Award-winning play in special performance at CentreStage

Love is an inconvenience to be avoided at all costs. This, at least, is the conviction of Joey, who is determined to live life on his own terms –- until he meets a feisty lady he is unable to resist.

This is the subject of “The Loner,” an award-winning play by Dean Taylor presented at the Liverpool International Theatre Festival May 15 at 7:00 pm. From there it goes directly to Kentville’s CentreStage Theatre for two performances only, May 23 and 24 at 8:00 pm.

Tony Napoli is directing the play, and Thea Burton stars as the feisty lady. Joey is played with flair by Michael L’Oiseau of Kentville.

Tony Has directed numerous plays in the United States, Canada and Mexico. He is the founding producer of the Red Rock Theater Company which is presenting “The Loner.” Tony has served as theatre technician at various venues in Wolfville. He is also a projectionist at the Acadia Cinema’s Al Whittle Theatre. In addition, Tony is a massage therapist, and he plays his fiddle regularly at the Sunday Irish session at Paddy’s Pub.

Hope Gillis, Wolfville’s singing, song-writing nurse who launched her first CD last November, will be performing some of those songs, as well as some new ones, as a set just before the play starts, accompanying herself on the acoustic guitar. Hope has been a registered nurse for 20 years, and at the same time a song writer for the past 15 years.

Thea Burton studied acting at the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts and at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. She has performed in community and professional theatre companies in five states as well as Nova Scotia. Currently she resides in Wolfville, N.S. with her children, and is a Speech-Language Pathologist with the Annapolis Valley Regional School Board.

Mike L’Oiseau has been an active member of CentreStage in Kentville for many years. He has appeared as an actor, as well as a singer, in numerous productions. Last year he played three characters in A.R. Gurney’s “Sylvia.” Mike has immersed himself completely into the part of Joey, the Loner. He is the editor of The Valley Shopper.

Dean Taylor of Annapolis Royal is the author of “The Loner.” His plays have been produced in Mexico, the United States and Canada. Several years ago he quit his job as a radio and TV newscaster to attend the Yale School of Drama, where he majored in playwriting. Since then, he has written plays for stage as well as situation comedies for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. All in all, he has written 31 plays, some of them award winners. Dean appreciates that Hope has agreed to open the show with her songs, and is most grateful to Tony, Thea and Mike for their dedicated work in bringing “The Loner” to life.