Hunting Camp – No Girls Allowed and Christmas in July open Thursday at Mt. Tabor

Administrator | Sep 19, 2011 | Comments 0

Hunting Camp - No Girls Allowed stars Bernie Gaw, Guy Doucette, Pat Larkin, Lindsay Payne and Adam Delorme. It shows with Christmas In July, starring Susan Mitchell, Alyson Cranshaw, Lori Farrington, Lesley Snyder and Don Koval. Show dates Sept. 22-25 at 7:30 p.m. at Mt. Tabor Playhouse, Milford.

Jennifer Goodman

What do Marysburgh Mummers do when they can’t sleep? Some write plays. At least that’s what happened to Jennifer Goodman one sleepless night last December.
After listening to her husband talk non-stop about hunting – for months on end – Goodman was inspired to write her first play.
“Basically a conversation started running through my head at 4 a.m. It was between a group of men at a hunting camp, so I got up and started writing it down.”
Later that day, the first draft of “Hunting Camp- No Girls Allowed” was complete. The play was worked a bit more and then the big challenge came – letting others read it.
Being involved with local theatre companies like the Marysburgh Mummers and Prince Edward Community Theatre, meant there were plenty of knowledgeable people out there to ask for help.
“I’m not a writer,” notes Goodman. “I have friends who are and greatly respect their profession. This just started as an idea that was put to paper. I really had to find out if this could result in a script. So I sent it off to the person I knew would be the most honest with me – fellow Mummer Lori Farrington.” Farrington is the vice-chair of the Marysburgh Mummers, a literacy teacher at Prince Edward Learning Centre and a talented local actor.
“After emailing it to Lori, I basically sat at my desk waiting for a response. I think I shocked her that I had written something because we had never discussed my interest in writing plays before. I was more shocked when she emailed me back a few minutes later saying that that she liked it.”

Goodman now had the confidence to send it to a few more theatre friends who were also supportive of the project.
Since “Hunting Camp” was a one-act play, in order to give patrons a good evening of theatre, a companion piece was required. Scripts were searched that would have a similar theme or set. It was then suggested that Goodman write something else.
“All I could think of was that in 39 years I’ve come up with one script. How am I ever going to pull off another one?”
Finally an idea came forward. A select group of Goodman’s childhood friends get together every year in July to celebrate Christmas. Taking this group of ladies, Goodman created characters and came up with a quirky story. Just meant to be a silly weekend of chaos and bringing someone new to the party, the script took hold for the show “Christmas in July”.

The Marysburgh Mummers supported the scripts and offered to workshop them this September. Goodman recently made her directorial debut with Prince Edward Community Theatre’s production of “Remember Me?”
“Lynn Fennell provided a great opportunity for my theatre experience to grow. I have been able to perform on stage, become an assistant director and director under his company.”
Goodman came back to theatre eight years ago when her oldest daughter got involved with the Mummers. Since then, both Goodman and her daughters have been involved in many local productions.

With two amazing casts of local performers, Goodman’s first script writing foray will come to stage Sept. 22 – 25 at Mt. Tabor Playhouse. The shows are meant to be a fun, light-hearted theatre experience.
Tickets are available for $10 at Scott’s Store, Picton, Hicks’ General Store, Milford, Wight’s Greenhouse, Wellington and The Rossmore Stop in Rossmore.

Christmas In July, starring Susan Mitchell, Alyson Cranshaw, Lori Farrington, Lesley Snyder and Don Koval. Show dates Sept. 22-25 at 7:30 p.m. at Mt. Tabor Playhouse, Milford.