PEACH WEEKENDER

Actors Collaborative looks back on ‘Old Times’

From left, Jennifer Nagy-Lake plays Anna, John DuVall is Deeley, and Michelle Sullivan is Kate in ‘Old Times,’ being presented by Actors Collaborative Toledo at the Mansion View Inn Feb. 22.

As the years go on, we sometimes come to realize that old times are not necessarily the best of times. This is true for the trio of characters in Old Times, a 1971 play by Harold Pinter to be presented Feb. 22 in a reading by Actors Collaborative Toledo at the Mansion View Inn.

In Old Times, set in a seaside farmhouse, an old friend, Anna, comes to have dinner with Deeley and his wife, Kate. The three spend the evening reminiscing about their younger days of going to concerts and cafes. As they talk, the line between past and present blur into an emotional battlefield.

"I have loved Pinter since college. I love it that there is always something going on under the surface that one can't quite put their finger on," Jennifer Rockwood, University of Toledo department of theatre and film associate lecturer who is directing Old Times, said in an email.

"His plays are about memory and communication, and those are my favorite topics onstage. Differing perspectives always come to light in his work. He is famous for his silences and pauses that critics say are pregnant with thought. His rhythm, poetry, and tempo dynamics sparkle.

"People can expect witty, clever, and crackling dialogue; however, as critics have said, there may be a weasel under the coffee table," Rockwood added.

Anna is played by Jennifer Nagy-Lake, Kate is portrayed by Michelle Sullivan, and Deeley by John DuVall. All of them are University of Toledo theatre alumni, and Michelle Sullivan is currently the advisor for the College of Communication and the Arts.

Performances will be in the grand parlor of the Mansion View, which has new raised seating. 

It is the perfect intimate setting for Pinter, Rockwood added.

"Old Times" will be performed Feb. 22 at 8 p.m. in the Mansion View Inn, 2035 Collingwood Blvd., to benefit the inn and Actors Collaborative Toledo. Tickets are $10, and there will be a donations-accepted wine bar. Seating is limited; call 419-244-5676 or 419-351-5928 to reserve. There will be a discounted students’ performance Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. at the Mansion View.

Bob Eubanks

The Not-So-Newlywed Game, with host Bob Eubanks, who was host of television's The Newlywed Game, will be presented Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center, 10700  State Rt. 118 S., Van Wert. Eight couples will compete onstage for a grand prize, an item valued at $1,000. In addition, ticket-holders will have a chance to win $100,000 by answering Eubank's interactive questions. 

Tickets are $17-$27, from the Niswonger box office, 10700 State Rt. 118 S in Van Wert; by calling 419-238-6722, or online at npacvw.org.

Send theater items to Sue Brickey at sbrickey@theblade.com.