a love-letter to the theatre! - regina little theatre ... · a love-letter to the theatre! ... the...
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Masks and Faces is the official publication of Regina Little Theatre Society, Inc. and is published 4 times per
year. Help RLT to be both environmentally friendly AND fiscally responsible. Let us know if we can send your
newsletter electronically! Leave your email address at the box office or contact us at 306-352-5535 or
& January ~
March 2017
A love-letter to the theatre!
Masks & Faces ~ January - March ~ Vol. 75 No. 3 ~ Page 12
Thank you to all our
supporters!
We couldn’t do it without you!
CRYSTAL
FINANCIAL
CONSULTANTS
REGINA LITTLE THEATRE SOCIETY, INC.
1077 Angus Street, Regina, SK S4T 1Y4
Box Office 306-779-2277
RLT Office 306-352-5535
Green Room &
Carpentry Shop
306-565-8552
Email [email protected]
Fax 306-352-5540
2016-2017 Board Members
PRESIDENT
Bar, Box Office, Memberships, Publicity, Voucher Giveaways
Faye Daborn
VICE-PRESIDENT
Raffles, Front of House Volunteers, Policies & Procedures
Cathy Moberly
TREASURER TSI Represntative
Arlene Janzen
SECRETARY Shirley Brooks
Nora Berg
Archives, Green Rooms,
One Acts’ Caterer, Play Selection Committee
Amy Bouvier Main Stage
Co-Producer
Marketing Committee
Peter Bruce Costumes & Props
Scholarships & Awards
Carri Lelliott Main Stage
Co-Producer
Jewel Robbins Workshops
Grant Applications
Natascia Lypny Electronic & Social
Media
Bryce Schlamp One Acts’ Producer
David Warford Posters, Publications
Vol. 75 No. 3
Facebook.com/reginalittletheatre Twitter: @ReginaTheatre
Time to escape the cold Saskatchewan winter with a getaway to somewhere warm
& sunny… or warm & funny! Make sure you make time in February to join us on a
hilarious and farcical trip over the moon to Buffalo and laugh the cold away! Director
Ken Spencer is our pilot and tells us a little about what it’s taken to get there.
The team of Ken & Ken is back! You have been
involved in a few Ken Ludwig plays now, both as an
actor and a director. What makes a Ludwig play such a
crowd-pleaser?
Ken Ludwig's plays have well-written comic characters, and he has an excellent way with situations and dialogue that make up a great farce. RLT originally produced Moon Over Buffalo back in April of 2003 (I got to play the leading man) and since then RLT has produced other Ken Ludwig plays, including: The Three Musketeers (October 2011), Leading Ladies (December
Masks & Faces ~ January - March ~ Vol. 75 No. 3 ~ Page 2 Masks & Faces ~ January - March ~ Vol. 75 No. 3 ~ Page 11
From the President… Jean Taylor and her cast of almost forty actors (!) brought The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus to life, almost too much as many of younger audience members were frightened by the Awgwas! We apologize to those youngsters as this was not our intent. The costume and make up volunteers really did an outstanding job. Thank you all for your dedication.
Moon Over Buffalo rehearsals are in full swing. This farce, which runs February 8th to 11th is sure to lift our spirits in the middle of a Saskatchewan winter! I know Ken Spencer and Peter Bruce will ensure a very entertaining production. I have always enjoyed this play and look forward to an evening (in this case, four evenings) of light-hearted entertainment.
In recognition of Canada’s 150th anniversary, RLT is mounting the Canadian play Vimy. This play will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge. Mark Claxton and his cast and crew will soon be working diligently on this powerful, provocative play whose message is very timely as our veterans return from conflicts elsewhere in the world. PTSD is a very serious condition that is robbing our veterans of a healthy life after service. This play features the Vimy encounter through flashbacks of four soldiers and a nurse.
We break with the intensity of Vimy for the Spring One Acts which will be held May 5th and 6th. Bryce Schlamp and directors will hold auditions March 6th and 7th. Watch our website (reginalittletheatre.com) for details.
Our final production of the season will be the comedy The Dixie Swim Club which is ably directed by Nora Berg. This comedy is the perfect bookend to our 91st season. Our season began with four buddies (Beer for Breakfast) wanting to get away for a few days free of work and family. We end the season with five Southern women, whose friendships began many years ago on their college swim team, setting aside a long weekend every August to recharge those relationships, free from husbands, kids and jobs. Audition for The Dixie Swim Club will be held April 10th and 11th.
