A local playwright is getting serious with his next production.
After celebrating Vernon Winter Carnival with the fun and silly musical Mardi Gras Mayhem, Vernon’s Michael Poirier is bringing another one of his original scripts to the stage; this time with Posing for Mr. Wiser.
Written and directed by Poirier, who produces his original community productions under the Back Stage Theatre umbrella, the play is being entered into this year’s Okanagan Zone (OZone) Drama Festival, which takes place in Oliver May 21 to 28.
Before it heads to Oliver, Posing for Mr. Wiser will open at the Schubert Centre in Vernon for a dinner theatre run.
This is the second year Poirier has entered the OZone festival with one of his original productions. A finalist in the Theatre B.C. playwriting contest for the past three years, he wrote, produced and directed State of Confusion last year, which won a special merit award from Theatre B.C. in 2014.
A finalist in the 2013 Theatre B.C. playwriting competition, Poirier wrote Posing for Mr. Wiser in early-2010.
“I wanted to write a two-hander that wasn’t linear in nature. Creating multiple subplots while maintaining a constant flow is a challenge at the best of times, but when you’re following only two characters, it becomes fun,” said Poirier.
“Developing the characters early helped, but I still needed to keep some reveals to pull the audience along; reveals that would, hopefully, not be seen until I wanted them to.”
Similar to the David Mamet play Oleanna, Posing for Mr. Wiser features an older male character and a younger female character, both of whom are protagonists engaged in a bit of a power struggle.
“They are playing mind games with one another. It’s a cat and mouse scenario, but in this case it’s about who needs rescuing here and a platonic relationship develops,” said Poirier.
Although not seen on the stage, other characters bring issues and arcs of their own to the main characters’ story.
“In the end, the story is about individual decisions that we all make in life and afterthoughts about whether we can change if we are given a good reason,” said Poirier. “It also compels one to look at his/her own life when analyzing others and their choices.”
Local thespian Paul Lawson, known for his musical theatre roles at Powerhouse Theatre and most recently in Mardi Gras Mayhem, here plays Mr. Wiser, a retired RCMP officer who was injured on the job and has become an embittered alcoholic artist.
“He put himself through college doing sketches and now wants to paint the modern-age Mona Lisa. The problem is he can’t get anyone to stay for a sitting because he’s rude and drunk,” said Poirier.
After putting up an advertisement in the local art gallery and college, he receives a surprise visit from a 21-year-old student named Emily (played by Caitlin Norin, who has acted in a one-act play at Powerhouse and starred in the Creekside Players’ production of Grease.)
“She’s a strong, young girl who has had as rough a life as he has. He’s chosen to hide that reality in alcohol, but she’s becoming stronger,” said Poirier. “She comes to him for a specific reason and has an ulterior motive for being there. He can’t figure out the reason why she keeps wanting to come back… But when he finds out about it, he has to go along with it.”
With only a few rehearsals to go before opening night, Poirier says his two actors have already nailed their parts.
“I have worked with Paul before. He’s been in one of my short films and in my plays, and I can always count on him. Caitlin has turned into the absolute best Emily we could have asked for. She is peeling the character from the page and wearing her like wardrobe,” said Poirier.
Also helping on the production is stage manager Marnie Cullum, sound designer Keven Huffman, lighting designer Gus Hansen, Catherine Hansen, set decoration/props, Julie Armitage, wardrobe/hair, and production assistant Ellie Young.
Posing for Mr. Wiser takes the stage at the Schubert Centre May 19 to 21. Tickets are $45 at the Ticket Seller, 250-549-7469, www.ticketseller.ca. Doors open at 6 p.m. and dinner is at 6:30 p.m., with the performance at 7:30 p.m. Ticket price includes dinner and the show. Cash bar.
