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The Amazing Re-Release!

And Then, The Lights Went Out…

Written By Andy Garland

Directed By Deb Howie

A Thorold Theatre Re-Release!

🎭

 

This fall, step into the smoky, shadowed world of intrigue, suspense, and sharp wit as Thorold Community Theatre brings back And Then, The Lights Went Out—an audio drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat. With unforgettable characters, a gripping mystery, and a touch of humor, this thrilling noir-inspired tale is sure to captivate listeners old and new. Scroll down to explore the story, meet the team behind the scenes, and discover how you can join the adventure. Don’t miss the drama—coming to your ears this fall!

 

Pay What You Can
Program Banner

Preview #1:

The Story Begins…

🎙️ What you’ll hear:

  • Thorold Community Theatre’s introduction of And Then, The Lights Went Out.

  • A meta-narrative tussle between the narrator and Jim O’Reiley.

  • A first encounter with Claire—the woman who brings the mystery.

  • A tantalizing cliffhanger that sets the stage for the story to come.

Preview #2

Thomas Meets Jim

Coming Soon

🎙️ What you’ll hear:

  • A fascinating interaction between Thomas, the writer, and Jim, his detective creation.
  • Narrator commentary that adds a playful, meta layer to the storytelling.
  • A setup for the deeper drama to come in the series.

Preview #3:

The Big Picture

Coming Soon

🎙️ What you’ll hear:

  • Thomas’ bold ambitions for his story and its characters.
  • Duke Morrison’s larger-than-life presence.
  • A cliffhanger that promises more twists to come.

SYNOPSIS

Thomas Levine is a novelist struggling to complete the seventh book in his Jim O’Reiley Mystery Series. The novel is due to his publisher tomorrow, but Thomas is overcome with self-doubt and writer’s block. Helping Thomas overcome his hurdles are the main characters in his book:

  • Jim O’Reiley – a private eye with a knack for getting into trouble
  • Claire – the femme fatale with a back story nobody could guess
  • Lucy – a wholesome, straight-laced beat-cop with a few tricks up her sleeve
  • Bruno – a hitman with a sensitive side
  • Duke Morrison – an evil financier who wants it all, and almost always gets it

Meanwhile, Thomas and his down-the-hall friend, Nia (who is battling her own existential demons) must together fend off the wicked land lady, Adelle Berger, who wants to toss the pair out on their ear and bulldoze the building so she can sell the land to condo developers.

DIRECTOR’S NOTES

As I sit here on the day of our opening to reflect on the past year, I feel so  fortunate to have worked with so many incredible people. From the support that  was received from the TCT Executive taking a chance on this format, and first time  Director, The City of Thorold with their support and guidance as we applied for  our first Government Grant, The Region of Niagara on choosing us as their  recipient and patiently walking us through to process. The Producers who acted as  legal counsel, purchaser, cheerleaders and friends, the Pre-production team who  worked their hearts out to design and build mock recording booths that,  unfortunately, were never used but were essential in order to move this project  forward. Our Social Media Director completed our brand-new website, and  ensured that you are able to access this production with ease. Our beautiful  artwork is full of personal items and symbolism thanks to our photographers  understanding of the script and vision. To receive the support of an amazing  playwright who allowed us to work together to bring this adaptation to life and do  justice to his characters and story. Our Commercial writers that invested their time  talent and resources into supporting members of their community. This cast, is any  Directors Dream, they gave 100% to their characters, leaned into their  relationships with each other and always delivered whatever was asked of them.  Last, but certainly not least, to my Director of Sound and Assistant Director, we  trusted each other, worked tirelessly while also taking the time to enjoy every bit of  the journey. Without the two of you, this would not be, I look forward to being  able to work together again and again.  

Thank you all for taking a leap with us and rediscovering the joy of Theatre of the  Mind, it has truly been a pleasure that I will never forget.  

With love ,  

Deb Howey 

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

Andy Garland is a playwright, director and screenwriter currently residing in Vancouver, British Columbia. Some of his previous works include “A Year Off,” (Special Merit Prize, Canadian National Playwriting Competition) “And Then, The Lights Went Out,” Sea of Green,” (Winner of the 2009 Uprising National Playwriting Competition,) and “JUICE” (Honourable Mention, BC Playwriting Competition.) He is also the writer and director of the first three seasons of “Duggan Hill”, a serialized supernatural thriller available wherever fine podcasts are found. Screenwriting credits to date include Transference (Minds Eye Pictures) and Lunar (HazFilm), both currently in preproduction. He holds both an Applied Degree and Diploma from Red Deer College for Motion Picture Arts and Theatre Acting, and is represented by Webster Talent.

