The Shawnigan Players were big winners at the recent South Island Zone Festival, hosted by TheatreBC.
The amateur theatre group took home the Best Production award for their production of August: Osage County.
Alex Gallacher won the Best Director award for the production, Best Actress went to Jan Ovans while Elissa Baron won Best Supporting Actress for their roles in the play.
The Best Novice award went to Gabrielle Viola Marcolin, and Best Ensemble was awarded to the entire cast in August: Osage County.
The production will now move on to participate in a B.C.-wide competition, called Destination Mainstage, in Chilliwack in July.
Gallacher said he was “really glad” for the cast and crew that the production did so well in the festival.
“They worked hard and put a lot of commitment into the play,” he said.
“It was a very complicated production, but everyone enjoyed themselves and the audiences responded really well. It’s nice to be acknowledged.”
Marinus Vesseur, in charge of lighting and sound for the production, added he and the rest of the cast and crew are “ecstatic” to have won the Best Production award.
“There were about 10 amateur production companies competing in the south-Island zone, so it was a very competitive festival,” Vesseur said.
“I think the secret of success for the play was Alex Gallacher, who is the best director I know. Acting is a passion for him, and he spends a lot of time at it.”
Gallacher said the cast and crew will now take a break before they perform August: Osage County in two fundraisers in the Cowichan Valley to give people a chance to see the play before the provincial competition.
He said the two performances will be held later in June, with times and places to be announced.
“The two performances will also allow us the opportunity to be in top form for when we compete in Chilliwack,” Gallacher said.
