By Barb Brouwer
Contributor
It’s edgy, fun and it’s almost here!
Theatre on the Edge, Shuswap Theatre’s three-day, five-play, summer offering, runs July 15-17.
• Comedian Andrew Wade presents The Murder of Thomas D’Arcy McGee, in which one of Canada’s founding fathers, poet and politician Thomas D’Arcy McGee was assassinated on his own doorstep.
Through fact, fiction, and the space in-between, Wade shines a light on the two men and explores the controversies and public spectacle of Canada’s most infamous murder trial.
The Murder of Thomas D’Arcy McGee runs a 1 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday.
• In Rocko and Nakota: Tales From the Land, Josh Languedoc introduces Nakota, a young boy who is trying to write ‘the greatest story ever’ while sick and in hospital. One day, Grandpa Rocko pays a visit and Nakota is whisked away into a world of stories that are right below his feet. This show explores the interplay between stories of the present against the long-forgotten stories of the past.
Show times are Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m.
• Karen Wilson and Megan Able present My Body is My Home, a story that is billed as an often humorous drama/musical. Wilson reflects on the past, time wasted with self-sabotage and life-altering decisions.
Wilson reveals her inner voices, interspersed with Abel’s thought-provoking songs. The play ends with Wilson reclaiming the joy, gratitude and power in the home our bodies provide.
The stories are based on real-life events and some of the language and content may be triggering or offensive to some viewers.
Read more: ‘Marvellous mayhem’: Shuswap Theatre to offer taste of TotE Fest with Push Up Bar
Read more: Technology dissolves boundaries for return of Shuswap Theatre’s TOTE fest
Show times are Friday and Saturday at 3 p.m.
• Multiple vignettes of dance and theatre inspired by a collection of writing by DeAnna MacArthur and choreography by Kurt Werner make up Re:Collection. Bringing the physicality of dance together with the tenderness of wordplay draws the audience into an exploration of important stages of life and dealing with mental health in times of need.
Re:Collection features dancer and choreographer Kurt Werner, director and writer Deanna MacArthur, composer Niki Kennedy and actor Elana Bizolve.
Shows run at 5 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Sunday.
• More than 1,000 years ago in southeastern Sweden, a wealthy Viking warrior was laid to rest in a grave filled with swords, arrowheads and two sacrificed horses. Long believed to be the resting place of a male Viking warrior, DNA analysis confirms the body to be that of a woman.
Melanie Teibchroe takes her audience back to tenth century Sweden for Shield Maiden, a funny, sexy, fierce and unapologetic “Norse RED Talk.” (Think TED Talks with a Viking twist.)
Viking warrior, Ingrid, is a battle-hardened with cracks in her emotional armour, which she addresses in Shield Maiden. She explores the archetypal version of female strength and the battle for equality.
Show times are Friday and Sunday at 7 p.m.
• Shuswap Theatre’s Laughing Gas Improv Troupe specializes in the art of unscripted comedy and improvised performance. The troupe is completely self-directed, with a strong sense of play, and a keen commitment to learning more about this craft, while having fun.
Showtime is 1 p.m. Sunday.
TOTE will also feature live music, bannock tacos, local beverages and the Edge Club Lounge.
Organizers are still looking for volunteers to help get the show on the stage.
For more information, to purchase tickets or to fill out a volunteer form, go online to shuswaptheatre.com.
newsroom@saobserver.net
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
Sign up for our newsletter to get Salmon Arm stories in your inbox every morning.