by Gary Kirkham
Directed by Kathleen Sheehy
Produced by Iris Miltenburg
February 2 – 11, 2024
Inspired by a true story, Pearl Gidley tells the tale of the Gidley sisters, Pearl and Edith, who live in Blyth, Ontario. The time is 1969. The Gidley sisters have occasionally taken in boarders to help pay the bills. Their friend, George, is a piano tuner with cerebral palsy who tunes Pearl’s piano annually and is also involved with helping young American men dodge the Vietnam war draft in the US. George asks them to provide room and board for a few days to a young man he calls Charles. Over the course of the next few days, Charles and the Gidleys learn deeply personal things about each other, and about themselves. These revelations galvanize the next steps they take in their lives. Pearl Gidley is by Cambridge-based playwright, Gary Kirkham.
Showtimes for Pearl Gidley
| Sunday | … | … | … | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| February 2 7:30 pm | February 3 7:30 pm | |||||
| February 4 2:30 pm | February 8 7:30 pm | February 9 7:30 pm | February 10 7:30 pm | |||
| February 11 2:30 pm |
Michele Di Tomasso – playing Edith
Michele is so happy to return to ETC! Previous roles with the company include Doris (Same Time Next Year), Charlotte (Harvest) and Sister Amnesia (Nunsense). Michele is an award-winning actor as well as a Director and Producer of community theatre in the region. She is also a founding member of Ayr Community Theatre and a yoga instructor. Michele thanks the cast and crew of Pearl Gidley and Kathleen for this opportunity. Much love to Stephan who patiently supports all of her endeavours. Enjoy the show!
Cathy Moore – playing Pearl
Cathy has been a member of Elmira Theatre Company “since the beginning.” She just completed her term as secretary and is currently the newsletter editor for the company. Selected acting credits with ETC: The Last Real Summer, Waiting For The Parade, The Long Weekend, Hollywood Arms. Last season she was thrilled to share the ETC stage with her husband, Robb, in Old Love. Other: Albertine in Five Times (Cambridge Community Players), The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Guelph Little Theatre), Steel Magnolias, (Ayr Community Theatre). Selected directing credits with ETC: Opening Night, Christmas Belles, Steel Magnolias, The Wild Guys. Cathy is excited to be working with the talented cast and crew of Pearl Gidley in our new location! As always, love to her biggest fan, Robb, for his love and support of her passion for theatre.
Nathan Rossi – playing Andrew
Nathan is a graduate of Brock University’s theatre program. With a double major in classical history and theatre, Nathan is passionate about the arts and how it can be used as a medium to tell stories and affect the complex world around us. He is very excited to take the stage any opportunity he gets and is happy to be back with Elmira Theatre Company for Pearl Gidley, after recently debuting at ETC in Ed’s Garage.
Brendan Schaefer – playing George
Brendan has been involved in theatre off and on for the past 55 years, starting off his career at age 3 playing the role of a servant boy in a college production of The Makado. Brendan spent a number of years with Theatre & Company in Kitchener in the 1990s, when it was still a small ensemble of dedicated starving artists. Favourite roles from that period include Johann in The Shunning and Trisotin in The Sisterhood. More recently, Brendan has appeared in a few short plays, including a number of the Asphalt Jungle Shorts productions in downtown Kitchener, as well as working with Lost & Found Theatre as an actor and technician on many of their illustrious productions, including Possible Worlds, and A Lost & Found Christmas. In addition to his theatrical work, Brendan is an avid cyclist, back country canoeist, gardener, racquetballer, and handyman. Brendan is excited to be back on stage working with such a great crew on this iconic local play by Gary Kirkham, our hidden treasure of a playwright in southwestern Ontario.
Pearl Gidley was first produced by the Blyth Festival.
Director/Dramaturge Miles Potter. Featuring actors, Catherine Fitch, Patricia Hamilton, Gil Garrett and Sam Malkin. Stage Manager Shauna Japp. Artistic Director Eric Coates.
The play was developed thanks to a grant by the Ontario Arts Council’s Playwright Residency program.
Elmira Theatre Company 