5 Months of The Arts

My love for live theatre was cemented when I was in High School Drama. It was further fostered when, as a University student, I could attend any performance at the Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton at very affordable student rates. Opportunities to attend live performances were limited as a young mother. We lived in a fairly remote place and arranging child care were challenging hurdles.

When we moved to Sundre, we were delighted to find a community which embraces the arts and were able to instill a love for theatre into our children as well. Over the years, they have both been in choir, band and drama. As they matured, one found his passion on the stage and one with a bass clarinet.

After a long hiatus, due to the pandemic which shall not be named, performing arts have opened their doors again! We have taken every opportunity to suspend disbelief and be transported to another time and place. 

A girls' night / birthday celebration found me at an Air Supply concert. I have been to very few concerts in my life, and we had a blast at this one. They were very good performers, with a lot of audience interaction. It was at the Grey Eagles Casino in Calgary, and although there are a couple of restaurants there, the line-ups were long. I'm not sure I would chose that as my meal option in the future.

This winter's theatre season, for us, kicked of with Bram Stoker's Dracula at the Pumphouse Theatre in Calgary (very appropriately at Halloween). The Trolls have added a new co-pilot to our ranks and Rob did an amazing performance as Renfield (Dracula's institutionalized henchman). Should I be concerned at how well he played an insane inmate?

Peak Theatre has been at the core of Sundre's performing arts for decades. In November we were blown away by their rendition of Agatha' Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. I have always been an Agatha Christie fan, and it was great fun to watch the play with some people who knew "who dun it" and some who didn't. The speculation at intermission was lively! It was challenging to not give it away - and I'm not giving any spoilers here! Go read the book!!

An annual Christmas tradition in Sundre is the Community Choir and Handbells concert at the United Church. This fall, a new community band was formed, including Gavin and his bass clarinet. After so many years of being in band in school, it was wonderful for him to have a place to use his skills again. As a Mom, it was amazing to go to a band concert and watch my son play again!

January's performance was back at the Pumphouse theatre. One of Rob's cast-mates from Dracula was performing in Sylvia. I knew nothing about the story going in, so I had absolutely no pre-conceived ideas. It was incredible! It turns out that Sylvia is a dog, adopted by a man in his mid-life crisis, much to the distress of his wife! Amongst the comedic moments, it was a poignant story about relationship and personal growth.

Now, February is typically thought of as a blah month, which goes on forever, despite having the fewest number of days. It's a good thing that this is a leap year, because February has been so jam-packed that we needed the extra day.

While my clients are preparing for exotic trips to warm locales, my mini-vacay in February was to Medicine Hat. It was miserable, snowy, and foggy. What drew us there, you may wonder? Another play! This time a musical, Mean Girls, which my nephew was in. His school has a proper theatre in it, and their performance are always top-notch, and this was no exception. We had a marvelous time, well worth the trip!

Valentine's Day was celebrated at another high school performance. Rob's son was acting in his school's play, "Puffs". It was a spoof on Harry Potter, from the viewpoint of the Hufflepuffs. The students were clearly having a wonderful time.

The performance I was most excited about was the last one, Anne of Green Gables, the musical. It was put on by BS Productions, a newer theater group in Sundre which has graced our community with musicals the last few years. Not only is Anne one of the most treasured stories from my childhood, but my son was in the production! This came about in a rather serendipitous fashion. While we were watching Murder on the Orient Express, we happened to be sitting with the "S" of BS Productions. 

He looked at Donovan and said, "You act, don't you?" 

"Yes", he replied.

"Can you sing?"

"Yes"

"I have a part for you!" A few days later, Donovan was auditioning, soon followed by voice lessons and rehearsals. It was an incredible experience for him to be involved in community theatre.

With Anne, February comes to a close, and our fall and winter of theatre productions is concluded. Soon it will be time for Spring adventures!