People are taught from a young age, and often reminded at Christmas time, that re-gifting is huge no-no.
But as Theatre Orangeville’s latest production points out, when it comes to love and priceless family heirlooms, recycling may be the best gift of all.
A Gift to Last tells the story of Clement Sturgess (played by playwright Walter Learning), who wakes up one Christmas morning in the late 1970s in a mood better suited to Ebenezer Scrooge than a grandfather blessed with a loving family.
But Clement, still hurting from the death of his sister Claire, also blames his son Geoff (Bobby Prochaska) for the sale of the family business and changes to the family home, which Clement once himself owned.
When grandson Evan (Gordie Ward) tries to cheer up Clement, the old man is at first resistant, but then vows to show the youngster what a “real” Christmas was like.
The production then shifts to a particular Christmas in Clement’s childhood at the turn of the 20th century. Claire (Katie Creelman), of course, is alive and well, and though she and Clement experience some youthful sibling rivalry, family ties remain at the heart of the story.
Strengthening that theme are the other members of Clement’s family, including his father Harrison (Prochaska), mother Clara (Susie Burnett), uncle Edgar (Derek Ritschel) and even the family’s maid Sheila (Tanya Fraser).
At first things appear to be less utopian than the older Clement recalls – as the play notes, people often remember things as better than they were – but by the end of the story, which we won’t give away too much of here, it’s easy to see why the senior Clement recalls this tale as one of his favourites from Christmases past.
Each character in the play has a special, if not complicated, relationship with the others, and every actor is fantastic in their respective roles.
Thirty years after A Gift to Last premiered, Learning is perfect as Clement, despite at least one fumbled line in the preview performance last week.
Prochaska is great as both Clement’s son and his father, characters that could not be more different from one another. Burnett, solid in two supporting roles here, is an underrated talent that never seems to disappoint.
Ritschel and Fraser often steal the show. They interact well together and provide some great laughs throughout the production.
The poise of the play’s younger actors – Creelman, DuBois, Taylor (her outstanding singing voice is an added bonus) and Ward – cannot be overstated. Every one of them displays a promise that suggests they could each go on to a successful career in the business.
Not to be outdone is Lindsay Scheel, who is absolutely adorable as the Sugar Plum Fairy who helps with changes to the set. Her portrayal turns a relatively minor role into one of the play’s most memorable.
Scheel is also the youngest member of the Theatre Orangeville Youth Singers, who, though they perform perhaps one or two songs too many, are a great festive accompaniment to the production (there were no issues at all this time around with inadequate singing volume, as there has been in the past).
Direction from David Nairn seems to be spot-on, and the lighting and costume design, by Steve Lucas and Vandy Simpson respectively, is great. Set designer Beckie Morris should also be commended for a wonderfully decorated and nostalgic set that is also very practical.
Yet none of it would be possible without the great story from Learning and Alden Nowlan, who adapted the script from the teleplay of the same name by Gordon Pinsent.
Though not without its faults – including a few uncanny resemblances to A Christmas Carol, as well as a Christmas play scene with several components that serve no obvious purpose other than to lengthen the production – the story is heartfelt and sincere.
At its core is a strained relationship between a father and son, who clearly love one another but find their feelings hard to express, even at Christmas. Countless male audience members will surely sympathize.
The play, recommended for those aged eight and up, is an important reminder to children that sometimes the smallest gifts mean the most, and that in the end, the best Christmas memories are rooted in relationships and time spent with loved ones – not an abundance of gifts, no matter how important they may seem at the time.
But adults, too, can learn something here.
While childhood Christmas memories are extremely important – audiences may become emotional as they recall their own memories – celebrations of today can be just as fulfilling.
After all, today’s events form the memories of tomorrow.
Most of all, audiences are reminded it’s never too late to tell loved ones how they feel. In the end, long after the tree is taken down and the gifts are no longer used, that’s really all that matters.
A Gift to Last plays five shows a week at Theatre Orangeville until Dec. 23. For tickets call the box office at 519-942-3423 or 1-800-424-1295 or visit www.theatreorangeville.ca.
