Lighthouse Festival has kicked off its summer season with a Norm Foster play directed by Canadian stage and screen performer Sheila McCarthy.
Come Down From Up River is set at first in the wilds of New Brunswick where a man who has lived in the wilderness for most of his life suddenly finds himself at his estranged niece’s house, which she shares with her wife.
A fish-out-of water tale becomes reality for all of them in this “sweet, emotional account of family reconciliation and working to understand each other better.”
“I was drawn to the play because I love delving into Norm Foster’s work as a playwright,” McCarthy said in a release. “He writes more complicated stories than people think, and I love discovering all the any layers of his words. I love the idea if this incredible cast and working in beautiful Port Dover.”
McCarthy recently starred in this year’s Oscar-winning film, Women Talking, and the Nexflix hit, Umbrella Academy.
Come Down From Up River stars Lighthouse favorite Ralph Small who brought Buying the Farm to life in the 2022 Lighthouse season and Sexy Laundry in 2019. It also features Fuschia Boston and Eliza-Jane Scott, both making their Lighthouse stage debuts.
“I think audiences will delve into stories about their own families as they drive home,” said McCarthy. “The secrets and unsolved questions, the skeletons rattling in their own closets about misinterpreted moments and generational misunderstanding. I hope they also drive home with smiles on their faces about a great night in the theatre.”
Performances run until June 3. Tickets $15 to $48 are available at lighthousetheatre.com or by calling 1-888-779-7703.