Experience the power of friendship through ITOPA’s ‘In the Restrooms at Rosenblooms’

(Left to right) Michelle Murphy, Carrie Watts, and Crystal Paul star as a trio of women who meet up at Rosenblooms every day in ITOPA's 'In the Rest Room at Rosenblooms.’ (Emily Stewart Photo)

Emily Stewart, Echo Correspondent

The latest Ingersoll Theatre of Performing Arts (ITOPA) gives a look at how long-term friendships can help overcome any obstacles.

ITOPA will present the feel-good friendship comedy In the Restrooms at Rosenblooms by Ludmilla Bollow from Feb. 27 to March 2. The play centers on three women in their sixties, Myrah, Violet, and Winnifred during the 1970s as they meet in the lounge area of a department store restroom.

"It's a heartwarming play about friendship, about memories,” said director Vanessa Page. “About a strong bond between three women who meet every single day and just talk about their lives and their hardships and how their friendship has pulled them through hard times.”

In the Restrooms at Rosenblooms features eight actors, including five who are making their debut on stage. Although the seven-week rehearsal period is much shorter than ITOPA’s usual three-month-long rehearsals, the cast is having a great time learning the play.

“They are enjoying it which always makes the rehearsal better,” Page said. “Even if you make mistakes and you embrace your mistake, learn from it and move on and you enjoy it at the same time, it makes my job as a director so much easier.”

The actors memorized their lines before the first rehearsal and most of the tweaking focused on blocking. The play contains a lot of dialogue and very little actions are noted in the script.

“You have to be animated when you talk,” she said. “So, a lot of the blocking was 'walk over here now and look out the window,' 'walk over here and sit,' 'walk over here now and grab a grape or grab a cup of coffee or grab a drink.'”

“So, they didn't really have specific things to do like in other plays - 'go pick up the such and such and do so and so with it,' a lot of it is sitting and talking and they really have mastered the act of acting without speaking and moving, which is really, really good."

Page, who participated in previous ITOPA productions as a performer, stage manager, publicist, and assistant stage manager, is directing for the first time. She took on the role after the original director could no longer do it, and the board of directors thought she should take over.

"I enjoyed the script, and I thought 'You know what? I can give this a go,’” she explained. “I must admit a couple of weeks in I thought 'Oh this is hard,' but we've mastered it. We're getting it."

The production starts at 7:30 p.m. every night, with the exception of 2 p.m. matinee performances on Sundays. Tickets can be purchased by calling 519-485-3070 or online by visiting www.itopa.ca.