A comedy set in the 1970s opens May 10 at the Aldergrove Secondary school drama theatre.
With a cast of only three females played by five theatre department students, The Mistress of Wholesome begins with a man’s mistress breaking into his home, where she is confronted by the wife. The mistress feels that the wife’s husband (a cardiologist) is falling out of love with her — and falling back in love with his wife.
The squeaky-clean Margaret (the wife) and free-spirited Gwen (the mistress) engage in an argument about Leland (the husband, Leland, who never enters the play as he is locked in the trunk of Gwen’s car). Gwen demands that Margaret help Leland fall back in love with Gwen — so that things can go back to “normal.”
Margaret is fine with this as long as Gwen will help her with a problem Margaret has: Family Services has an appointment to visit the home as Margaret and Leland want to adopt a baby.
Connie from Family Services then enters the scene, expecting Leland to be home with Margaret for their interview — to see if they are a good fit for a baby. Margaret and Gwen spend the remainder of the play covering up and lying to Connie, telling Connie that they are sisters.
They convince Connie that Leland can’t be at this important meeting because he is performing an emergency heart surgery.
In the end, Connie thinks that Margaret and Gwen are actually a couple (and that there is no Leland). She informs the women that she will do up the paperwork, and the baby will be theirs.
Margaret and Gwen celebrate over cake and ice cream, while Leland remains locked in Gwen’s trunk.
The production has two pairs of casts, who will take turns playing the roles, except for Sarrah Abassi, who plays “Margaret” in both productions. There were originally two students playing Margaret but one had to back out and so Abassi rose to the occasion, playing Margaret in all six presentations.
Neha Kumar and Rylee Steidle take turns at playing “Gwen,” and Kaxie Alejo and Mackenzie Laird alternate as “Connie.”
Technical crew members are Trevor Lam, Hardita Rai and Zach Wolflinger. Michelle Chan is in charge of costumes and make-up.
Director is Mike Mclaughlin, the school’s drama teacher.
Performance dates are May 10-11 and 15-18. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with curtain at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $5 at the door.
