Self Help.
Cindy Savage, played by Carole Almas, convinces her husband Hal, played by Ryan Kingham, to give up the life of an actor to become a self help guru in the Mississauga Players latest production of the Norm Foster comedy, Self Help.
Staff photo by Nikki Wesley
Tired of a second-rate life, Hal and Cindy Savage were looking for something better.
After trying, and ultimately failing, as actors, the two decide to become self-help gurus. Although they were miserable performers, they make excellent professional and personal life coaches, and soon see their bank accounts and profiles grow rapidly.
But like many nouveau riche, the two discover they have mounting problems that can't necessarily be solved with money.
The story of the Savages will be told this Thursday when the Mississauga Players present the farcical black comedy, Self Help, at Burnhamthorpe Library Theatre. The show, written by Norm Foster with direction by Alan McKenzie, continues this weekend and next.
Carole Almas and Ryan Kinghorn are Cindy and Hal, respectively. The duo are sick of performing shows at two-bit dinner theatres across the country and are desperate for something grander out of life.
Although they're terrible at selling the audience on the fact they're a particular character in a stage show, the pair has a knack for convincing people there's something wrong with them. And, only money to purchase a slew of books, videos and all manner of self-help devices will cure what ails these misled people looking for life improvement.
However, as the P. Diddy song goes, more money, more problems. The relationship between Cindy and Hal gets downright chilly as they start to make more cash.
The story takes a strange twist when a dead body is discovered in the pair's study. Detective Snow (Randy Bridge) shows up, as does the couple's hard-nosed agent Ruby Delvecchio (Linzee Barclay). Throw in a nosy reporter looking for a scoop and an idealistic new maid at the home for her first day on the job, and things get all the more bizarre.
Show time is 8 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday. The shows continue Nov. 15-17.
Tickets cost $17-$20 and can be purchased by calling 905-812-1759.
For more information, visit www.mississaugaplayers.ca.
cclay@mississauga.net