Arts and Entertainment

Caledon Town Hall Players present ‘Gibson and Sons’

April 25, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield

Back to make us all laugh, Caledon Town Hall Players is presenting “Gibson and Sons” by Kristen Da Silva, opening May 3 and running over the two weekends to May 10.

In the director’s chair this time is Rose Brown who is looking forward to entertaining audiences coming to see this play. It is very funny she promises: after all, it is set in a funeral home.

Brown told the Citizen in a recent telephone interview, “I directed Jenny’s House of Joy and other plays. I’ve been involved with so many community theatre groups over the time but mostly now, I am with CTHP.”

In brief, the story of Funeral Director, Declan Gibson and his sons is about the youngest son of the house, Harry Gibson, who is totally involved with helping his father in the family business, their funeral home, a well-established landmark in their small town. That Harry has little life of his own and it seems, no chance at all at a love life pushes him one day, to answer the call of his heart to find love and have a family of his own.

Harry makes rather a radical decision: he seeks to fill his emptiness by connecting with a bride service based in a country far away called Eustoria. He flies there for a meet and greet to find his bride.

As they say, what could possibly go wrong when Harry comes home with a few surprises?

“This is a very touching comedy about family dynamics,” said Brown. “Harry is working with his family but the older brother does not want to be in the business.

“The story is the introduction of the newcomers from Eustoria,” she defined it. “and the family meeting them and figuring it all out.”

Harry’s new Eustorian bride, Katya is trying to get accustomed to the very different culture she discovers on her arrival to this small town. Just in case she misses her own country, Katya brings someone else with her.

Then, a new funeral home opens across the street.

Brown commented the centre of the piece is what happens between Harry and his fiancée but there are other issues between the characters; she made the point that every character has a story.

A cast of seven brings this play to us, of whom a number are familiar faces, like Susan McLay and Stuart Davidson. Also appearing on stage are Lawrence Murphy, Paul Bryant who is new to CTHP, Nancy Kopriva, Ashley Goldsmith and Sara Hopkinson.

Nancy Kopriva is new to stage productions but decided in her mid-life that she wanted to perform. She took some community classes and theatre lessons and is very happy that CTHP is such a welcoming place for her new enthusiasm.

Gibson and Sons is a play with charm, its director assured us and she added a personal note: it is a little ironic as Brown’s husband passed, now this play takes place in a funeral home, it is a personal challenge for her. In addition, her sister actually works in the business and has been helpful with props and suggestions about furnishing the set of the Gibson Funeral Home.

Twenty years in community theatre, there is not a single community theatre job Brown has not filled. She and her husband just wanted to “build stuff and wound up helping.” Brown began making costumes.

“I have been with CTHP for about ten years and my husband was a builder and set designer,” she related.

Well written and funny, this cast is absolutely amazing, we were told. It’s a happy story.

Why we should definitely come to see it: it is heart-warming and sentimental, light-hearted and uplifting. You will feel happier than when you came in, Brown claimed.

Gibson and Sons is on from May 3 to May 10 with Dinner Theatre on Saturdays. For all the details about show dates and dinner theatre evenings go to caledontownhallplayers.com/online-ticket-orders

You can call, 519-927-5460. For dinner theatre tickets, call 519-927-5460.

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