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26 | March 15, 2018 | The Homer Horizon LIFE & ARTS homerhorizon.com Curtain Call Theatre brings ‘Enchanted April’ to life Homer Glen resident assists in creating parts of production T.J. Kremer III Contributing Editor Springtime is all about rebirth and discovery. All around, nature transforms from the cold and gloomy winter into the warm and vibrant spring. So, it’s only appropriate that during the first two weekends in March, Curtain Call Theatre presented its rendition of “Enchanted April” to the stage, a play that’s focused on transformation of the human heart and spirit. “It’s a story of self-discovery and coming to terms with, if you want to say baggage and demons and ghosts in your life,” said the play’s Director Mark Frost. Based on the 1922 novel, “The Enchanted April,” by Elizabeth von Arnim, the play follows the lives of four women who decide to shrug off dreary post-WWI London in favor of a holiday in Genoa, Italy. Two of the women, Rose Arnott and Lotty Wilton, who are acquainted through sight only at the same church but are both struggling with issues in their marriages, read an advertisement for a trip to Italy; however, they can’t afford the trip on their own, so they get two more women, the widow Mrs. Graves and young socialite Caroline Bramble, to help share the expenses. “Everyone is trying to escape dreary London for this beautiful enchantment that you will find at San Salvatore, [which] is the name of the castle where they go on holiday,” Frost said. “And, so, it’s a story of those interrelationships with each other, Katherine Oles, of Homer Glen, was sound engineer for Curtain Call Theatre’s recent rendition of “Enchanted April.” In her role, she helped add in audio twists to the settings of 1920s London and Italy. T.J. Kremer III/22nd Century Media but then how they use those to figure out some things for themselves, and each one of them finds some transformation. And so I think that’s timeless because all of us, I think, have at times have things in our lives that don’t go the way we exactly plan them to be and we’re looking to transform ourselves, from time to time.” Making her return as sound engineer was Katherine Oles, of Homer Glen. Oles was also the sound engineer for “39 Steps.” The visual differences between 1920s London and Italy were probably obvious to audience members, and the audio twists add to the overall theme of transformation. “We have rain for England, and then there’s no rain for Italy, Oles said. “There’s some church bells for Italy, but no rain.” Oles said there are a couple of sound effects that she thought the audience would appreciate: A train announcement in the middle of the production, and a monologue near the end. “I think the train announcement is going to be interesting and the same with the monologue,” Oles said. Lynn Meller, of Tinley Park, who played Rose, said she connected with her character as a straight-and-narrow sort who has some disdain for others not like her, but, by the end, learns to accept her own need for change. “We all go through changes as we get older, as we find our place in life and what we are meant to be doing, or what we think we are meant to be doing, and that’s kind of what’s going on in this show,” Meller said. “We go on this trip to try and get away from people when we realize that wasn’t the entire point of what we should’ve been doing: We should’ve been trying to find out who we are as individuals, and then we can get back together with all of our friends and family and start anew in a way.” Dan McGrath also is from Tinley Park and made his return to Curtain Call Theatre after a hiatus of a couple years, played Mellersh Wilton, the husband of Lotty Wilton, who is an acquaintance of Rose. McGrath said his character, at first, represents a profound resistance to change. “He’s very prim and proper,” McGrath said. “He tends to think that the world revolves around him, especially with regard to everything in his immediacy, that he can have any kind of control and he wants to control it, including his wife.” Judie Brugler, of Frankfort, played Costanza, the Italian housekeeper. Brigler said her character is in the middle of all these transformations and unusual situations, and she doesn’t know quite what to make of it all; however, even Costanza gets caught in the transformative web by the end. One challenge for Brugler was the fact that none of her lines are in English. “All my lines are in Italian,” Brugler said. But, with the help of some friends from northern Italy, Brugler was able to prepare for the role. “It was wonderful to sit down and have a glass of wine with them, and they would tell me about their travels in Italy and what the people were like, and their thinking and their philosophies, and that helped me a lot,” she said. Joshua Reid, of Mokena, played Antony Wilding, a young artist who was raised British and fought in WWI. Wilding’s parents and grandparents owned the castle in his youth but died while he was in the war, leaving the castle to Wilding. “Enchanted April” was Reid’s first time on stage as an actor, but a love of art in all its forms drew him to try out for a role. “This is my first production I’m ever in, so I’m glad I took the plunge and decided to do it,” Reid said. “But, this one in particular, I think it’s fascinating that it’s set in 1922, which is, like, a hundred years ago now. So to be playing a character that lived a century ago is, one, a challenge, but also very rewarding at the same time. It kind of exposes you to a different way of life that you really wouldn’t have the chance to explore outside the theater, I guess. It was a challenge that I thought would be a fun one to take on. And I got to do a British accent, as well.” June Graffy, of New Lenox, who co-produced the production and also serves as assistant executive director of Curtain Call’s Board of Directors, handles the behind-the-scenes activities needed to make a production run smoothly. She said even though the story is nearly 100 years old, the transformative theme still resonates with audiences today. “I think it brings people back to a point where … it gives a perspective of what life was like, and, really, it’s not that much different than to now: people wondering are they on the right path, are they with the right person, do they need some time alone. Same things as now only in a different time setting,” Graffy said. By the end of the play, all the characters are transformed in some way; some through actively searching for answers, and others simply by stumbling across a set of circumstances that they happen to have found themselves in. Reid said he hopes audiences will walk away from the show feeling that they should never give up hope. “If your life isn’t necessarily going the way you want it to, that it’s not outside of our power to affect some sort of change to make it better.”
