By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
PORT DOVER/PORT COLBORNE—Live theatre is back, and after a tough couple of years, the talented team of artists at Lighthouse Festival are hoping to inject some fun, laughter, and drama into your summer 2022 plans.
First up this season is Sugar Road, a musical comedy with a country twist that is currently playing at the Lighthouse Festival Theatre in Port Dover through June 4, 2022 and will then move to the Roselawn Theatre in Port Colborne from June 8 to 19.
Elana Post as Hannah Taylor and Jeffrey Wetsh as Jesse Emberly.
Lighthouse Festival’s Artistic Director Derek Ritschel has taken on directorial duties for the show, which was written by Ontario playwright Kristen Da Silva. Ritschel has a rich history with the theatre. Up until recently, he held the record for most performances by an actor on the Lighthouse stage.
On Sugar Road, he enthused, “It’s about hope. It is unapologetically a romantic comedy. We know this, the writer knows this, the actors know this.”
Ritschel broke down the show’s plot, which centres on country musician Jesse Emberley, who was just starting out when he played the Spurs and Hearts festival for the first time at Sugar Road Amusement Park. That was the night he met Hannah Taylor, spending one amazing evening together right before he left for the tour that would turn him into a country music superstar. Now, 12 years later, a chance opportunity to once again perform at his hometown festival will bring the two together for one more chance to see if that old spark is still there.
One of the themes in the show that Ritschel believes will resonate with audiences is its spirit of never giving up: “It’s never too late to change your course and choose your life, rather than just be a passenger.”
The show features original music written by Da Silva, who made recordings of her compositions that the cast used in the rehearsal process.
Speaking of that cast, Ritschel can’t wait for audiences to meet them: “We have two Stratford actors, Jeffrey Wetsh and Brad Rudy – they’re as good as it gets. We have a local actor, Elana Post – she’s been a professional actor for years and years all over the country and now she’s making her debut at Lighthouse, and then of course we have Sarah Quick,” said Ritschel. “She is in every sense of the word a comedian. She’s absolutely dynamite.”
Sarah Quick as Caroline Dawn and Elana Post as Hannah Taylor.
Lighthouse shows take time to put together. Ritschel explained how Sugar Road, and the other upcoming shows in Lighthouse’s summer festival, began life eight months ago: “In September we start designing the sets and the costumes. We hire professional set designers. We use maquettes, which are absolute to-scale miniature models…. You’ll see the model in the lobby and then when you walk into the theatre, you’ll be astonished at how accurate that model is. The designers draft within a millimetre, and then our carpenters build it to within a millimetre.”
He said behind the scenes, different departments coordinate on how to best utilize the set, noting how the lighting team works with the set designers so that light can be used throughout the show in several interesting ways, or how the set is painted in a way that highlights the costumes. Every detail of the show has been considered, thought over, and brought to life on the stage.
“Every theatre is only four walls; it’s no different than a cafeteria,” said Ritschel. “What makes it different are the people within it. That’s it. A theatre can be anywhere. It can be in a field, an auditorium like ours, it can be in a tent. It’s the volunteers, the staff, the patrons. That’s what makes a theatre special.”
He concluded, “The number one thing about Lighthouse is that it’s for everyone, period. It’s all about love, it’s all about laughter, and it’s for everyone. I hope when people come, they feel welcome, they feel safe, they know they can laugh, and that they’re in a space that loves and cherishes the idea of positivity and the joy of human spirit. That’s what makes it different than any other room.”
For more information on Sugar Road and the rest of Lighthouse’s 2022 season, including how to purchase tickets for both their Port Dover and Port Colborne locations, visit lighthousetheatre.com.
