Play penned to showcase acting talents of Jo Skilton

By Debra Downey, Senior Editor

Playwright Robert Knuckle didn’t have to look very far to find a strong, loving older woman to provide inspiration for Are You Lonesome Tonight?

His own grandmother fit the bill.

“She was a hellion, a holy terror, a wonderful combination of volatility and combativeness, but kind, generous and loving,” said Knuckle. “I always thought she was the greatest grandma a little boy could have.”

Knuckle wrote Are You Lonesome Tonight? about six months ago, after being impressed by the skills of local actress Jo Skilton, who performed in Knuckle’s Strange Gods. The play about the abuse of power in the Catholic Church premiered last March at the Garstin Centre for the Arts.

“Jo was really good and I wanted to write something else she could perform,” said Knuckle.

Are You Lonesome Tonight focuses on the life of a salesman named Howard, who lives with his wife, daughter and fiery mother-in-law, Maggie (Skilton). Howard is a ball of nerves, worried about his failing sales, his alcoholic wife and the choices his 32-year-old daughter is making. When Maggie discovers her son-in-law is having an affair, it forces Howard to make a decision that has serious consequences for the entire family.

“Maggie snoops around and interferes and bosses people around, but she is on the right track and has the love of her daughter and granddaughter at heart,” said Knuckle.

Along with Skilton, Are You Lonesome Tonight? showcases the acting talents of Vince Carlina, Judi Skinner Barbara Fisher, Duncan Thompson, Jason Dick and Tom Mays. The play is directed by “one of the busiest men in local theatre,” Willard Boudreau.

And although the plot sounds dark and grim, Knuckle promises there are plenty of laughs along the way.

“I always like to leave a little message…not laugh, laugh, laugh and the play is over,” said Knuckle. “There is some sadness in this play in Howard’s relationship with his wife and the mistakes he has made.”

The curtain rises on Are You Lonesome Tonight?, March 8-10 and 15-17 at the Garstin Centre for the Arts, 37 Market St. S. in Dundas. Tickets are $20 and available from Bryan Prince Bookseller, 905-528-4508, or Kayson Productions, 905-628-0220.

Are You Lonesome Tonight? is among 10 produced and unproduced plays by Dundas-based Knuckle. His work ranges in topic from the execution of an all-black U.S. infantry unit, to a musical, a comedy and a play about the destruction of English monasteries by Henry VIII.

While the topics might seem discordant, they all piqued the interest of the retired educator.
“The things that interest me, I tend to pursue,” said Knuckle. “They all tend to stem from my interest base.”

Along with the plays, Knuckle has written six true crime novels, three books for children, an Actra award-winning radio drama for the CBC and three screen plays for television movies.

Next up on his agenda is An Inquiry into the War of of 1812, a historical drama scheduled to run at the Players’ Guild of Hamilton in November.

“It’s a contemporary inquiry into the War of 1812,” said Buckle. “People representing the interests of the United States and Canada are called as witnesses from the past to explain why the war took place.
“I’m really excited about it, but there are (funding) hurdles to clear before we do it.”