An Interview With Andy Garland

by Jim Park

THE CAST

ROB GOSLIN (as Jim)

Rob is a veteran of Niagara theatre having been on stage with Firehall Theatre in Niagara Falls, Port Colborne Operatic Society and Thorold Community Theatre. He has also performed in more than 200 dinner theatre murder mysteries from Buffalo to the Muskokas. Most recently Rob has concentrated on directing for the stage and has a few shows under his belt. Rob is thrilled to be involved with this first venture into a new medium for TCT. He is a lifelong fan of the film noire, pulp detective genre and is having a ball playing hard boiled private detective Jim O’Reilly.

LILY GROULX (as Claire)

Lily has been acting, playing vital roles in community theater, for 9 years now. She has acted with different theatre groups across the Niagara Region and has been actively involved with #TCT for a number of years. Lily really enjoys working with the group involved in this production and is excited to be a part of creating this unique performance. In recent years, Lily has shown her diverse talents by taking some roles acting in short films, which she also enjoys. When not on stage or in front of a camera, Lily enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 children. They enjoy fun out on the water and numerous outdoor activities. Lily is looking forward to the premiere of this one of a kind production, and hopes she will bring Claire’s character to life for those who are listening.

ROB JUKOSKY (as Bruno)

Rob was born in Port Colborne and has deep roots in the Niagara Region. At 62 years old, Rob brings a wealth of acting knowledge and skills to the stage and is a tremendous asset to the #TCT community. Rob is married with 4 children and 3 grandchildren. He has been semi-retired for the last ten years and generously donates his time and talent volunteering with our group. He is looking forward to portraying the character, Bruno, in the upcoming performance!

DAVID REDFEARN (as Thomas)

David is very happy and grateful to be a part of Thorold Community Theatre’s fall production of “And Then, The Lights Went Out…”. He is no stranger to #TCT’s stage and has been a part of many shows Thorold Community Theatre has put on over the years. You may have seen him in Alone Together, Office Hours, Key for Two, and Sin, Sex, and the CIA to name a few. Apart from Thorold Community Theater, David has ventured to our fellow theatre group Peninsula Players in Grimsby, taking part in Kitchen Witches and Skin Flick. David is the recipient of The Western Ontario Drama Leagues award for best supporting male actor 2017 for his work in Skin Flick. Outside of the theatre David works as a Personal Supporting Worker and is currently enrolled at Niagara College for the Practical Nursing program. David would like to thank everyone who helped bring this hilarious show to life and to all our wonderful patrons who will tune in to listen. We couldn’t do it without you!

DIANA BURSE (as Adelle)

Diana has always had a passion for community and TCT is all that, and more! Since 2012, Diana has served on the Executive for 2 terms, and has enjoyed taking part in productions such as It Runs in the Family, Office Hours, and Nurse Jane Goes To Hawaii. She has Acted, Produced, Directed, and Stage Managed, and is thoroughly enjoying assisting the Directors and being part of this talented and generous cast (oh yes, she is that nasty woman, Adelle) Diana has also performed with Milton Players, Open Concept Films, Class Act Productions, Nick Mirka, and Improv Niagara (zoom). As Diana says, “Our group is in new territory with this audio production, and it’s going to be AMAZING, thanks to everyone’s hard work. So check us out, and whether you are wearing headphones, or earbuds, or are all gathered ‘round a place of sound .. we hope you enjoy listening to And Then, The Lights Went Out … as much as we enjoyed creating it. For you. Our audience.”

LISA STEVENSON (as Lucy)

Lisa is a long time veteran of TCT. She is thrilled to be part of “And Then, The Lights Went Out…” playing Officer Lucy DeBrie. Doing an audio play is so different from a stage play, and Lisa has enjoyed every minute of the ride. Learning about new ways of delivering speech and how sound effects are added has been fascinating, and she is forever thankful to be a part of this new endeavor! “I hope our listening audience enjoys their evening of mystery and who-dun-it!” says Lisa.

JESSICA CODE (as Nia)

Jessica is thrilled to be back in action with her Thorold Theatre family! Playing the energetic and artistic Nia Sloan, Jessica is excited to take on the challenge of trading in the stage for a microphone in TCT’s first-ever audio play. A high school English teacher by day, Jessica has previously had the honour of acting in Farce of Nature, It Runs in the Family, Fantasy by Appointment, and Nurse Jane Goes to Hawaii. She would like to thank her husband, Jason, and daughters, Phaedra and Talia, for their ongoing support and encouragement, and she sends a huge thank you to Deb Howey for allowing her to be a part of this incredible experience!

