The Brighton Barn Theatre group is gearing up to kick-off their 2024 season with a “hilarious” and “quite colourful” spring-time farce on stage.
The “Hotbed Hotel” comedy production by the charitable Save Our Heritage Organization (SOHO) will make its debut this weekend, with showings then continuing on select dates until May 12.
“Well, the play itself is about Brian and Terry Cody, who are trying to sell their one-star hotel in southern Florida, and they have a potential buyer coming from New York City,” explained Doug Phelan, who’s directing the production with his wife Joanne Hoekstra.
Of course, the decision to fill the empty hotel with fake guests while enlisting staff to masquerade as prestigious paying customers to make the hotel appear busier takes a few twisted turns.
Unexpected guests end up arriving, rooms, clothing, and luggage get mixed up – and “people are not who they seem to be.”
The “Hotbed Hotel” play was written by Michael Parker. The show is being produced by Nikki Parks.
It’s filled with laughter – it’s a bit of “a raunchy kind of play” – with lots of comings and goings, costume changes, and more.
The production will make its debut in Brighton this weekend, with a 7:30 p.m. showing on Friday, April 26. A 7:30 p.m. showing will follow on Saturday, and then on Sunday, a 2 p.m. showing.
But not to fret if you can’t catch the opening show, play dates will continue with 7:30 p.m. performances on May 2, 3, 4, 9 and 10. On May 5, 11 and 12, there are Sunday 2 p.m. matinee performances.
However, some dates are already sold out, noted Don Parks, marketing co-ordinator for the Brighton Barn Theatre.
Tickets are $20. To make reservations, people can call 613-475-2144. More information is also available via the Brighton Barn Theatre’s website and Facebook page.
The box office in Proctor House Museum is also open weekdays in the afternoons. Proceeds help with upkeep at the museum and the barn, to better productions, et cetera, explained Parks.
What’s more, attendees can expect to see some new faces on stage for the spring show.
The group is always looking for more volunteers, noted Parks.
There’s always room for helpers backstage, stage managers, props people, those with costume experience, et cetera.
The Brighton Barn Theatre is housed in the Proctor-Simpson Barn located at 96 Young St., Brighton.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
