ONstage Tonight at Festival: Domino Theatre

Domino Theatre's production of Outside Mullingar

The last time Theatre Ontario Festival was held in Richmond Hill in 2011, Domino Theatre went home with the Elsie for Outstanding Festival Production for their production of Joanna McClelland Glass’ Trying. This year, they return as the representative of the Eastern Ontario Drama League—presenting John Patrick Shanley’s Outside Mullingar.

Since its unusual beginning between feature films at the old Odeon Theatre in Kingston in 1952, Domino has grown to a full seven-play winter season. Each season offers an appealing mix of drama, comedy and mystery from the Canadian and world stages. People from all walks of life pool their skills to present productions of a consistently high calibre. As a member of the Eastern Ontario Drama League and Theatre Ontario, Domino is actively involved in the Ontario amateur theatre community and has acted as host to several annual festivals. Many Domino people and productions have been recognized for their excellence at the regional and provincial levels. With a Board of Directors elected by the membership, and with advertised auditions open to all, Domino welcomes the participation of interested volunteers both on stage and behind the scenes.

In Outside Mullingar, Anthony and Rosemary are two introverted misfits straddling 40. Anthony has spent his entire life on a cattle farm in rural Ireland, a state of affairs that, due to his painful shyness, suits him well. Rosemary lives next door and is determined to have him but is watching the years slip away. With Anthony’s father threatening to disinherit him and a land feud simmering between their families, Rosemary has every reason to fear romantic catastrophe. In this very Irish story with a depth of poetic passion, these yearning, eccentric souls fight their way toward some kind of happiness. Outside Mullingar is a compassionate, delightful work about how it’s never too late to take a chance on love.

At EODL Full-Length Festival 2018-2019, Domino Theatre won the Leslie M. Frost Award for Best Production, Best Actor in a Major Role (Geoff Johnson as Anthony Reilly), Best Cameo Performance (Linda Hamstra as the nurse in the Scene 3 to Scene 4 transition), Best Use of Speech (David Hurley as Tony Reilly), and Set Design (David L. Smith), with nominations for Best Director (Ian Malcolm), Best Actress in a Major Role (Dympna McConnell as Rosemary Muldoon),  Acting Excellence (David Hurley as Tony Reilly and Sandi Cond as Aiofe Muldoon), Outstanding Ensemble, Best Visual Presentation, and Best Costuming.

Learn more about Theatre Ontario Festival 2019