Barb Brouwer
Contributor
Shuswap Theatre was quick to act when Covid restrictions were lifted.
The MainStage production of playwright Beth Graham’s Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble closed on May 14 and will be presented at the Okanagan Zone Theatre Festival on May 26 in Oliver.
Well directed by Julia Body, the poignant play examines how a family reacts to the devastating announcement that their 59-year-old mother has early onset Alzheimer’s.
Jean Brighouse, Meaghan Delaney, Shannon Kehl and Alex Delaney are great in their roles as Bernice and her three children. The set is clever and technical aspects of the production are excellent as well.
Comedy with Music
Head to the theatre at 8 p.m. on June 3 and 4 and enjoy David and Ken’s Comedy with Music.
After years of performing improvisational comedy at festivals, Vancouver TheatreSports, The Second City, and the international sensation The Comic Strippers, David Milchard and Ken Lawson have strapped on their guitars and combined two of their greatest loves: music and improv comedy.
They have been cast in hundreds of movies and television shows over the years including productions by several networks including Netflix and Amazon. Tickets are available at shuswaptheatre.com or Wildcraft Mercantile on Shuswap Street.
An “Improv FUNdamentals Masterclass” workshop with David and Ken will be held on June 5.
Theatre Camp
Budding thespians aged 8 to 16 are invited to take part in a dynamic musical theatre camp Monday to Friday, from July 4 to 23. Led by instructors Kelly Coubrough, Lynette Lightfoot and Chris Iversen, the three-week camp will culminate in a fully-staged production of Seussical Jr., an adaptation of the beloved works of Dr. Seuss.
TotEfest
Organizers are delighted that Theatre on the Edge is back on the boards July 15 to 17. The TotEfest lineup includes Saucyfops, Melanie Teichroeb, Josh Languedoc, Megan Abel and Karen Wilson, Evolve Arts Collective, Hailey Christie-Hoyle, Mermaid Nicole and Broomstick Horse Theatre Co.
The Secret Garden
While cast and crew continued to rehearse for their Ozones performance, the theatre held auditions for the fall musical production of The Secret Garden.
This enchanting tale tells the story of Mary, an indomitable young orphan who is sent to her Uncle’s shrouded estate in Yorkshire, England where she becomes determined to restore the beauty of a forgotten garden. Surrounded by spirits from the past, Mary discovers that more than plants can grow and flourish.
“This will be a big-scale production with big sets and big lights,” said technical producer Ann Skelhorne. “It will be quite a spectacle, like Mary Poppins.”
Skelhorne is delighted that Edmonton’s Liz Hobbs, who directed Romeo and Juliet a few years ago, will return to Shuswap Theatre when rehearsals begin in September.
“She just finished her masters in directing at University of Alberta where she has been teaching drama and directing,” Skelhorne said. “She can juggle, likes stilts and is the programmer of the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival.”
Skelhorne says there was a great youth response to the auditions but the production is in need of a couple more adults. Anyone who is interested in performing in the musical, which runs Nov. 18 to Dec. 4 may email Nedine Scott at scott.nedine@gmail.com.
Read more: Comedians to make up for cancelled Salmon Arm shows
Read more: Shuswap Theatre: Rehearsals underway for The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble
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