St James Cavalier will be the setting for an unusual and anticipated romantic comedy this season.
This show is that rare romantic comedy that is funny, but also charming, endearing and not removed from reality
Starring top local actors Taryn Butler and Edward Mercieca, Shooting Star tells the story of college lovers Elena Carson and Reed McAllister as they experience an unexpected and life-altering reunion when snowed in overnight at an airport in middle-America.
In the years since they were together, Elena has stayed true to her hippyish, counter-culture path, while Reed has gone predictably corporate and conservative. As the night gives way to laughter, banter, remembrance and alcohol, Elena and Reed revisit a past that holds more surprises than they imagined – and a present that neither of them could have predicted.
“We humans love stories,” says director Chris Gatt, the man behind past successes such as Don Juan and Ali Baba – The Panto.
“And every once in a while, if you’re lucky, you find a story that stands out from all the others. Steven Dietz’s Shooting Star is one of those stories. There are plenty of laughs in this very humorous tale, but at every important moment, every emotional high, every startling revelation, there’s a lot of truth to be found. Stories told this well don’t come around very often,” Gatt says.
The play has received copious amounts of international praise. As the Austin Chronicle critic pointed out: “Steven Dietz sends a tender valentine to middle-age in Shooting Star, a smart and sweet comedy from one of the American theatre’s most-produced playwrights. Dietz’s gift as a writer is an acute attention to our modern language. He elevates ordinary conversation to a kind of music. Dietz makes reality poetic.”
St James Theatre provides the ideal setting for such an intimate production – one that could see its audience experience a full range of emotions.
“Filled with laughter and ache, Shooting Star is all about the middle days of our lives, and how we got there,” Gatt continues. “This show is that rare romantic comedy that is funny, but also charming, endearing and not removed from reality. It is bittersweet, and ultimately redemptive.
“Plus, with the strong cast we have in Edward and Taryn – two of Malta’s leading actors – audiences can look forward to one of the highlights of this theatrical season.”
• Shooting Star is being staged by FM Theatre Productions at St James Cavalier on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and on April 12-14 at 8pm. Tickets may be obtained by calling 2122 3200;sending an e-mail to bookings@sjcav.org; or from www.sjcav.org.