Menopositive! has laughs, lessons for women & men

By David Pattenaude
Petrolia Topic

Psst!

There's a lot of shocking F-words uttered in the opening production of Victoria Playhouse Petrolia's (VPP) summer theatre season. The play is called Menopositive! The Musical and the most shocking F-word is fifty.

But there's more F-words, including flatulence, and fool. But keep in mind that menopause is about a time of life for women that can change faster than a roll of toilet paper. No wonder that one of the play's taboo words, the most shocking one of all, has only four letters.

Featuring the talents of four actresses playing fifty something women going through or who have gone through the "change," Menopositive reminds everyone they are fooling themselves if they think they are going to conquer aging or aging-related issues with the square box thinking and clichéd responses.

There are many laughs in the show, including a few in a satisfying 'organic' scene - without the shampoo. If you think about the restaurant scene with Meg Ryan in the movie When Harry Met Sally, you are getting close. But there are life lessons to be learned too by seeing Menopositive!

The message for me from watching Saturday night's show is that it's up to individuals to care for themselves, their families and others and all the money and all the health and fitness programs in the world won't change wellness attitudes.

Women and men go through a mid-life change and it's up to them to take charge of their life, think about what they really want, still be productive and useful, possibly do volunteer work and help others by sharing experience and support.

Mid-life can be a time to shine and shining in the two-hour production of Menopositive! The Musical are Catherine McKinnon, (Zsu Zsu); Jayne Lewis, (Marnie); Charlotte Moore, (Kate); and Karen Wood, (Cynthia).

McKinnon, who played the Zsu Zsu role last year in her own Carmody Comedy Barn in P.E.I., has some of the best one-liners in the play but all four women sing and shine in a show that includes tender and thoughtful moments.

Even though the play is about women and their change of life and men are bashed a bit in absentia in the script, men in the near sell-out crowd laughed just as hard. The singing and acting is great and the orchestra did a fine job. Set changes and lighting were done smoothly.

Menopositive! The Musical is a great start to VPP's 2003 summer theatre season and run until June 14. For tickets, call 852-1221 or 1-800-717-7694.