The Cornerstone Theatre Group wove its magic again this past weekend, with two dinner theatres April 26 and 27, and a matinee April 28, to the delight of theatre goers.
The Trouble with Cats was set in a lakefront home, and featured the story of two couples, both hired to housesit for a month.
While the first couple to arrive, Ivy and Phillip Julian (portrayed by Denise Singleton and David Slykhuis) is older, and a little staid, the second couple, Sunshine and River (Bryanne Forcier and Monte McNaughton), are young, vegan, new age and very free spirited.
Throw in Nelson Bombay (Fred Perry), a quirky man training to be a game show contestant and his somewhat flirty, sexually frustrated wife Joy (Bertha Isleifson); three sisters doing a renovation at the lake house and a mysterious PJ and you never know quite what might happen.
While all of the cast were fantastic, Kyle Bye stole the show as the mysterious PJ, aka Parker John, who sauntered about throughout the play, unobserved by the house sitters. Since his hosts were convinced the feeding schedule they had been given was for a cat, PJ regularly found a wonderful bowl of tuna salad hidden around the house. While the two couples learned to live with each other, there was definitely some tension between them, particularly amongst the men.
Throw in a contractor, Mitzi Cheshire (Debbie Sorensen) and Amos (Craig Seville), her ex-husband with “benefits,” a sister, Noelle Cheshire (Laurie Fornwald), who belongs to an order that vows chastity, and a third sister, Onie Cheshire (Wendy McNaughton), who is very simple-minded, and the audience had a laugh-filled production of entertainment.
While the homeowner, Joanna Birman (Candy Bye) along with Amos, are only on stage for a brief time, they play their parts to perfection. With laughter, some grief, and intrigue, the cast and crew wend their way to a happy ending.
Shelley and David Slykhuis donated their time and services to prepare the meal as well for the evening.
