast and crew as we prepare for this, Sondheim’s most-performed, and perhaps most demanding stage production.

If there is one character I truly admire, not just in this production, but in the world of fairy tales, in general, it would have to be Jack, of Jack-and-the-Beanstalk fame. I am touched by his innocence and his bravado as he encounters and then slays the Giant. Jack also tries to be a dutiful son to his widowed (or abandoned) mother, but he is a lonely kid; his best friend in the whole wide world is a baffed-out cow named Milky White.

Being part of Silver Spotlight Theatre has changed my life as much as my first foray onto the stage did way back when. More importantly, the group has been a game-changer for community theatre everywhere. We have shown London and the world that there is still a lot of life, talent, enthusiasm, and energy left in these over-55 thespians.

SST has been such a hoot that I wish I had done it 30 years ago, but then, I would have been too young to meet the age-55 cutoff point. Some things really do get better with age!”

Cam

Silver Spotlight Theatre’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods, opens on November 21 and runs until December 1 at the Auburn Theatre. For tickets and more information, visit https://www.mtplondon.ca/into-the-woods

Rehearsals for Silver Spotlight Theatre’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods are in full swing.

by Richard Young

Rehearsals for Silver Spotlight Theatre’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods are in full swing and will continue throughout the summer and fall.

Into The Woods is a playful and enchanting yet perilous woodland adventure that follows some of the Grimm Brothers’ most beloved fairytale characters like Cinderella, Jack, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, a wolf, a giant, and even a handsome prince or two, as they search for their wishes. Their stories collide in the woods where things don’t always appear as they seem.

For more information about the play, visit mtplondon.ca

The play opens on November 21 at the Auburn Theatre (downstairs at the Grand Theatre) and runs until December 1. Tickets go on sale soon.

Do you recognize any of the following folks?

Doris and Ivy in the Home is classic Norm Foster

by Richard Young

Val Cavalini and I saw Norm Foster’s Doris and Ivy in the Home at Huron Country Playhouse on Opening Night, Thursday, July 11. After reading the description on the Drayton Entertainment site we didn’t know what to expect and hoped it would not be a play depicting seniors in a stereotypical, ageist light.

Instead, we were treated to a hilarious, but in places quite serious, play about the interactions between three very disparate characters in a posh retirement home in Canmore, Alberta.

Retired prison guard Doris Mooney (played uproariously by Valerie Boyle), Ivy Hoffbauer, a former champion skier (played by Elva Mai Hoover), and Arthur Beech, a dapper, retired academic (played by Rob McClure) keep the action and dialogue flowing for the play’s two hours.

As the Drayton Entertainment site says, it is a refreshing comedy and a testament to living each day to the fullest – regardless of age or stage.

Highly recommended.

Silver Spotlight Theatre announces Cast for Into The Woods.

by Richard Young

Hot on the heels of its sold-out production of Grease, London’s Silver Spotlight Theatre’s third show, Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods, now has its Cast in place.

“I am very excited to be part of Into the Woods. We auditioned many talented people from London and the surrounding area,” says director Rick Smith. “As a result, we have some original Silver Spotlight performers, some folks who haven’t been a part of a Musical Theatre Productions show in several years, and some first-timers with this group. Seeing Silver Spotlight Theatre grow and bring new members to the local theatre community is wonderful. I can hardly wait to begin rehearsing.”

A complete Cast List can be viewed on the Musical Theatre Productions website www.mtplondon.ca

Into The Woods is a playful and enchanting yet perilous woodland adventure that follows some of the Grimm Brothers’ most beloved fairytale characters like Cinderella, Jack, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, a wolf, a giant, and even a handsome prince or two, as they search for their wishes. Their stories collide in the woods where things don’t always appear as they seem.

Rehearsals begin on Sunday, July 14, and continue throughout the summer and fall. The play opens at the Auburn Theatre on November 21 and continues until December 1, 2024. Tickets go on sale soon.

Co-founded by Art Fidler and Rick Smith in 2022, Silver Spotlight Theatre is a branch of London’s Musical Theatre Productions. It features and is produced by performers and staff 55+ with a mission of presenting full-scale Broadway musicals.

Into The Woods Is presented through a special Music Theatre International (MTI) arrangement. All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.www.mtishows.com.

Media Inquiries: Richard Young, Into The Woods Publicity & Program Head, 519-432-6986, richardyoung51@rogers.com

Mary-Ellen Willard on Into The Woods

by Richard Young

Mary-Ellen Willard on Into The Woods

Mary-Ellen Willard, adHOME Creative partner and Babes In Arms and Grease cast member, on Silver Spotlight Theatre’s next production, Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods:

“Our adHOME team was thrilled to help create the Silver Spotlight brand and launch it through their first two sold-out productions. Now, with Into The Woods, we have an opportunity to bring these magical fairy tale characters and stories to life,” says Executive Creative Director Mary-Ellen Willard. “Sondheim’s words remind us to choose our paths thoughtfully.”

As they did for Babes In Arms and Grease, Mary-Ellen’s agency will create the Into The Woods conceptual design, program, and advertising sales sheet, and provide social media banner graphics.

Into The Woods will be staged at the Auburn Theatre in November 2024. More information about the play can be found on the Musical Theatre Productions website: www.mtplondon.ca

Into The Woods is presented through a special Music Theatre International (MTI) arrangement. All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.www.mtishows.com.