Couples, power, sex and secrets……. What a potent mix! Hudson Village Theatre is celebrating spring with a new play, Renovations for Six, the latest offering by Canada’s favorite comedic playwright, Norm Foster. Known for crowd-pleasing productions that are at the same time humorous and profound, Renovations for Six is directed by veteran Steve Walters and performed by a cast of six actors, all familiar to Hudson theatre-goers. It is a fundraiser for the theatre and a welcome way to get back on track, after months of COVID-induced theatre deprivation!

Three couples are brought together when Shayna and Grant, new to the area, invite two other couples for cocktails. Each one invites one couple. Shayna (Vickie Kuchlein), a pilates instructor, invites a member of her book club, and Grant (John Sheridan), a furniture store manager, invites his senior salesman. But although the hope should be for a relaxed, congenial. get-together, three more dissimilar couples would be hard to find. Shayna’s acquaintance, Veronica, (Diane Roseman) is a psychiatrist. She is reserved, a little cynical and is accompanied by her more ebullient husband Maurice (David Speak), a wannabe writer. Wing (Steve Walters), the salesman at Grant’s store, is worried about his job and not helped at all by his chatterbox wife Billie (Diana Gausden). On top of everything, it becomes obvious that each relationship comes with its own complicated internal baggage. Norm Foster is a past master at creating, then destroying, assumptions and facades, and this evening provides fertile ground for cultivating insecurities, secrets and even fireworks.

All six actors do a superb job. But what is amazing in this play is the way the couples’ varied stories and conversations are woven together on a single stage, often simultaneously. It is a complex tapestry that presents different perspectives and time lines, yet still maintains a unified whole. Thanks to the incredible skill of the actors and their perfect timing and pitch, all the different stories are heard and understood. In addition, the intricate choreography permits us to see and absorb the different interactions playing out in front of us, often at the same time. It is hard to explain but riveting, and must be experienced.

Ironically each couple is making renovations on their home, and one feels that, thanks to the catalyst of this party, renovations will be applying to their relationships as well. And again ironically, due to the ongoing upgrades at the theatre itself, the rehearsal I attended did not yet have costumes or set. So, I am anxious to return to see the final version of this play, with sets, lights and costumes, in our newly upgraded theatre. Besides, I have to find out what colour “smoky salmon” is.

Renovations for Six will run at the Hudson Village Theatre from April 7-24, and tickets are going fast. For tickets, contact the box office at 450-458-5361 or hvtbox@villagetheatre.ca.

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