As we approach the July 4th holiday the cast, crew and the rest of the Players’ company are a bit verklempt about saying goodbye to Sean Grennan’s touching and heartfelt comedy “The Tin Woman.”
Sean, the cast and everyone at the Players have received an enormous amount of positive feedback from patrons about how “The Tin Woman” is the best thing they have seen on any stage. Several reviews and commentaries have been printed in newsprint and posted on line, so our patrons are not alone in this thought.
“The Tin Woman” features a young woman whose life gets an unexpected gift in Jack’s donated heart. While the family grieves the loss of their son, Joy tries to find her way through a life she wasn’t expecting to continue.
Comedy from healing grief. Yes, yes there is.
A comedy according to the dictionary is, “A play, motion picture, etc., dealing with human folly in a light and humorous manner, and having a happy ending.”
And “The Tin Woman” has a happy ending.
“Joy, the heart recipient, finds a family and purpose in life, and Jack’s family finds closure by coming together with Joy,” said Artistic Director Greg Vinkler. “That the ending is emotional is not a bad thing. Crying is not a bad thing. It is very cathartic for many people. I can’t tell you how many people have come up to me deeply affected by Sean’s work.”
As Erin Hunsader of the Door County Advocate said of the “The Tin Woman,” it is “an honest portrayal of what life is like after a loved one is gone while giving us the delight of seeing what happens when someone unexpected arrives, sharing a bit of what we lost.”
Thursday, June 26, Joel and Sue Heckman and Ken and Fran McIntosh from the Second Chance for Life Foundation hosted a pre-show seminar. Joel and Ken are both recipients of heart transplants, and Sue and Fran were their caregivers during the recovery process.
They discussed being on the receiving end of a transplant and shared that Sean’s script captures the emotions of the experience.
Patrons have hugged Greg as they exiting the theater, thanking him for bringing “The Tin Woman” to Door County. Audiences and patrons have also sent numerous positive notes.
Theater artisans are thrilled when their craft, their art, profoundly touches another human soul. It is a magical experience. And Joel Hatch, Kristine Thatcher, Erin Noel Grennan, Erica Elam, Carol Kuykendall and Matt Holzfeind have been spinning that magic each night.
Others thought so to:
“While Thatcher and Hatch portray Jack’s grieving parents with realistic humor, sparked with amusing quips that ring true, Elam adds an affectionate, quirky personality to Sammy,” said Peggy Sue Dunigan of doorcountytoday.com.
“Hatch lets us see the hurt and confusion of a father coming to grips with how little he knew his son — and how much he loved him,” said Mike Fischer of the Milwaukee Journal. “Erin Noel Grennan gives us Joy’s funny and wisecracking shell — and the soft-bodied vulnerabilities and insecurities of the lonely woman it hides. And Thatcher’s Alice — so Midwestern, in her seemingly even-keeled reserve.”
“The Tin Woman” closes Sunday, July 6 with a 4 p.m. matinee. Don’t miss your chance to capture some of the magic.
While performing the “The Tin Woman” the cast has also been rehearsing our next offering, Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None,” a classic whodunit that opens July 9.
Christie first penned her best-selling book in 1939 and yet the Players has never produced “And Then There Were None.” Other of her plays have thrilled and sent chills through our patrons including “Witness for the Prosecution,” “Murder on the Nile,” “Spider’s Web” and “Mousetrap.”
If you missed our first pre-show seminar you have another chance when Agatha Christie expert Christopher Chan joins us July 22 at 6:30 p.m. to lead a seminar on the Queen of Crime. We hope to see you by the bay at a show, a pre-show seminar or a backstage tour. For more information visit www.peninsulaplayers.com or phone 920-868-3287.