Enchanted April arrives at Caledon Townhall May 2
By Marilyn Edridge

"If you appreciate wisteria and sunshine . . ." so begins the ad, which inspires the hopes of four very different women in this uplifting play by Matthew Barber based on the book by Elizabeth von Armin.

Enchanted April will be opening at Caledon Townhall May 2.

Set in 1922, Enchanted April opens in post-war London. It is a gray and somber time. "So many war widows . . ." is a refrain repeated by many of the characters. The small ad in the London Times offers a villa in Italy for the month of April. It is a vision of heaven for souls, which are starved for beauty and peace.

The leading protagonist, Lotty Wilton, is an ordinary, middle-class, English housewife, and yet she is also a visionary who occasionally startles others with her flashes of insight.

"I see it!" she announces with absolute conviction.

Margaret Brady plays Lotty Wilton with just the right balance of wit and fervor. Lotty is a strong-minded woman and something of an early feminist. We feel her frustration when her bumptious, lawyer husband Mellersh patronizes and dismisses her, ending a discussion with "Case closed, my dear. Case closed."

Rose Arnott, played by Angela Gibson, is unyieldingly prim and disapproving, especially of her husband's chosen lifestyle, that of a writer of "sinful" romantic novels. Nevertheless there are glimpses of a softer, wistful side of Rose, which prompts Lotty's nickname for her of "our disappointed Madonna." Much to her dismay, Rose is swept along by Lotty's passionate vision, which ultimately becomes a glorious journey of self-discovery and awakening.

The other ladies on this enchanting idyll are the elderly and imperious Mrs. Graves, and the lovely young aristocrat Lady Caroline Bramble. Lady Caroline, played with sensitivity and grace by Susanna Lamy, is one of the "bright young things" of London society. She is also hiding a private heartache. Carol McCone plays the indomitable Mrs. Graves, with impeccable comic timing. Her sparring matches with the Italian housekeeper, Costanza played by Jeannette Massicotte are moments of great hilarity. Doug Maund plays the selfabsorbed, social climbing Mellersh Wilton with a rather pleasant pomposity and his ultimate expressions of admiration for Lottie are sweet and genuine. John Carter is the dapper Frederick Arnott, who thoroughly enjoys the success and notoriety of his alias, Florian Ayers. His only heartache is that his beloved wife, Rose refuses to share this with him. Rounding out this charming comedy is Don Colucci as the sensitive young artist and owner of the villa, Anthony Wilding.

This is an intelligent play, which builds its premise in carefully crafted steps. The dialogue is witty and engaging with well-defined characters.

Enchanted April is also a challenging play to present. Through vision, hard work and artistry, the Caledon Townhall Players stage has been transformed into a sumptuous Italian villa. The multi-level set has been opened up with wonderful vistas painted by cast member Susanna Lamy. Apart from being a talented actress, Susanna is also a gifted, local artist, who specializes in faux art and murals.

CTHP has also been most fortunate to have award-winning director Kathryn DeLory on board. She has assembled an extraordinary cast of talented individuals, many drawn from local area theatres, such as Georgetown, Erin, Blackhorse and Markham.

Enchanted April opens May the 2 and runs consecutive weekends until May 17. Evening tickets are $15 and Saturday matinees are $12. For reservations, please call the box office at (519) 927- 5460 or visit the Web site at www.caledontownhallplayers. com