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Liars at a Funeral – 2025

To Kill a Curse Reviewed by Vicki Stokes You’d better be on your toes when you begin watching Liars at a Funeral, now on the South Huron Stage at Huron Country Playhouse. Previously on stage in St. Jacobs from June 25th to July 12th,​ this hilarious comedy can now be enjoyed at Grand Bend. This wild farce has nine characters, seemingly, or eleven if you want to get technical. However, look closely and you will see that some characters bear striking resemblances to other characters, and the funeral parlour set never hosts more than five people. Cleverly written, ingeniously acted, Liars at a Funeral lets you watch and laugh as the characters deal with a family curse while numerous secrets are revealed. Mary Pitt plays Mavis, a mother and grandmother who fakes her death in an attempt to get her family together to break the family curse. Truthfully, there is no way to get everyone together because of the double roles, but watch as they cleverly work around that problem! Leorah is the professional, take-charge yet seductive executive director of the funeral home, played by Jan Alexandra Smith. Smith also plays Mavis’ daughter Evelyn, who has a secret life and whose twin daughters have issues to resolve. The daughters, DeeDee and Mia, played by Alison Beckwith, both have secrets and need to reconcile with one another. Actor Mark Crawford, who is also a brilliant playwright, plays Evelyn’s ex-husband Wayne, while also posing as Evelyn’s boyfriend Frank. Fuad Ahmed plays Quint, who is trying to claw his way up the funeral business ladder, and Cam, who works for Bell Canada. Both Quint and Cam are involved with Evelyn’s daughters. All of the actors excel in distinguishing each role through wardrobe, hairstyle changes, voice and mannerisms. They flawlessly switch roles and appear ...
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Mary's Musings

Young Star of Annie has a Very Bright Tomorrow!

Annie By Mary Alderson “This is not your Granny’s Annie.” So says 11-year-old Harper Rae Asch, who has the role of Annie at Stratford’s Festival Theatre. By that, she means It isn’t like productions you may have seen in the past, nor is it like the movie versions. Harper knows; she has watched the various movies, and she took in the U.S. national tour version live on stage. So, in the young actor’s opinion, what makes Stratford’s Annie different? “There are lots of dance breaks, with flips and tricks,” she explains. That’s not a surprise. With Donna Feore as the Director/Choreographer, one can expect her trademark impressive dance numbers. Harper also hints that the characters’ appearances might not follow the traditional looks that were originally based on the Little Orphan Annie comic strip which debuted in 1924, Yes, Harper wears a red wig (in fact, she has two of them) but it might not look quite the same as the tousled curly bright red hair you’ve seen on past Annies, Harper was shocked and then thrilled when she was offered the iconic role in Annie, “It took a moment to process because there were so many talented children at the audition. It was a nation-wide call,” she says. Some of those girls now share the stage with her, as orphans in Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Harper is no stranger to being on stage. At age 5, she appeared in the show, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Since she was 9, she has been doing voice-overs for animated TV shows. “She has a career ahead of her: she’s a mini-star,” says Stratford Festival’s Publicity Director Ann Swerdfager. “She is a remarkable human being, packed with talent, and her beautiful composure and poise take her to the next level. Plus, she’s super-smart,” Swerdfager ...
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