Rob McCaffery admits that right now, his nerves are getting the better of him.
"I do have some of the same jitters I had during my his first acting gig," he said with a laugh Tuesday night. "I do think about the scrutiny of the audience."
McCaffery is directing his first ever play. It's the Many Hats Theatre Company production of Canadian playwright John Spurway's thoroughly modern "Off The Grid," in which a couple explores life without contemporary conveniences and in the process learns a lot about their own relationship.
It's a comedy -- more a "dramedy," says McCaffery -- and it opens its 15-date July run this Thursday evening at the Cannery Stage in the Cannery Trade Centre.
We caught part of a rehearsal Tuesday evening and agree with McCaffery's assessment. We had some laughs but we also felt some intrigue as Martha (played by Melissa Kuse) and Leonard (Martin Pedersen) bantered back and forth in the off-the-grid cabin they've opted to inhabit for a one-week stretch.
"Martha is an architect," said McCaffery, "who's been commissioned to write an article for a home energy magazine about this state of the art off-grid home.
"So she's there to write the article but also to celebrate a wedding anniversary with Leonard. And they're both on their second marriage and are trying to have a baby."
The couple are not alone. An aging neighbor named Lowell (Jamie Eberle) inserts himself into their situation, initially adding an element of mystery to the dramedic tone.
"It's my first time directing a show," said McCaffery, "though I've acted in 14 others with Many Hats, the first being July of 2009.
"I don’t have any other training or background, but that first play was something that seemed interesting so I thought I'd give it a try. And I absolutely loved it. Being a part of Many Hats since then has been rewarding in so many ways."
McCaffery decided to take the directorial plunge when the stars aligned.
"I got involved because there's been discussion about more people stepping into different roles," he said. "That’s why we're called Many Hats. And I happened to read this script and laughed out loud at many of the jokes."
But he isn’t the only rookie to debut in Off The Grid. So too does Kuse as architect Martha, who's been involved in a number of Many Hats productions but never in the role of actor.
Pedersen as Martha's tech-loving hubby Leonard was somewhat of a surprise casting, said McCaffery. "He's acted in about five shows," he said. "He's been typecast as the exuberant or eccentric character and this character is a loans officer in a bank, so I had to get him to dial his energy back."
The veteran of the group is Eberle, an experienced thespian with long and impressive ties to theatre here in the Okanagan and in Alberta.
"If anyone's up for a good laugh," said McCaffery, "Off The Grid will do it. And there's a good message about relationships that everybody can take away."
The production runs Thursday through Sunday throughout July, starting on the 7th and ending on the 30th. Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows are evening performances beginning at 8 pm, while Sundays are matinees starting at 2.
For an extra kick, both the Thursday and Friday shows this week are considered opening nights. The first will feature the wines of Play Estate Wines. The second will feature awesome craft brews from Cannery Brewing.
More information and GST-inclusive tickets ($28 for adults and $25 for students), go here.
