PREVIEW: Crown Point Players presenting unique companion plays
Lone Star and Laundry and Bourbon features two one-act plays set in 1970s Texas, one with an all-female cast and the other with an all male cast. It will run at Crown & Press from Oct. 16 to 24.
New theatre company Crown Point Players is presenting Lone Star and Laundry and Bourbon, two interconnected one-act plays by acclaimed American playwright James McLure.
“We were drawn to these plays because they feel incredibly human,” says Chris Monachino, president of Crown Point Players, in a press release about the production. “There is a lot of humour, but underneath are questions about identity, relationships, and the ways people try to find their place in the world.”
Set in a small Texas town, Laundry and Bourbon brings together Elizabeth, Hattie and Amy for an afternoon of gossip, drinks, and uncomfortable truths. Across town, Lone Star follows Roy, a Vietnam veteran struggling to reclaim his place in a world that has changed while he was away, and his younger brother Ray, who is trying to find out what kind of future he wants for himself. Together, the plays offer two perspectives on relationships, identity, loyalty and the complicated process of moving forward.
“Audiences can expect to be transported back to a ‘simpler time,’ where people still had problems and anxieties about the future,” says Laura Almeida, who plays Amy Lee. “They can join three women living, laughing, and loving through an important transitional period in their lives. Pour a stiff bourbon and coke and join us on the porch!”
Almeida says she has no formal acting training, but spent her teens and 20s performing in community musicals, vocal ensembles, and plays all over southern Ontario.
She says of her character: “A PTA bake sale and a department store makeup counter hate to see her coming. Amy Lee is a force to be reckoned with, hiding behind an unhinged smile and her congregation to shield the scared, lonely girl from the cruelties of her small town childhood. She just wants to be loved (and in charge).”
Crown Point Players, formed by members of the Hamilton theatre community in 2023, was created with a simple goal: to expand opportunities for local performers and artists while bringing audiences together through meaningful, accessible theatre. The production features a cast and creative team drawn from the local theatre community, reflecting Crown Point Players’ commitment to creating opportunities for artists at different stages of their careers.
Amber Mills, says her character Hattie, is “so fun to inhabit. Big, brash, crude, loyal, and hopefully, lovable. She drinks like a fish, talks non-stop, and hides a lot of hurt with humour.
The show, directed by Ronald DeBeck, features plenty of laughs, says Mills, who is working with Crown Point Players for the first time.
“It’s a comedy and there are lots of silly moments. They can also expect to commune with a time and place that may feel incredibly different than their own experiences (as it did for me), or perhaps for some, remind them of a bygone era. 1970s rural Texas, with all its particularities!”
Mills worked in professional theatre and lived in Toronto for about a decade after graduating from Queen’s University. After she had children, she moved back to Hamilton and began teaching full time while continuing to perform on the side. She also runs the Hamilton Theatre Project.
Crown Point Players is “committed to enriching our local community through accessible, quality theatrical productions and provide a creative platform for emerging artists, volunteers and theatre lovers. We believe in the power of storytelling to inspire, unite and enrich our communities.”
This is the first time Crown Point Players has presented at Crown & Press. Its previous productions have been musically focused, including 35mm: A Musical Exhibition and Dogfight.
Lone Star and Laundry and Bourbon offer the chance to do something different, says lead producer Devin France.
“What really drew us to Lone Star and Laundry and Bourbon was the balance between its heartfelt storytelling, sharp comedy, and surprisingly complex dramatic themes. On the surface, both plays are incredibly funny, but underneath that humour are some very real and relatable stories about relationships, identity, change, and the challenges of moving forward.”
The structure of the work, with one all-male cast and one all-female cast telling stories that mirror and complement each other, also allows connections to unfold.
“Ultimately, we felt this was a unique piece of theatre that isn’t produced nearly as often as it deserves to be. Hamilton has such a vibrant and diverse arts community, and we thought it would be a wonderful place to introduce audiences to these two stories. We’re excited to bring something that will make people laugh, but also give them something to think about long after they’ve left the theatre.”
Crown Point Players next production is a Winter Melody concert at Crown & Press Gallery in December. In 2027, comes the musical Floyd Collins in April at the Voortman Theatre at the Ancaster Memorial Arts Centre.
“Much like Lone Star and Laundry and Bourbon, Floyd Collins is a show that isn’t produced nearly as often as we think it deserves to be,” says France. “One of the things we love about Crown Point Players is the opportunity to take on productions that are a little less conventional and introduce audiences to stories they may not have experienced before.”
NEED TO KNOW
Lone Star and Laundry and Bourbon
Crown Point Players
Oct. 16–24
Crown & Press – A Julia Veenstra Gallery and Café
303 Ottawa St. N., Hamilton
Tickets are here