JIM COLBERT (as Duke)

Jim is thrilled to be a part of TCT’s venture into the online performance world and is looking forward to bringing the character, Duke, to life for listening audiences. Duke is a larger than life gent, returning to find his family business being operated by a Board of inept individuals. Bound to return to the helm, he puts his devious plan into action.
Jim has been part of our group since 1994 and has acted in a number of plays including Mousetrap, Squabbles and Move Over Mrs. Markham, just to name a few. He has also been in many murder mysteries across Niagara. Jim’s got his start in theatre because his daughter was in a play in Thorold and he enjoyed it so much he decided to audition for the next show…and got the part! The rest is acting history. Jim hopes you will enjoy “And Then, The Lights Went Out…”

RICAHARD ANDREWS (as The Narrator)

Richard was raised by wolves in a remote mountain range of the Austrian Alps. Discovered by poachers hunting rare marmoset furs, he returned to civilization at the tender age of 26. Under the tutelage of Madame Chanteclaire de la Muscatelle, he learned acting and diction in the Lipizaner tradition. His first professional gigs came as a calliope operator along the Bois de Boulogne where he honed his skills as a barker and purveyor of counterfeit Rolexes. Richard found his true calling in community theatre which gave him the opportunity he so desperately sought to repay his debt to society. When Richard is not involved in community theater, he spends his time writing entertaining fake bios to see if people actually read them. So if you have read this far he hopes you’ve enjoyed it!

Guest Starring: JEFF MCKINNON 

Jeff McKinnon is thrilled to be part of Thorold Community Theaters first audio performance of “And Then, The Lights Went Out…”. Jeff has been a member of this incredible company since the beginning, having played numerous roles on stage as well as directing many talented actors. He would like to thank Director Deb Howey for giving him this wonderful opportunity.

THE PRODUCTION TEAM

DEB HOWEY (Director)

This is Deb’s first time in the Directors chair, however, you may have seen her over the past 10 years at Thorold Community Theatre in the tech booth, front of house, or on stage in Farce of Nature, Office Hours, Sin, Sex and the CIA , and most recently in Mamma Mia with Port Colborne Operatic.
Deb took the leap to Direct “And Then, The Lights Went Out…” after working with so many talented Directors, Cast, Crew and Creatives and knew that she would be supported. Special thanks goes out to Jim Park (Director of Sound) and Diana Burse (Assistant Director) without them, this would not be possible.

 JIM PARK (Sound Director)

During a typical Thorold Community Theatre production, you’ll find Jim at the back of the room riding shotgun on the sound mixing console. But this isn’t your typical TCT production. Jim is the Sound Designer and Recordist for TCT’s first radio play, “And Then, the Lights Went Out…”. Working remotely from home studios created in their bedrooms and dark corners of their basements, the nine-member cast brought their characters to life with only their voices. Jim’s job, using sound effects, ambiance, music and of course the dialog, is to place the action in a setting that the listener creates in their own imagination. “On stage”, says Jim, “you have dialog, action, and an visual cues to create the scene, in this case, it’s just what you hear and how you imagine the scene. Our cast has done an amazing job at bringing Andy Garland’s script to life under Deb Howey’s direction”. Jim’s pleased and proud to be part of this exciting new #TCT production and hopes you’ll all tune in and enjoy the show!

DIANA BURSE (Assistant Director)

Diana has always had a passion for community and TCT is all that, and more! Since 2012, Diana has served on the Executive for 2 terms, and has enjoyed taking part in productions such as It Runs in the Family, Office Hours, and Nurse Jane Goes To Hawaii. She has Acted, Produced, Directed, and Stage Managed, and is thoroughly enjoying assisting the Directors and being part of this talented and generous cast (oh yes, she is that nasty woman, Adelle) Diana has also performed with Milton Players, Open Concept Films, Class Act Productions, Nick Mirka, and Improv Niagara (zoom). As Diana says, “Our group is in new territory with this audio production, and it’s going to be AMAZING, thanks to everyone’s hard work. So check us out, and whether you are wearing headphones, or earbuds, or are all gathered ‘round a place of sound .. we hope you enjoy listening to And Then, The Lights Went Out … as much as we enjoyed creating it. For you. Our audience.”

JORDAN SAKSENA (Social Media Director)

Jordan has been involved with Thorold Community Theatre for 6 years now. During a regular show season, you will find her at the back of the theatre operating either the lights or sound board as one of our incredible tech booth volunteers. This past year, she also served a term on TCT’s Executive Committee in the role of Social Media Coordinator and has graciously taken on the role of Social Media Director for our production of “And Then, The Lights Went Out…”
Jordan is a busy young woman with her job as the Executive Director for The Kesh Group and her many other volunteer/recreational activities, and we are so grateful to have her donate her time and talents to our local theatre group!
“This show is going to be an incredible production and I can’t wait for everyone to tune in and enjoy”, says Jordan.

