Art Imitates Life, or Life Imitates Art?

Four of the characters in Watermark Theatre’s production of Boeing Boeing this summer begin the play engaged to be married and Artistic Director Robert Tsonos had no idea that two of the actors he cast to play the roles were also engaged to be married (but not to each other). “It’s one of those situations where art imitates life or vice versa”, says Tsonos. “The cast are all in their 20’s and early 30’s so I guess I shouldn’t have been so surprised”.

PEI actress Jenna Marie is engaged to Landon Holmes and will be married at the end of August. They met when they were 16 years old at one of Jenna Marie’s first jobs as a tour guide at Cows Creamery at the North River Causeway where Landon worked as a “Scoopervisor”. They became fast best friends, with a little help from the ice cream he would sneak to her, but weren’t romantic in any way, and when Landon left the Creamery they drifted apart. Over the next 7 years they kept in touch very little while Jenna Marie moved all over Canada, but when she returned back to PEI they decided to reconnect over a bowling game which quickly turned into their first date. One month after their first date Jenna Marie moved to Italy for 7 months, and they decided to do long distance. They talked every day, and despite the time change Landon would make sure to Skype her as she fell asleep almost every night. Landon decided to go to Italy and travel with Jenna Marie at the end of her time there and they fell deeper in love and became inseparable.

Toronto based actor Warren Bain is engaged to Katie Ryerson and will be married in January. They met after an evening performance of Macbeth in Prescott, Ontario while Warren was working at the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival. They both went to the same theatre school, Warren was in his fourth year while Katie was in her first, and had seen each other in the hallways of the school but had never really chatted. They hit it off, had an enjoyable conversation, and made no plans to see each other ever again. The world works in mysterious ways though, and a few weeks later they ran into each other at Tarragon Theatre in Toronto. They committed to having a date the following week. They saw a show, dined at a local restaurant, then wandered the streets of Toronto, lost in thought, conversation, and that romantic atmosphere that only warm nights and street lights bring.

Playing characters that were also in love and ready to take the next step made both actors think about their own journeys. “Playing a fiancé in Boeing Boeing is so much fun, and it’s easy to be excited about being engaged to Bernard because I just think of how excited I am to marry Landon.” enthuses Jenna Marie, “Gloria is definitely a little more headstrong then I am, but Landon says that Gloria’s love of all food (and weird food combinations) is something that isn’t too far off from my tastes and I would have to agree!”

Warren also reflected on how the role has made him think of his own situation. “Getting ready and planning for a wedding really makes me appreciate the timetables and obsession with organization that Bernard has in Boeing Boeing, there’s so much to do, it could fall apart at any minute! Katie and I also both work as actors and our careers take us away from each other for long stretches of time. Spending the summer on the Island is wonderful, but it’s three months away from Katie, absence really does make the heart grow fonder.”

Boeing Boeing runs all summer until August 31st at the Watermark Theatre in North Rustico. Visit http://www.watermarktheatre.com or call 902-963-3963 for tickets.

Watermark is a proud member of the PTN – Professional Theatre Network of PEI

For more information please contact Andrea Surich at 902-963-3963 or generalmanager@watermarktheatre.com

PEI Professional Theatre Network