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The McGreevy Thespians – Bill Cox (playwright and actor), Connie Durome, Patricia Connery, Meb Reisner, Danny Shier and Gerry Drolet – delighted residents with Cox’s short play, Popcorn, during an afternoon activity at the residence. (Photo by Shirley Nadeau) REVIEW
Popcorn is served with a touch of humour at McGreevy Manor
Shirley Nadeau
A group of residents at McGreevy Manor recently presented the première performance of Popcorn, a short three-act play, written by Bill Cox, a former journalist with the Québec Chronicle-Telegraph and current resident of the seniors’ residence in Sillery.
Cox and his fellow McGreevy Thespians – Connie Durome, Patricia Connery, Meb Reisner, Danny Shier and Gerry Drolet – presented their creation to fellow residents and their guests, including the QCT, on Jan. 14 during their weekly social tea. As Cox explained before the presentation, what with his fellow thespians’ memories being a bit “weak,” they held their scripts and read as they performed each brief act. Act one takes place in a park where Gerry is feeding popcorn to the pigeons (actually, small yellow mechanical chicks). Danny and Bill arrive, but there are many comical misunderstandings, as Bill forgot to put in his hearing aids that morning. Things get a bit out of hand at a local bar. The next day they are all suffering from their overindulgence, and Bill still can’t hear well as he couldn’t find his hearing aids (again) that morning.
Cox explained, “I formed this group to provide a new activity for the residents of McGreevy Manor. ‘Thespians’ is the Greek name for actors, named after the first Greek actor Thespis in the sixth century B.C. I wrote the script myself with the title Popcorn in English. I’m not short of imagination and I’m going to start preparing another one for presentation in about a month. It was an enjoyable activity for all involved.” Tea and cookies were served following the entertainment.
Before the play was presented, residents watched a short video of comedians Abbott and Costello doing their famous “Who’s on First?” routine.
Reisner, who leads a poetry group every month at the residence, also read three humorous short poems by American poet Shel Silverstein (who wrote the song “The Unicorn” made famous by the Irish Rovers) with responses by Durome and Connery.
These creative seniors certainly livened up the day for their friends at McGreevy Manor.
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