IT’S probably fitting the two lead roles in the CEMA Theatre Group’s latest production have gone to Shae Spry and James Czencz.

For Play On! is exactly what the pair are doing, returning to the stage for the first time since their secondary school days.

Given the production itself is making a comeback of sorts – it had to be cancelled two years ago as the coronavirus pandemic hit – it is even more fitting.

Play On! is a play within a play, with the plot involving an amateur theatre group trying desperately to produce a play called Murder Most Foul, in spite of maddening interference from the eccentric author (herself a member of the theatre group), who keeps revising the script, despite the fact that opening night is rapidly approaching.

Act One is a rehearsal of the clichéd show, Act Two is the near disastrous dress rehearsal, and Act Three is excerpts from the opening night, in which anything that can go wrong does, including a madcap climax during the curtain call.

The Theatre Group’s version will be directed by Karl Hatton.

A return to the boards

Ms Spry plays Violet Imbry, who in turn plays a character in Murder Most Foul called Diana Lassiter.

For Ms Spry, who grew up in Portland – attending Portland Primary School and Portland Secondary College – then moved away for university and work before returning again about three years ago, it was a case of perfect timing.

“I saw the play when I was at university,” she said.

“When Karl said what the role was, I thought ‘fantastic’, it’s a really funny play.”

Ms Spry made a career out of working in fundraising for charities such as World Vision, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Stroke Foundation, but before she went to university she wanted to become an actor.

“Back when you’re young and full of dreams I did think it was possible,” she said.

“But I never threw myself into it.”

Her acting debut was under Mr Hatton and Bayview College drama teacher Emma Rudge in a performance called Alice in the Gardens, a combination of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass performed in the Portland Botanic Gardens.

It featured a huge cast with all three secondary schools in the area – scenes were held in various parts of the gardens – and Ms Spry played author Lewis Carroll.

“My role was to be with the audience and move them around from scene to scene in character,” Ms Spry said.

She did a few more plays with Mr Hatton before having to make a career decision.

“I was also volunteering with World Vision, I was their youth ambassador travelling around all the schools in the state doing speeches,” Ms Spry said.

“I got so busy I had to choose one over the other. It was really tough because I loved acting so much but felt if I wanted to make a contribution to the world at large, volunteering was the way to go.”

And so it proved, but the acting bug never went away – on returning to Portland she has combined the role of full-time mother with being a celebrant and yoga teacher.

“I always missed the theatrical side of things, I like being theatrical,” she said.

“My outlet was playing with (two-year-old son) Wren, role playing and all those things.

“I was thinking I’d really like to get back into community theatre at some point.

“I’d seen a call out Jan Colliver put out (looking for actors in Play On!) and thought I’d love to do it.”

 Mr Hatton got in touch after that, and the rest is history – more on that later.

Stirring the creative juices

James Czencz, who plays Billy Carewe who in turn plays a character in Murder Most Foul called Stephen Sellers, is also a veteran of school productions.

Now working in Portland District health as a physiotherapist, her hails from Sydney, where he studied drama from Years 9-11.

“I seemed to be reasonable at it back then,” he said.

“I would consider myself a shy, introverted person but acting is one of those things you can put a mask on and be someone else.”

In Year 9 he was selected for the state drama group in NSW and the following year played the lead role in King Lear.

Mr Czencz also took up public speaking through Toastmasters and at school functions.

“I was the go-to if you needed someone to do the talking, then I gave it all up.

“The awkwardness of teenage years sort of overcame me and I’ve often thought I should poke that again to see if there is any interest there. That door shuts so quickly.

“I tried a few things but you find out pretty quickly why you gave it up.”

But when a work colleague alerted him to Play On!, it was all on again – “I said yes first and thought about it later”.

“I don’t do anything creative nowadays and it’s good to have a balance on both sides,” Mr Czencz said.

“Also being fairly new to Portland (after doing his training here three years ago he returned to Sydney before coming back recently) you get to meet new people outside the hospital.

“This has really been such a great thing, to switch off from one side of the brain to the other side.”

Playing on

In Play On! Ms Spry plays a socialite while Mr Czencz is her love interest.

Rehearsing the kissing scene might have been awkward among the cast, but Ms Spry had a solution.

“We had to find time to rehearse our scene, which is a bit personal, away from everyone else,” she said.

Mr Czencz also took the opportunity on returning to Portland to rekindle his interest in yoga, so the yoga venue, before the class, became the obvious choice.

Mr Czencz appreciates Ms Spry’s guidance.

“She’s been great,” he said.

“For such an awkward scene to be thrown in with a complete stranger, I couldn’t ask for a better person.”

Ms Spry has also done a fair bit of research on her role.

“It’s been a challenge to get the UK accent,” she said.

While her husband hails from that part of the world, he doesn’t speak with the required socialite accent, so Ms Spry turned to You Tube and watched the Queen’s Christmas speeches and actors who parody Her Majesty.

“I’ve found that trying to impersonate the Queen has helped a bit more,” Ms Spry said.

For both leads, while there might have been a long time between roles, it is unlikely to be as long until the next one.

Mr Czencz points to a barbecue he hosted for the cast.

“That was the first time I had a group of people to my house here and it just felt really natural,” he said.

“I can definitely see myself staying involved with the group if they’ll have me.”

And for Ms Spry, the outlet is important.

“When you’re a mum you give so much to your kids and you put some of your personality to a side,” she said.

“Inviting that back in is good for your own mental health too.”

● Play On! runs at the Portland Arts Centre from June 16-19.

The play runs for about 90 minutes and was written by Rick Abbot (the pen-name of prolific US playwright Jack Sharkey).

Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for concession and CEMA Inc members and $10 for students.

Bookings can be made in person at the Portland Arts Centre or online at www.portlandartscentre.com.au.