For Surrey’s Naked Stage Productions, script-readings of “Love Loss and What I Wore” serve as a season-opening salute to Jim Trimble.
A co-founder of the reader’s theatre company, Trimble died last April at age 91 after many retirement years of award-winning volunteer work in Surrey’s entertainment world.
Ahead of a three-show run Nov. 4-6 at Newton Cultural Centre, Colleen McGoff Dean directs five actors in “Love Loss and What I Wore,” a comedy-drama by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron, based on the book by Ilene Beckerman.
Loved by Trimble, it’s a play of monologues and ensemble pieces about women, clothes and memory.
“We performed this show five years ago, then directed by one of our co-founders, Ed Milaney,” Dean explains in a post on Naked Stage’s website. “I had the privilege of being in that production, my first show with Naked Stage.
“We are bringing it back for a very special reason: to honour our founder and past president, Jim Trimble, who passed away last spring,” she adds. “Before Jim passed, we asked him to choose the opening show for this season, and this was his choice. It is with love and gratitude to Jim, and his wife Pat, that we share with you the amazing talents of five new performers in this thoughtful, funny, and poignant production.”
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
In reading roles, Naked Stage’s 2022 version of the play will feature Kelly Thompson, Jayme Russell, Rebecca Harrison, Kathleen Hatley and Erin Parks. Read their bios on nspsociety.com, where tickets can be purchased for the three performances, at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4 and 5 (Friday/Saturday), and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6.
While the theatre company name might imply an erotic happening, it’s the stage that’s naked, not the performers, for Naked Stage productions.
“Our performances don’t have movement, extensive lighting, sound systems or props,” notes a post on the company website. “The stage is bare except for actors sitting on stools and music stands holding their scripts. This method has been used for decades, mainly in universities and schools; it also has special appeal to seniors who liken it to old-time radio, where the audience had to listen carefully to fully understand the story.”
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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