TNO's 'Silence en coulisses' a play within play

TNO’s 35th annual amateur production, “Silence en coulisses,” is being presented Jan. 29 to Feb. 7.

The production features nine "immensely talented local amateur actors,” a press release said. “We guarantee you will be smiling from the beginning up until the very last line.”

These actors are Jean-Paul Courtemanche, Anie Cousineau, Ryan Demers, Natalie Lalonde, Raymond Landry, Darquise Lauzon, Alexandre Matte, Mélanie Rainville and Daniel Robillard.

You’ll see this third-rate vaudeville play not once, but three times. The first is the dress rehearsal, with rising tensions between drunken, lazy or distracted actors. The second is the same play seen from the wings.

Hilariously, clashes erupt in total silence, because of course, the show must go on. Sometime later, the play is touring and tonight, they’re in Sudbury. By now, the actors’ conflicts are hardly distinguishable from the play itself.

The play is presented at 8 p.m. Jan. 29-30 and Feb. 5-7 and at 2 p.m. Jan. 31.

The play is only available in French. There will be no performance with English subtitles.

Tickets, which cost $25 for adults, $20 for seniors, $15 for post-secondary students and $5 for children, are available at leTNO.ca/billetterie.