THUNDER BAY — A local playwright's first-full length play will have its world premiere on Wednesday night at Cambrian Players.
It’s easy to see how much playwright Amanda Doig is looking forward to seeing Of Marriage Minded Misses brought to life on stage.
“I think my excitement level is over a 10,” Doig,who was born and raised in Thunder Bay, said before a rehearsal on Monday.
“It’s not like anything that I would have expected. It’s 1,000 times better. I think everybody here is pretty hyped up for it.”
She’s enjoyed the bond that she’s developed with director Julie MacCoy.
“You’re never sure what to expect because every director has their own vision,” Doig said. “With Julie, she just knew exactly what I had written and she got the vibes immediately. It was really cool to see her take all of the things that were in my head and throw them onto the stage.”
“Amanda’s writing is unbelievable,” said MacCoy. “Her dialogue for these characters and how she created these characters was so much fun to bring to life.
“To get to work with somebody as amazing as Amanda has been a dream come true. This is my third show with Cambrian and I think this one’s just a little extra special.”
Matthew Jollineau, who plays the role of Lord Andover in the production, says those who are coming out to see the play should be prepared to laugh a lot.
“There are some nice heartwarming moments as well, but you definitely need to get ready for some laughs,” Jollineau added.
The play, which runs around 90 minutes, is influenced by Doig's love for the romance genre, including the Bridgerton series.
The process of putting Of Marriage Minded Misses together started prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Doig had left it alone for several years before coming back to it in 2023.
“I had done a reading with the play before COVID and one of the board members at Cambrian had been part of that reading,” Doig said. “He reached out to me last fall and asked if they could use it for their Green Room series.
“Once they read it, they decided to use it for their main stage, which has been amazing. I hadn’t actually even thought about touching this again until I was asked about it.”
Doig said it’s hard to describe the feeling that comes with seeing the words that she wrote come to life on the stage.
“Everyone puts their own personalities into it and it’s really neat to see,” Doig added.
Of Marriage Minded Misses premiers on Wednesday with the doors at Cambrian Players opening at 7 p.m. and the show starting at 7:30 p.m.
The production runs until Sunday, then returns to the stage from Nov. 27 to 30.
Further information on the play can be found on the Cambrian Players website.