A special thanks to all our dedicated volunteers that make RLT such a success!
2012, in which I acted), The Game's Afoot - Or Holmes for the Holidays (October 2013), and perhaps his best play Lend Me a Tenor (February 2015, which I had the pleasure of directing).
What have been some of the most challenging aspects of this play?
As with all farces it's about clear actions at seemingly break-neck speed in-and-out of several doors (we only have 5 doors this time). It takes place in 1953, so we have to be conscious of everything from styles of clothing, to figures of speech, and so on. Our leading lady, Bonnie Senger, and our leading man, Kevin Rispler, have to sword fight, which requires some practice and Kevin is also responsible for some moments of very physical humour.
One reviewer described this play as a ‘love letter to the theatre.’ How would
you describe it?
I think that reviewer was quite correct. In 1953 in a little-regarded theatre in out-of-the-way Buffalo, New York, an aging husband and wife team of (famous?) stage actors, George and Charlotte Hay, and their stalwart but small company of actors are "on the road" touring in repertory, performing Noel Coward's classic comedy Private Lives and also the swashbuckling romantic drama Cyrano de Bergerac. Times are tough; "the road" is not what it used to be; money is tight because crowds have been poor, what with the advent of a television in every home. George and Charlotte never got their big break into Hollywood, and are resigned to practice their dramatic arts NOT in front of a camera. After George has an ill-fated dalliance with the ingénue actress in the company, Charlotte walks out on him. As fate would have it, however, there was a major accident in Hollywood on the set of the movie The Twilight of the Scarlet Pimpernel and the movie's director, the famous Frank Capra, is flying to Buffalo to watch George and Charlotte's matinée performance to audition them to play the leading roles in what's sure to be his latest Hollywood block-buster. But George, distraught because Charlotte walked out on him, is no where to be found. Will Charlotte appear or run off with their lawyer, Richard? Can they find George, sober him up, and patch up the family before Capra arrives? Will Capra see Cyrano, or Private Lives, or a disturbing mixture of the two?
What do you like most about the play?
The characters are all larger-than-life in so many ways, but their human failings and how they deal with them and each other is what generates the humour. I love the characters! George and Charlotte are theatrical hams of the first order, who've done Shakespeare and Chekhov, but are still playing the vibrant young leading roles well into their 50's. Their daughter, Roz, is a headstrong spitfire who is determined to leave the theatre and have a "normal" life, leaving Paul, the company manager and her former fiancé behind, and even going as far as getting engaged to a local TV weatherman, Howard (who has some nervous fan-boy issues where Roz's parents are
MOON OVER BUFFALO
February 8 - 11
VIMY
April 5 - 8
All shows at 7:30 p.m.
TICKETS: 306-779-2277
Masks & Faces ~ January - March ~ Vol. 75 No. 3 ~ Page 10 Masks & Faces ~ January - March ~ Vol. 75 No. 3 ~ Page 3
concerned). Eileen, the ingénue actress, is in way over her head with her boss, George. Charlotte is dealing with the ineffectual advances of their lawyer, Richard, and Charlotte's mother, Ethel, who is deaf as a post and has a major dislike for her son-in-law, is in the middle of things getting everyone mixed up.
I imagine with a play like this, rehearsals have been lots of fun! Tell us a little
about the overall rehearsal process. Is there anything unique in preparing
for a farce?
Farce is often about pace and timing, a great deal of which is at a high speed. That means plenty of repetition of spoken lines and stage actions, to ensure they can be done clearly and precisely and safely but also at full speed. It's necessary to mine the script for comic details and possibilities, so that the full force of the farce will hit the audience. I think we've done both of those things.
Is there anything particular you would like to say to our audience as they
look forward to Moon Over Buffalo?
In February, when it's often cold outside, come inside to RLT and enjoy the warmth of some laughter and giggles. To the characters on stage it all seems very serious, but the audience gets to revel in and enjoy the ridiculousness of the characters' behaviours and reactions, and to the mess they get themselves into. It's all about fun and frivolity, so please come and enjoy some with us!
Auditions:
March 6 & 7
May 5 & 6
Regina Little Theatre is the oldest all-volunteer
community theatre group in Canada!