THERESA CHUBAK (Producer)

Theresa has been involved with Thorold Community Theatre for the last four years and is producing for the fourth time. She is also serving her second term on the Board of Directors, this time as Vice President. Theresa is thrilled to be involved with “And Then, The Lights Went Out…”. It is a journey of discovery for everyone involved and she cannot wait for the listeners to hear the finished product. Theresa thanks Marilyn Colbert for her guidance and friendship. She sends out kudos to Deb Howey for her bravery and vision, Jim Park for his ‘sound’ knowledge, Diana Burse for her willingness to do it all and Jordan Saksena for her digital savvy. Enjoy the show!

MARILYN COLBERT (Producer)

Marilyn has been with Thorold Theatre since 1994. During that time she has worn many hats…..props person, concession helper, actress, fundraiser, and producer, just to name a few! Marilyn is excited and thrilled to be a part of this new adventure for the theatre. It certainly is different from a stage play! Venturing into the online world has been an education. Marilyn would like to commend the cast and crew of this production. “You have all done a fabulous job bringing this production to life. Lots and lots of thanks to Theresa for her patience with this Old Gal during the Learning Curve. To Deb, Diana, Jim and Jordan, there are no words but THANK YOU! And of course, thank you to all the patrons who are supporting us during this Covid time! Fingers Crossed, we will see you in the Spring of 2022!!”

BRIE WATSON (Commercial Writer)

Brie Watson is the Artistic Director at Improv Niagara. Brie is an improv, sketch & stand-up comedian, podcaster and live comedy producer working in Niagara and Toronto. Brie is a faculty member in the Improv & Stand-Up programs at The Second City Training Centre. She has performed in festivals in NYC, Boston & across Canada. She’s a graduate of the Humber Comedy Writing & Performance program and holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Ottawa. Go GeeGees. Thorold Community Theatre is excited to have Brie bring her talent and comedic flair to the commercial segments of our audio production.

DAN DINGWALL (Commercial Writer)

Dan Dingwall is co-owner and General Manager of Improv Niagara. He’s also the tech for IN’s live performances and will occasionally jump on the mic to perform. Dan completed the Improv program at The Second City Training Centre in Toronto, where he also studied acting with John Hamilton. Dan is also a multi-talented musician who writes and records music in his basement studio. Thorold Community Theatre is excited to have Dan bring his unique sense of humor and writing skills to the commercial segments of our audio production.

SUSAN COULTHART (Photographer)

Susan Coulthart picked up her first camera when she was 12 years old. A resident of Caledonia, ON, Susan has always enjoyed taking pictures, but her love of photography really began to blossom after retiring from WestJet Airlines three years ago. Over those three years she has experimented with many different styles of photography and enjoys using various editing techniques to give her photographs a unique and personal perspective. Thorold Community Theatre is so grateful to Susan for sharing her photography talent with us to create beautiful artwork for the show.

OUR SUPPORTERS

We are so grateful to have been selected as a recipient for a Niagara Region Tourism Adaptation and Recovery Fund grant which provided us with the resources to purchase new sound equipment and expand our theatrical offerings to include this radio drama.  A huge thank you goes out to the City of Thorold for supporting our application for this grant opportunity. We are also so appreciative of the other businesses and community partners who continue to support our efforts to provide quality entertainment to our patrons. We couldn’t do it without all of you! 

MUSIC CREDITS

Thorold Community Theatre wishes to thank Kevin MacLeod for the copyright-free music he makes available to content creators such as us. We were fortunate to have found Kevin’s music on YouTube.

Main Theme
Night on the Docks – Sax Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Jim’s Theme
Deadly Roulette Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Claire’s Theme
Noire #1 by Music By Pedro https://goo.gl/sJT2e8
Promoted by MrSnooze https://youtu.be/iYOvAO1rAM0

Lucy’s Theme
Black Cat by Aaron Kenny
https://bit.ly/3puaMjp

Bruno’s Theme
Bass Walker Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Duke’s Theme
Dances and Dames Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

You can listen to most of the songs heard in this performance on YouTube:
Film Noir Background Music for Videos I Noir Jazz Playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYOvAO1rAM0

Music for the commercial spots was sourced here:
https://www.freesfx.co.uk/sfx

Acknowledgements

Thorold Community Theatre produced this audio version of the play in the fall of 2021, while our performance venue was closed due to the COVID pandemic. The cast worked from home in jerry-rigged sound booths and recording was done remotely online. Audiences tuned in from the comfort of their own home, surrounded by their loved ones, for a performance that got rave reviews.

Thorold Community Theatre extends its thanks to the Niagara Region Tourism Adaptation and Recovery Fund grant, which provided the resources to purchase recording equipment. A huge thank-you also goes out to the City of Thorold for supporting our application for this grant.

Thorold Theatre gratefully acknowledges Andy Garland for graciously extending his permission for us to post this production as a podcast