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Allied Arts returns to White Heron Cellars
Kathleen Higgins/Post-Register
From left, Pat Connelly, Nancy Connelly, Paul Slager and Tom Harris have some fun while rehearsing for the Quincy Valley Allied Arts play ‘Larceny and Old Lace.’
“Larceny and Old Lace” is the summer play pick for Quincy Valley Allied Arts.
White Heron Cellars is the setting for this comedic rendition of “Arsenic and Old Lace,” a 1944 movie starring Cary Grant and Priscilla Lane. “Larceny and Old Lace” is a full-length play about two old aunts: Gertie, played by Sherri Kooy, and Millie, played by Nancy Connelly, who rob casinos.
The duration of the play features a mixture of crazy Uncle Charlie (Pat Connelly), who thinks he is a pirate and threatens guests with swords, while the nephew, Harold, played by Michael Kooy, tries to hide his aunts’ indiscretions from FBI agents Klick (Tom Harris) and Klack (Paul Slager), and his fiancée, Gloria, played by Megan Slager.
By the end of the play, evil cousin Mordred, played by Eric Von Woert, gets out of jail and tries to take advantage of the aunts’ new-found money, and more hilarity ensues.
Attending the play is the only way to find out who escapes, who’s arrested and how this crazy family functions. Shows are Aug. 7 and 8 at 7 p.m. and tickets are $5 at the door.
The play is directed by QVAA veteran Sherri Kooy; while she is onstage, however, her husband, Keith Kooy, assumes the director’s role.
During a frustrating moment in practice, Sherri said, “We never do this in the right order. We have a stupid director,” referring to herself.
Sherri has been directing the QVAA summer theater for eight years, taking a one-year break while Erin Morse directed. “Arsenic and Old Lace” was the ideal choice for the summer drama group, but this hilarious spoof was much easier to produce.
The beautiful Columbia River and Crescent Bar serve as the backdrop for this play. QVAA returned to White Heron Cellars after having a ‘standing room only’ packed house at the Quincy Senior Center last summer.
“This is a tough group to deal with. They’re all armed,” said White Heron Cellars owner Cameron Fries, referring to Slager and Harris playing with their plastic FBI guns.
The cast is well prepared and really loves what they do. If anybody has attended even one QVAA production, they will notice many returning actors and a few new ones.
Besides the aforementioned members, the cast includes Bob Jasmine as Lester, an evil sidekick; Mandy Ottley as Officer McNealy; Chris Lybbert as Officer Larson; Vonna Harris as psychiatric Dr. Shortanoar; Morse as Nurse Widget; Erin James as Judge Taylor; Keith Kooy as the Taxi Driver and newcomer Ruth Linscott as Dr. Pretorious. When discussing the casting choices, Paul Slager and Tom Harris felt that Pat Connelly was perfectly typecast as crazy Uncle Charlie.
“Pat’s not really acting at all,” Slager said. “That’s just how he is.”
“Larceny and Old Lace” is a hilarious dramatic interpretation of a classic film. Anyone who enjoys a good laugh and a great view should hop on over to White Heron Cellars for a very entertaining evening.
