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A couple of familiar faces have returned to the Kincardine Theatre Guild (KTG) stage, while a couple of newcomers have joined the cast in the production of "The Odd Couple (Female Version)" which opens May 27 at the Kincardine Arts Centre.

New to the stage is Neil Wood who plays Jesus (pronounced "Hay-zoos") Costazuela, brother of Manolo (played by Sid Duggan). Jesus is Spanish with a Castilian accent, very handsome, well-groomed, romantic and emotional, and appreciates Florence (played by Corinne Robertson-Brown).

Wood says he read the play and thought the role of Jesus would be lots of fun, so he auditioned and got the part.

"I like comedies and this play is really funny," he says. "We're having a lot of fun rehearsing. It's great to be someone totally different."

The theatre guild is a great group to work with, says Wood, and his character is a joy to play. "My brother, Manolo, and I are very romantic and we get to flirt with the ladies on stage; it's all in good fun. But I have to work on my Spanish accent."

Wood has never acted on stage before, unless you include his one performance, at the age of 17, as one of the three Magi. "I had three lines," he jokes.

He says learning the lines is challenging, as well as blocking the action and remembering the proper timing, particularly for a comedy.

"It's a new craft and I'm learning a lot of different things," he says, "but I'm looking forward to opening night."

The 43-year-old Bruce Power worker is a member of the Kincardine Triathlon Club and plans to compete in the Muskoka Iron Man in September. He also enjoys cooking and plays Classical guitar.

While not new to KTG, Tamara Vardomskaya is taking on a speaking role for the first time, as Sylvie, one of the girls who hang out with Olive (played by Christina Bandomir).

Vardomskaya has been assistant manager for three KTG shows and finally auditioned and was chosen for the part.

"Sylvie is quite an interesting role," she says. "In this play, even the minor roles have a distinct personality. Sylvie is a real character. She's trying to quit smoking so she's irritated but she has a great sense of humour, especially about her husband. She's irritating but she has a soft side too."

Vardomskaya says being on stage is a whole different world, compared to working behind the scenes.

"Acting has been called 'quiet, public solitude'," she says, "And it's true. On stage, you're interacting with people, but there's a lot of of thinking involved. We're women friends pretending to be women friends."

Vardomskaya works at Bruce Power. She enjoys music and is trying to take piano lessons. She is also part of the Kincardine Community Singers.

Angela Hunt and Liz Small have returned to the theatre guild after a substantial time period.

Hunt was last on stage for "Move Over Mrs. Markham" about 12 years ago, and Small was in "Steel Magnolias" 18 years ago.

Both agreed that the timing was right and after reading the play, they decided to audition, and got the parts of Mickey (played by Hunt) and Vera (played by Small).

"We both have kids and they were involved in sports and school activities and it was challenging to balance all that," says Hunt. "Now, our kids are older and we have the time to devote to this (acting).

"It's wonderful to be back," says Small. "It feels as if we never left."

"The guild is a great group to work with and we are enjoying ourselves," adds Hunt. "These are also great characters."

Hunt plays Mickey, a police officer who is down-to-earth, plain-talking and has a good understanding of people. However, she can take the "police bit" too far and tries very hard to be in control of all situations.

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Sunday, April 24, 2011