homerhorizon.com DINING OUT the Homer Horizon | March 15, 2018 | 27 The Dish Tom Kelly’s in New Lenox all about good times Upcoming St. Patrick’s Day event to bring Guinness, corned beef, more Amanda Stoll, Assistant Editor Tucked behind the Jewel- Osco near the intersection of Route 30 and Interstate 80 is a building that in many ways looks like a house. And with its two fireplaces, Tom Kelly’s Chophouse & Pub feels like home to many. That is the kind of atmosphere owner Kelly Trumpey said she and her husband, Brett, have tried to foster since the business opened 11 years ago this March. Fittingly, Kelly Trumpey said they celebrate the business anniversary around St. Patrick’s Day, giving them another reason to throw an unforgettable party every year, complete with a heated tent set up in the parking lot, and music and entertainment all day long. This year, the Irish holiday falls on a Saturday, and Trumpey said they will begin the festivities at 10 a.m. and the music at noon with a performance by traditional Irish fiddlers. There will be music throughout the day, and bagpipers are to join the party at 6 p.m., followed by the headlining band, Hillbilly Rockstarz. “It’s a super-fun atmosphere, because everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, so everyone’s just here to have a good time,” Trumpey said. “It’s like a sea of green.” Based on past years, Trumpey estimates the restaurant will sell more than 2,000 pounds of corned beef during the weekend. Last year, revelers consumed seven kegs worth of Guinness. Tom Kelly’s Chophouse & Pub 495 Degroate Road in New Lenox Hours • 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m. Sunday-Thursday (kitchen closes at 9 p.m. Sunday, 11 p.m. Monday-Thursday) • 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday (kitchen closes at midnight) • Noon-2 a.m. Saturday (kitchen closes at midnight) For more information ... Web: www.tomkellys.com Phone: (815) 462-8420 This year she plans to order 10 kegs — the equivalent of 1,653 bottles of the Irish brew. Though the economic recession hurt many businesses when it hit hard a decade ago, Trumpey said Tom Kelly’s survived because of its customer service and loyal customers. “If you don’t know a name, you know the drink or you know what they eat, and we find that that really got us through those really hard recession times,” Trumpey said. About four years ago, Trumpey said business really started to pick up again, which allowed Tom Kelly’s to put the focus back on menu items, fresh ingredients and homemade sauces. She said the restaurant is known for its food, but 28 craft beers on tap, and a full whiskey and bourbon bar, do not go unnoticed. Tom Kelly’s is popular with Blackhawks fans during hockey season and March Madness, but Trumpey said recently it has started hosting children’s events, including Halloween and Christmas parties. The next such event, an Easter party, is to begin at noon, March 31. Trumpey said she and her husband tried to think about the kinds of things they enjoy in addition to those their two youngsters do, and an event at the restaurant seemed to fit the bill, with food and drinks for the parents, and crafts and activities for the children. Keeping with the family friendly theme, Tom Kelly’s kid’s menu includes mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, mini burgers and grilled cheese. For the adults, Tom Kelly’s appetizer menu includes American favorites, such as wings tossed in either BBQ, garlic, mild or hot sauce; fried pickles served with chipotle ranch; and nachos with beef or homemade chili or shredded chicken. Trumpey said among her favorite things on the menu are the Reuben rolls. The sliced corned beef, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut are served in a deep fried wonton for a crunchy, bite-sized take on the popular sandwich. For sauerkraut and corned beef lovers, there are other Reuben items on the menu, including the traditional Reuben sandwich, the Reuben burger and the 12-inch Reuben pizza. The burger options can be ordered with bison, Angus beef, grilled chicken breast or a turkey burger. Prices vary by item. Although Trumpey said the restaurant has added and changed the menu many times, the corned beef and cabbage is an obvious staple The corned beef and cabbage is at the heart of Tom Kelly’s menu for St. Patrick’s Day guests. Photos by Amanda Stoll/22nd Century Media Chicken Parmesan recently was added to Tom Kelly’s menu at the request of customers who wanted to see more pasta dishes during winter months. of Tom Kelly’s traditional Irish fare. Other Irish entrées include shepherd’s pie, the Guinness beef stew and the beer-battered fish and chips. Trumpey said new specials are always being tested out throughout the month. If popular, she said they may be added to the regular menu the next time around. “I think we can always continue to grow,” Trumpey said.
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