Once a respectable classical theatre actor, Stanley Shenton is now struggling with bouts of stage fright in a dinner theatre just outside of Moose Jaw. Having been fired and after his last disastrous Sunday matinee, he is visited by Shelley Kline, an ex-girlfriend who hopes to rescue him from his desperate straights and offers him a job with her. Now a successful theatre director and unaware of his problems with stage fright and drink, she wants him to play Gloucester in an upcoming production of ‘King Lear’ at the Canadian Rep Theatre, a prestigious Toronto theatre. One of the problems, however, is that Rod C. Tanner, an old best friend and rival for Shelley’s affections, is playing the king himself. Complicating things further is Rod’s TV star status and Stan’s resentment and feelings of inadequacy. Stan, however, is broke and three weeks later he is
waiting to meet Shelley and Rod on the stage the night before the first read through.
A play for three actors and running approximately 115 minutes plus intermission ‘Curtain Call’ is a fractious comedy about lost love, friendship and reconciliation. This entertaining, bittersweet comedy thus follows the backstage shenanigans of these three best friends as they mount the classic play ‘King Lear.’
Keywords: Bitter sweet comedy, Shakespeare, lost love, Reconcilliation
Running Time: 115 minutes
Male Cast: 2
Female Cast: 1