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Bare Bear Bones is a laugh out loud comedy

Did you ever go camping, sleep under the stars and fry bacon on an open fire for breakfast? It sounds so beautiful and fun, if you’re young, right? Maybe not so much if you are older, so let’s try your brother Willy’s tent trailer! Now that should be more comfortable.

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Norman and Ruth want to rekindle their marriage so they plan to return to the place where they remember being in love, The Bear Bones Family Campground in Willy’s tent trailer, which had been used for years for everything except camping! They arrive at midnight, driving right past the sign that now reads: Bare Bones Alternative Lifestyle Campground. After a night of trying to set up the no longer pristine trailer, they were a wee bit tired by morning and had little fortitude to handle the fact that it is not the trees that are bare!

Distroscale

Theatre Tillsonburg is presenting Bare Bear Bones, a Canadian play by award winning Canadian Michael Grant, which is a delight to put on. He placed Norman and Ruth (Jason Parkins & Alex Graham) in a situation that most of us would not like to be – a nudist colony! The Nov. 7-10 and Nov. 14-17 play is about love, relationships, communications and you will laugh out loud at the antics of the couple who are freaked out with their situation. Not to worry, this is Tillsonburg and no one bribed me to make an error in the set design, so no birthday suits should be visible… I hope… tee hee!
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The fact that Norman and Ruth are very conservative empty nesters is one thing, but Ruth is also religious and not in away going to join in with the freedom this alternate lifestyle camping weekend could provide!

Also in our little nudist colony is their old friend Frank (Paul Bechard), who after the death of his wife discovered a new way to live and make the failing campground more profitable. And so Bare Bear Bones Nudist Camp was created. He is the father of Libby (Holly Thomson) now in her final year of medical studies and Annie (Carolyn James) who is attempting a career as an actress.

Campers include Lenny (Andrew Gregorio), the ultimate party dude, who works at a talent agency in the city, and Bruce (Jim Hill), a regional manager for a linen company, a typical travelling salesman who is happily married to Doris (Val Donnell), who after raising two boys decided they would do something out of their comfort zone at least once a year.

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In control of all campers on stage is director Doug Avram, new with Theatre Tillsonburg, and just in case you are hesitant about the show, Doug is a Pastor. Not being able to get a producer for this show, the Theatre Tillsonburg board have been filling in. The Stage Manager is Holly Thomson, who is also acting.

Designing a set for this show, which is a campground with a tent trailer on the stage and enough bushes and other items to mask our happy campers, was a very interesting project. The construction crew was thrilled not to have a big walled set to build this show! Anne Corcoran and friend Greta in set décor have made a beautiful campground. In charge of costumes (or lack of) is Breanna Kyle and Joan Weston has organized the props. The delightful sounds of the great outdoors are by Jeff Tripp. In lighting we have Super Boy, Ethan Cornish, a remarkable young teen who has been mentored by Peter Beechey.

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How many others does it take to put on a show? Well Sheila Tripp, Janet Orr, Ward Smith, Janice Lundy, Charlotte VanRoestell, Dianne Clark and Trudi Czerwinski. Some actors help technically and many of the crew also helped other areas. It takes a lot of people to produce a show.

You might ask, where does one get a tent trailer that we can put on stage? Well, this same trailer now in the custody of Theatre Tillsonburg has visited quite a few theatre groups in our area.

Bare Bear Bones runs Nov. 7-10 and Nov. 14-17. Shows are at a NEW TIME 7:30 p.m. except the Sunday Matinees at 2 p.m. and all seats are $22. They are available online at www.theatretillsonburg.com or at the Playhouse Saturday mornings from 10-12. Or call 519-688-3026 and leave a message.

It is also Subscription Series time and you can purchase all three 2019-20 shows for $65. You save some money, as the musical cost $27 separately, and you also get to choose your seats for Mamma Mia. There is a high demand for that show already but individual tickets do not go on sale until after February’s Birds and the Bees! So, save some money get all three shows and your Mamma Mia tickets now!

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