Andrea Risk Write a play about two people, their ambition and the other characters in their way who influence the progress of that ambition. Then, cast the whole lot of them with just two actors. Interesting times.

And it is fun, according to Freedom 85’s author and one of the two stars, Debra Hale, who plays the primary role of Kate, plus eight others. Fun for the audience and fun for the actors.

As inspiration for the play, Ms Hale tells the story of her partner’s mother, an elderly lady whom Ms. Hale found fascinating. She used the lady’s personality as a character in another play she was writing when she decided, instead, to base an entire play on that wonderful older lady.

Hence, Freedom 85 is a tale about an elderly lady who feels stuck in a seniors’ home and wants to leave it for an adventure. She appeals to a young waitress, Kate, to help her and what follows is a mix of very funny and rather touching.

Deb Hale Andrea Risk, who plays the other main role, Sybil, plus an additional six, including her younger self, loves the play. She and Ms. Hale performed the “Fringe” version (a one act play), which means they are already quite familiar with most of the characters in this two act rendition of Freedom.

For the record, the fringe version of Freedom, which can only be 40 minutes and so, is necessarily one act, sold out at the 2008 Toronto Fringe Festival. It won the Audience Choice Award at the 2009 Frigid Festival in New York City.

It was David Nairn, Theatre Orangeville’s Artistic Director, who fell in love with the fringe version and, amongst others, pressed Ms. Hale to write the extended two acts.

Theatre Orangeville is hosting the World Premier of Freedom 85 with this presentation.

The play is slated to be performed as well at the Thousand Islands Playhouse and The Lighthouse Theatre in Port Dover over the coming months. In fact, this is Ms. Hale’s, who has been primarily an actor, third play, all of which have been produced.

Some years ago, she and Ms. Risk did a play together in which they both played several parts and, at the time, she said that she would one day write a play for the two of them. Once she had written the first version of Freedom, she called Ms. Risk, who was, luckily, available.

Kathryn MacKay, director of the piece, has done many things in theatre over her career: acted, written, stage managed, is a founding member and Associate Artistic Director of the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque, where Freedom 85 will be playing in September. All this helps her as director, she says, because she can emphasize with the other people involved in putting a production together.

She and the other two ladies have had the opportunity to work together in the past, to; thus, it all comes together with this production: a collection of former collaborations, good timing and a play they all love.

So, we talked about Freedom 85. With frequent shifting of characters and the fact that the two actors are on the stage the whole time, the audience is given the chance to use their imaginations while the ladies portray everything with their acting skills.

“It’s very exciting,” Ms Risk affirmed, “we have to make everything clear without props.”

“It’s so much fun,” enthused Ms. Hale, “playing multi characters is so much fun. Look at Wingfield – he is really an inspiration.”

Thoughtfully, she added, “It’s so overwhelming – the talent and investment that goes into the whole production.”

Ms MacKay commented, “It has tremendous heart - they create very real characters. How do you keep your life purposeful? When people live in their homes, they have a purpose, just to make dinner and that. But when they live somewhere where everything is done for them, how do they keep they purpose?”

She added, “The characters are wonderful, they’re hilarious. The audience will know these characters.”

Said Ms Risk, “It appeals to everyone – the older person – it deals with older people still wanting their independence. And then there are the younger people dealing with their elderly parents.”

Laughing, Ms. Hale told us about the large number of family she has in this area, from Fergus, Arthur and Guelph, from which she herself comes. “I’ve heard from so many of them that they’re coming,” she said. “I’ve got 42 first cousins!”

The three ladies agreed that we will laugh and be very touched by Freedom.

They were sure of this: “They’re going to remember this one!”

Freedom 85 opens at Theatre Orangeville next Thursday, February 18, and runs until March 7. Tickets at the box office and www. theatreorangeville. ca.