Комедия «Клуб бобра» о путешествии четырех подруг по Канаде откроется в Верхнем театре Канады 2 июля

MORRISBURG — Who does not love a road trip? Barb Scheffler’s The Beaver Club, opening July 2 at the Upper Canada Playhouse, takes audiences on a road trip with four women (Karen, Eunice, Yvette, and Radiance) across Canada and realize the journey is as important as the destination. “Any time you spend a long time in a car with anybody, a lot of things happen,” said director Jesse Collins. “You see some of the cracks, but also some good things happen too.” The quartet’s adventure takes them from Toronto to Dildo, N.L. Billed as a love letter to Canada, there is more to this comedy than meets the eye. “It’s such a great storyline, such a trope, you know, being on the road together,” said Robin Clipsham, who plays Radiance. Linda Goranson, who plays Yvette, said the play’s characters are very well defined. “The characters are very different, all four of them, so that helps,” Goranson said. “You have your lane and you formulate who you are and what you are about,” said Clipsham. “But what I find so much fun is playing with these three wonderful actors. It’s just energizing and fun. There’s such an atmosphere of light and love about it.” Kathleen Egan Veinotte, who plays Eunice, spoke about the relationship between the characters. “It’s really quite fascinating. It’s neat to see each relationship have its own little arc, and then the relationships in general have a different arc as well.” Collins said the experience of the cast is what helps make the show special. “Ninety per cent of a director’s job is getting the casting right,” he said. Alison Lawrence, who plays Karen, said the characters are all people audiences can identify with. “At one point, my character says ‘letting go is scary,’ it’s scary for her. Absolutely,” she said. “That pursuit of like ‘nope, it just has to be right.’ That’s very much like my life.” For Egan Veinotte, her character is the exact opposite of Lawrence’s. “Eh, it’ll work out. That’s fine. Yeah. It’s a bit of a mess,” she continued. Goranson’s character, Yvette, plays her cards close to her vest. “My character covers up a lot of stuff. She doesn’t want to talk about it. She keeps it covered a lot until it all comes out.” “For me, what’s not to love about Radiance,” asked Clipsham about her character. “There’s a line in the show that said ‘sharing is fine, I like sharing.” Egan Veinotte said audiences should expect having conversations on the drive home from the show. “These people are new friends. They’re not the sort of people who have been in each other’s lives all their lives. And to be making new friends in your 60s, is not necessarily an easy thing to do, right?” Lawrence said the play is more than just about a road trip across Canada. “The playwright in her notes said this was a love letter to Canada, but I really believe this is a love letter to friendship,” she explained. “It’s talking about what is home. You create home; you create your chosen family. And that’s what they’re doing in the process of this.” This is the second show of the season Collins has directed at the playhouse. No stranger to the stage in Morrisburg, he has directed many shows, including the hit Norm Foster play Danny and Delilah, which just closed on June 28. Clipsham is the lone newcomer to the stage in Morrisburg. Some of her acting credits include The Ladies Foursome, Old Wives Tales, Doris and Ivy In The Home, and Shirley Valentine. Clipsham has performed at the Haliburton Festival, Theatre Muskoka, Theatre Collingwood, and the Orillia Opera House. Egan Veinotte has performed across 24 seasons at the playhouse including roles in Maggie’s Getting Married, Wrong for Each Other, and Wally’s Cafe. Lawrence was most recently at the playhouse during the 2025 Christmas season where she played Mrs. Fezziwig and Mrs. Dilber in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. She has also had a recurring role in the Amazon Prime series The Lake, and in CBC’s Murdoch Mysteries. Goranson has been in many productions at the UCP including Drinking Alone, The Christmas Express, A Nice Family Gathering, and The Odd Couple. “It’s a raucous journey filled with chaos, confessions, old memories and new beginnings where secrets are spilled, boundaries are tested, and laughter erupts at every turn,” said playhouse artistic director Donnie Bowes. The Beaver Club opens July 2 and runs to July 26. Tickets are available for by calling the Upper Canada Playhouse box office, or online at www.uppercanadaplayhouse.com. — The Morrisburg Leader