At last....

From the Orangeville Banner, a little slow to be written and posted to their online edition:



George Masswohl and Sharron Matthews shine in Rope's End.

Hope, humour key to play's success
Tuesday February 19 2008
BY Ashley Goodfellow



ROPE'S END

THEATRE ORANGEVILLE

As I exited Rope's End, Theatre Orangeville's current production, I overheard one person objecting to the "unrealistic" nature of the play, and how this particular story would never unfold in real life as it did on stage.

Perhaps that's true; however, these grievances were the exact reasons I peg it a success -- it's a story that drops its guard and moves blindly on hope: romantic hope, desperate hope, and even neurotic hope.

Writer Douglas Bowie navigates the "you never know" factor with charm, comedy and a loveable lead character -- Toby Boone (played by George Masswohl).

Toby, a middle-aged film critic, is the kind of guy who can't catch a break. He's lonely, forlorn and contemplating what life has left to offer when he discovers a photo of his first love, Marisa.

For 31 years he's been cursed with his memories of this teenage love affair -- and with nothing else to lose, he sets out to see her.

What Toby isn't prepared for is the emotional upheaval when reality and fantasy overlap.

Toby is easy to like; he has an awkward charm about him. He's desperate, uncomfortable and lacking in social skills. (He often turns to quotes and catch phrases from films to express himself.) But you can see glimpses of a lovesick optimist beneath his sometimes-gloomy demeanor -- and this is what keeps you rooting for him.

Masswohl (who appeared in Theatre Orangeville's production of One Moment) embodies Toby with ease, lumbering and bumbling on stage, maintaining a permanent air of defeat about him. He's a pleasure to watch -- and he's remarkable at delivering the lyrical, stream of consciousness type script he's been given.

The play is a two-hander, and Masswohl's real life spouse, Sharron Matthews, takes on the opposite role of Marisa. Matthews is creative and resourceful as Marisa, and she carries herself expertly through the demanding aspects of the role.

An exciting feature of the set for Rope's End is the use of a projection screen -- it facilitates the plot by effectively setting up Toby's fantasies and memories.

Despite the sometimes-serious nature of the story, there are several laugh-out-loud moments and a twist or two that will take the audience by surprise. And while the final outcome may be a tad neat and tidy, I think it reinforces the moral of the story: a shred of hope goes a long way, when you're at the end of your rope.

Rope's End runs at Theatre Orangeville until March 2. For tickets, call Theatre Orangeville at 519-942-3423.