The 100 Mile House Performing Arts Society is taking its performance of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum to Williams Lake on May 24.
Society members will be competing in Theatre BC’s Annual Provincial Community Theatre Festival, Central Interior Zone at the Williams Lake Studio Theatre, which is located in the Glendale School.
Jan Richmond says she and director Marie Hooper spoke about the idea while the production was underway in 100 Mile House earlier this year.
When they learned the zone competition was in Williams Lake, the troop decided to apply. The group heard its application was accepted in mid-April.
Because A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a smaller show and has only one set and minimum costume changes, travel wouldn’t be as problematic as it would be with a larger production.
The cast was all in favour and rehearsals began in the beginning of May.
There is a minimum of three independent theatre companies required to hold a zone competition and 100 Mile will be competing against the William’s Lake Studio Theatre, as well as the Kersley Players.
The 100 Mile group will be performing at Glendale Elementary School, at 4100 North Mackenzie Ave., on May 24. The doors open at 7:30 p.m. and curtain rises at 8.
The show is open to the public, and tickets are available at Aboutface Photography on 2nd Avenue in Williams Lake for $12 each, but tickets are limited, as it is a small, intimate theatre.
Richmond says the adjudicator will be looking for the integrity of the play to stay constant, and they will be judged on many aspects of the performance, and the actors will not be using microphones.
The group will be judged by an independent adjudicator from the start of set-up to the end of the production.
The actors will need to make some adjustments to the show that was presented in 100 Mile, because they need to perform it as close to the actual script as possible to follow the rules set out for the competition.
If the 100 Mile House group makes it through the Williams Lake competition, it will move on to the zone finals, which will be held in Kamloops at the Theatre BC Mainstage in early July.
This exciting event is the culmination of winning plays from Theatre BC Zone Festivals, involving up to 60 community theatre groups making up 10 Zones throughout the province.
This friendly competition with the province’s best productions will be judged by Jeff Hyslop, a well-known Vancouver actor, will serve as the festival adjudicator and provide critical feedback on their plays.
