There are many ways to celebrate a 50th birthday, though few put it all on the line quite like Kelowna Theatre Society’s latest work.
In honour of the Kelowna Community Theatre’s 50th anniversary this Sept. 13, the Society will stage its tenth musical fall production in the theatre’s cavernous little sister, The Black Box Theatre, otherwise known as home sweet home to the society.
After a decade of successful musical revues, the popular group, itself 63 years old, is breaking out of the box for this birthday extravaganza, opting to showcase two local brothers’ flare for scriptwriting with the debut of Love on the Line.
“It’s just a really fun hour and a half of singing and laughs. It’s not heavy or difficult to get through. It’s just a fun piece of theatre,” said playwright Rob Mason-Brown.
Mason-Brown credits his brother, Joe Welton, with crafting much of the dialogue, but said the idea for the romantic comedy originated with another TKS veteran’s draft script and a desire to create a musical centered around the time of the theatre’s opening.
What makes this show different, according to TKS spokeswoman Debby Helf, is the venture into musical theatre.
Every year the Black Box Theatre fills to capacity with an audience primed to get in on the action and sing along with the period-themed revues; and the brothers are sill hoping their audience returns and sings along, though the plot is now more robust than ever.
The Black Box itself was created by theatre manager Randy Zaraha and has suited the community theatre group’s needs like a glove on the hand of a Shakespeare character.
“It was just this old, green backstage space and the way they’ve done it up, it’s just amazing,” said Helf.
TKS is a nonprofit group of amateur actors, but the level of experience in the group is remarkable. The first musical was started by Kim Foreman (formerly Kim Sterling), who has worked in the community for decades and will appear in this cast as well. Mason-Brown has acted extensively with Kelowna Actors’ Studio, holds a theatre degree and owned Fred Skelton Theatre Company in Kelowna, though he now works for Disney.
Welton is no slouch in the arts community either. He spends the bulk of his time working for the Kelowna International Film Festival.
Denise Wolf, the second female lead, is described by Mason-Brown as “probably the cutest thing you’ll ever see on a stage.”
The story line follows four individuals who eventually become couples—one following a peaceful, happily ever after format and the other more of a Beatrice and Benedict from A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream relationship with plenty of bickering and fighting and amusing quips to make it interesting..
The show runs Sept. 14-30, Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with Sunday Matinees beginning at 2 p.m. Tickets generally go quickly and can be purchased at Select Your Tickets, 250-762-5050, priced $20 in advance and $25 at the door.
Season’s tickets for all three shows from TKS are $50. The shows are Love on the Line, running in September, The Rockin’ Snow White, Nov. 23-Dec. 2 and Caught in the Net Apr. 26-May 5.
