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One-woman show pays tribute to actor's family By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Oakville's Ashley Burton is used to the limelight, having starred on a variety of stages, including the Stratford Festival of Canada and in large musical productions in Toronto. Yet, when inspiration hit the triple-threat actor/dancer/singer, Burton just couldn't help but bring her own show to the stage. "I'm just playing someone who is taking a risk, not being afraid to be big, to be ugly, to be messy and to really be authentic with a story and not have to hide behind thousands of dollars worth of production, makeup and costumes to really hit people's hearts with something that's real," said the 29-year-old St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Secondary School graduate. Burton is presenting Nonna's Party, A One Woman Comedy Show, at the Annex Theatre in Toronto, which runs from tomorrow (Thursday) to Sunday. She's producer and the sole actor on set. Her inspiration? Her family. "Nonna's Party has been a gift for me, really. This show happened very organically, very naturally," she said. "It's not something I had to go out and muscle through doing. I'm doing it really out of honour." The production features Burton playing herself and three other characters: her mother, her grandfather (Nonno) and the star of the party, her grandmother (Nonna). "I come from this unique Sicilian family. Growing up, I would tell these stories of my grandmother, certain things she would ask me, certain things that would happen, these outrageous things that would go on at my grandmother's house," Burton said. "People loved hearing these, and they would die of laughter and would continually ask to hear these really good ones that I had. As time went by, I realized I had a show." The plot involves a surprise 85th birthday party for Nonna, who fails to show up. else that made me do this," she said. "It's a big risk. I'm very much exposed. It's a very vulnerable show. I'm telling true stories about my family and it's just me." As private as the stories in the production are, Burton said people do relate to them. Her own mother gets a bit of the spotlight in the comedy, too. "Everyone has an aunt or a woman who's in her sixties who is holding onto their youth so much, to be 25. That's her. That's this character," Burton said. "She just tells people I'm over exaggerating." Nonna, now 87, has seen the show, too, when Burton performed snippets during a family function. "I didn't know how she was going to react and she comes up to me and she says: `Okay honey, thank you very much, but that's no nice, okay?'" Burton recalled. As much humour as there is in the comedy, Burton said she is not poking fun at her family. "I've tried to make it clear to my family that yes, there are parts where I'm imitating them, but it is all done because I love them so much. It's a tribute to them," she said. "Some of the fondest memories of my life are amazing moments with my family." Burton adds she hopes the production is more than just entertainment. "The intention of Nonna's Party is for people to leave feeling like they want to reconnect with their loved ones," she said. "They go through this roller coaster of laughter and tears that is a brand new experience." Burton hopes to take the production beyond Toronto, possibly to Montreal and even to the U.S. Curtain time is 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. and wine and Italian hors d'oeuvres will be served. There is also a 2 p.m. matinée April 21. Tickets cost $39.99 for adults or $29.99 for students and seniors. The theatre is located at 730 Bathurst St. For more information, visit www.nonnasparty.com. Dominik Kurek can be reached at dkurek@oakvillebeaver.com or followed on Twitter at @ DominikKurek. Artscene 21 · Wednesday, April 18, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com Brian Reilly / special to the beaver food, wine and comedy: Oakville's Ashley Burton is pictured here with Italian cuisine and red wine in anticipation of her one-woman comedy show depicting her Sicilian family, which opens tomorrow at the Annex Theatre. So, while everyone is waiting for Nonna, Burton steps in to entertain the guests through her stories. Burton transforms from one character to another on stage. "With a switch of one prop, I become another person. Obviously, I can't do full-costume changes," she said. There are also videos of some of these funny family moments featured via a projector on stage. Burton didn't originally intend to have these family stories as a show, but the more stories she told, the more encouragement she received. Burton then staged the comedy at the Stratford Summerworks Festival and had some positive reviews and encouragement from people in the industry. "It was the support of everyone