We are excited to present outstanding plays every season but the key to our success
lies in the many helping hands that work together on stage and off. And that’s where
you come in! Every play needs not only actors but also backstage crew, stage
managers, costumers,
prompters, prop
wranglers, painters,
movers and more!
Join the Fun and Make History!
You are the key!
Contact us at 306~352~5535
Jim’s Bread & Buns “Homemade”
Proud Supporter of Regina Little Theatre
Over 80 kinds of Bread + Over 80 kinds of Buns
Cheese Buns ~ Cinnamon Buns ~ Cakes
(306) 436-2261
Milestone, Saskatchewan
“BAKE TO ORDER”
Order from the website or call Jim!
Delivery every Tuesday & Friday to Regina
Website: jimsbuns.ca E-mail:[email protected]
Facebook: Jim’s Bread & Buns Twitter: The Bun Man (@jimsbuns)
DO YOU HAVE ANY OLD PROGRAMS & NEWSLETTERS?
We would like to include them in our Archives!
Contact RLT at 306-352-5535 or at [email protected]
June 7 - 10
Auditions:
April 10 & 11
Masks & Faces ~ January - March ~ Vol. 75 No. 3 ~ Page 4 Masks & Faces ~ January - March ~ Vol. 75 No. 3 ~ Page 9
What do you give the person who has everything?
No matter what the occasion,
the gift of live theatre is always the perfect gift!
Contact Regina Little Theatre to purchase tickets or a gift certificate!
306-779-2277 or [email protected]
Would You Like To Reach A Bigger Audience?
ADVERTISE WITH US!
Regina Little Theatre welcomes companies, groups and
individuals who would like to place an ad in our play
programs and/or newsletter. It can appear once or
repeatedly. Just provide us with the information and/or
image you would like to use and leave the rest to us!
For more information or to put your ad in reach of a bigger
audience than ever, contact RLT: 306-352-5535 or
Give a Gift ~ Leave a Legacy
Regina Little Theatre owes its decades of success to the extraordinary
generosity of countless individuals who perhaps never graced our stage, yet
who made a tremendous difference to us and to theatre in Regina as a whole
by leaving legacy gifts in their wills and estate plans.
These individuals have demonstrated that kindness is evident in people from
all walks of life – with different income levels, professions and passions.
Because of their love of life and concern for others, their memories will never
be extinguished and their gifts will remind us all that we, too, can make a
difference in lives that follow.
Please consider Regina Little Theatre as part of your estate planning.
Thank you!
On April 9, 1917, tens of thousands of Canadian soldiers took part in the Battle of Vimy
Ridge. Over 3500 were killed and more than 7000 were wounded. In recognition of the
100th anniversary of that fateful day, RLT is proud to present Vern Thiessen’s poetic
and poignant look at the Battle and its legacy through the eyes of four of those
wounded soldiers as they are tended by a young nurse from Nova Scotia in a field
hospital in France. Travel into battle and into the home towns of these young men
from all across the country as well as from various cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
Some have said that Canada became a nation that day. But do we realize the cost?
A powerful reflection and tribute.
A drama by Vern Thiessen ~ Directed by Mark Claxton
Produced by special arrangement with Playwrights Guild of Canada
April 5 - 8
FEATURING
Aaron McKenzie
Nolan Straightnose
Abbey Thiessen
Tyler Toppings
Adam Tulloch
Michael Vance
Reece Wagner
All shows at 7:30 p.m. TICKETS: 306-779-2277
Masks & Faces ~ January - March ~ Vol. 75 No. 3 ~ Page 8 Masks & Faces ~ January - March ~ Vol. 75 No. 3 ~ Page 5
ANNOUNCING...
TheatreFest
2017 Theatre Saskatchewan’s Full-Length Play Festival!
April 24 - 30
The Dekker Centre
North Battleford
Community Theatre groups from across the province (including RLT) will present plays and be adjudicated. In honour of Canada’s 150th birthday, all the plays performed will be Canadian! There’s comedy and drama, fun
and learning for all Saskatchewan theatre lovers!
Regina Little Theatre will be represented by our April play, Vimy.
For more information & to buy tickets,
visit theatresaskatchewan.com
What kind of play would YOU like to see?
