Teatro revives the god of love

Rachel Bowron is not a typical employee.

“I go to work to laugh,” chuckles Bowron from the set of Eros and the Itchy Ant, Teatro La Quindicina’s latest production.

“Laughing takes the pressure off. I’m a little Maxine-ish. I put pressure on myself and it’s wonderful to come to rehearsals and laugh.

Bowron, St. Albert Children’s Theatre music director, is stretching her theatrical wings in a revival of one of Teatro’s most popular productions, slated to open Thursday, July 11 at the Varscona Theatre.

The petite actress, a full-fledged member of the Teatro stable, first gained traction in the company’s productions Hoof and Mouth Advantage (2010) and later at the Edmonton Fringe Festival in Angels on Horseback (2012).

This time playwright-director Stewart Lemoine takes her through a stylish romantic romp cobbled together with music and mythology. A piano teacher Maxine (Bowron) and a baker Frank (Ryan Parker) are mutually attracted to each other. But the young couple is at a romantic standstill until Wanda (Cathy Derkach), a tart-tongued mezzo-soprano and Eros, (Jeff Haslam), a modern incarnation of Eros, intercede.

Bowron heard that she’d gotten the part while chowing down on tacos at her favourite spot, Taqueria Tres Carnales. Her cell rang and Haslam relayed the good news.

“It was the best lunch ever,” she giggles.

She received the script early and found herself laughing hard and feeling touched by the sweet, funny moments.

“It’s such a beautiful romantic comedy. It’s the epitome of romantic comedies. There’s so much heart in it. It’s so warm. You watch two people try to get to a certain place without knowing how to get there,” she explains.

Eros and the Itchy Ant was first mounted in 2002 and later in 2006. Haslam is the only actor to keep his character in all three productions.

“He is supremely confident and really quick. Eros relates well to the audience and he’s always improvising. He can speak to an audience and look them in the eye. And Eros is a good host,” Lemoine explains.

Now playing Wanda, Derkach was the former Maxine in the 2006 production.

“Cathy knows the play inside out. She knows the roles and is very versatile. She knows her cues and is very bold. Wanda is an opinionated character. She’s savvy and gets off those zingers,” Lemoine adds.

And Parker, who captivated audiences with his easygoing charm in Everybody Goes to Mitzi’s, is also a quick-witted improviser with a comedic, theatrical and film background.

“You will be amused,” Lemoine says. “Every person, whether you consider yourself an expert or whether you just like music, will start to think where music fits in your life.”