Lottie Wilkins, has grown tired of her marriage to Mellersh Wilkins. Instead of putting up with another dreary spring with him in London, she and a girlfriend decide to spend April in a castle in Italy.
To help save on costs, they invite two other women on this journey of self-discovery, and so the story of Enchanted April unfolds. It sounds like a completely modern dilemma, but the story is set in the 1920s.
Local actor Dann Wilhelm takes on the role of Mellersh in the performance put on by the Langley Players from Jan. 21 to Feb 20.
“I am one of the husbands, Mellersh,” Wilhelm said.
“He’s a family solicitor, so he’s very much business minded. He likes his routine. He’s very old school… it very much reveals how Charlotte [Lottie] is unhappy.”
A resident of Langley for a little over a year, Wilhelm has been part of the Langley Players in the past when he played Jim in a production about homeless men, Jim & Shorty. Wilhelm has won two Community Theatre Coalition awards, both for best leading actor in a musical for his 2003 performance in The Pirates of Penzance and his 2004 performance in The Gondoliers.
“The script is so well written, I don’t feel like I’m acting,” said Wilhelm of his role. “Except putting on an accent.”
He has been acting for about 25 years and jumped at the opportunity when the director, Marko Hohlbein, and producers asked him to join the cast of Enchanted April. There are eight cast members, which is relatively large for a small theatre production.
“The dressing room is a bit crowded… but it’s nice,” Wilhelm noted. “I don’t think there’s any scene where all eight of us are on stage at the same time. It’s a different dynamic with a larger group. It’s so much fun.”
While personal problems and dissatisfaction with life are at the core of the play, Wilhelm notes that this is a production with a happy ending.
“I think it’s very hopeful,” he said. “Things can get better in your life if you’re not happy. Everything, I think, turns for the better for everyone.”
Tickets for Enchanted April are $15 and can be purchased through the tickets tab at langleyplayers.com.
Two lucky Langley Advance readers will each win a pair of tickets to Enchanted April at the Langley Playhouse running until Feb. 20.
How do you win?
• Click here, and tell us why you want to attend this show. You will be entered into the draw.
Preference will be given to Langley residents.
Postings must be received prior to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19, and the winner will be notified by email and/or phone. No staff or family of the Langley Advance or Black Press are eligible. This giveaway is restricted to online participants, 19 years or older only. Must include name and phone number.