Comedy? Drama? Thriller? Period Piece? Avant-Garde? All of these?
RLT’s Play Selection Committee is always looking for suggestions
for plays to consider for our upcoming seasons.
If you have a favourite show (or type of show) then please let us
know!
Email your suggestions to [email protected] or
call us at 306-352-5535!
Check our website: www.reginalittletheatre.com
Friend us on Facebook!
Follow us on Twitter: @ReginaTheatre
Regina Little Theatre is saddened by the passing of one of its
members, Sharon Giesinger, on December 6 at the age of 69.
Sharon always dreamed of being involved in theatre but illness kept
her from doing so until she discovered prompting. Sharon lit up
many RLT rehearsals with her joyful personality, gentle nature,
delightful encouragement and, of course, very helpful prompting.
Her dedication to a singular yet vital task in the theatrical process
is a perfect example of what makes RLT members so special. RLT
extends condolences to Sharon's family and friends.
Masks & Faces ~ January - March ~ Vol. 75 No. 3 ~ Page 6 Masks & Faces ~ January - March ~ Vol. 75 No. 3 ~ Page 7
Bring this coupon to the Box
Office & receive 1 complimentary
Single Admission ticket to the
2 for 1
Valid until Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Purchase 1 Single Admission
full-price ticket for a
Wednesday main-stage play.
For more information please
contact the Box Office:
One coupon per customer per day.
Coupon must be surrendered to
Box Office at the time of purchase.
May not be used for prior and/or
completed purchases of tickets, nor
with discounted tickets (including
block bookings) nor with any other
voucher or coupon. May not be
used to purchase season tickets or
gift certificates. Valid only for
Regina Little Theatre main stage
play Wednesday evening
performances. Seating is as
available at the time of coupon
redemption and is not guaranteed.
Reproductions are not accepted.
Wednesday Special REGINA LITTLE THEATRE
There is a transaction fee of
$2.50 for which the bearer of the
coupon is responsible.
Adults (19-54): $21
Seniors / Students / Youth: $19
Regina Performing Arts Centre ~1077 Angus St. (at 4th Ave.)
306-779-2277 www.reginalittletheatre.com
Scholarship Opportunity Did you know that RLT offers scholarships
to its members in good standing?
If there is a course related to the performing arts (not just theatre!) that you
would like to take, we may be able to help financially.
There is no age limit nor do you have to be an enrolled student.
Anyone can apply!
The next available award is the
Honourary Life Member Nora Berg Scholarship
Application Deadline: March 15
Would you like to apply or just know more?
Go online at reginalittletheatre.com/scholarships
Call us at 306-352-5535 or Email us: [email protected]
Contact us on Facebook or via Twitter (@ReginaTheatre)
Please help us to make the
theatre experience
enjoyable for everyone.
All performances are
SCENT-FREE!
THANK YOU!
Board member Jewel Robbins organized a workshop for directors and those who aspire to be. Held on January 21st at the Performing Arts Centre and facilitated by RLT’s own
Nora Berg, over 20 participants enjoyed an afternoon of fun and insight into the art of play direction.
Nora has been involved with RLT since the very early ‘80’s when she came on board to assistant stage manage You Can’t Take it With You, directed by Marion Lee. Prior to that, she worked on make-up for various productions under the tutorship of Marilyn Wiebe and Jo Dunn and was heard to utter the immortal words “I’m glad all I do is make-up.” That was indeed a passing phase as since then Nora has done pretty much everything that is remotely connected to theatre, from working backstage and acting to directing and loyally serving on the executive for more years than she cares to count!
Drawing on her multi-faceted experience, Nora shared lessons she has learned (sometimes the hard way!) as well as tips and tools from her director’s “tickle trunk” covering virtually every aspect of the production of a play. She particularly emphasized the need to be surrounded by a strong team and to practice “firm diplomacy” in leading the cast & crew. Participants also had a chance to be directed by Nora in some unique scenes gleaned from plays she has been a part of.
Nora’s directorial skills will be on display later this season as she helms our production of The Dixie Swim Club this coming June!
Thank you to Nora for sharing and to Jewel for organizing the workshop! Keep an eye on our website as well as our social media channels (Facebook
& Twitter) for announcements of future workshops!
Nora Berg
Facebook.com/reginalittletheatre Twitter: @ReginaTheatre