There are six characters in Lucas Myer’s upcoming one-man show A Beginner’s Guide to Nelsonia, and each of them has their own perspective on our little mountain town.
“I was the one who brought everybody together while we were at Shambhala Music Festival,” Myers’ character Ryan told the Star. He will be acting as the “mildly incompetent” host of the evening — one of six characters Myers will embody onstage.
“That’s how we connected. It was like a dream state, where you’re dreaming and the other people are dreaming and then the dreams sort of overlap, you know? Everyone’s having their own dreams, but together.”
Ryan enlisted five fellow citizens because he thought they demonstrated some of the unique personalities you encounter in the Kootenays. The cast consists of Susan, Gary from Procter, Connor, Stephen the Art Star and Atreyu.
“I’m old Nelson, I’ve lived here for quite a while,” said Susan.
“I work at the bank and I’m the secretary over at Rotary there. I met Ryan when we were talking about having relationships in Nelson, and I’ll be sharing how to find a mate.”
That’s a task Ryan finds daunting.
“It’s tough, right? Cuz like people here, they hang out with their friends and if you’re new they have their own little cliques they live in. But once you break in, the people are so great,” he said.
But really, Connor thinks we should be focusing more on nature.
“I work for Parks Canada and I think it’s really important people appreciate the natural world, and the animals we have here. I’ll be introducing a very special animal, close to my heart, that lives in the alpine,” he said.
“We can lose touch a little bit, so I want people to reconnect.”
The environment is something Atreyu is passionate about as well, but it takes a backseat to social justice. During the show, he will be encouraging people to change their life priorities.
“I work for a non-profit — I can’t remember the name but it’s the one that helps out with low income housing and locally sourced food — and those are very important topics we need to focus on,” he said.
“I think the energy in Nelsonia is great, but we’re kind of losing track. People are getting too invested in commerce and we need to touch base with compassion and really take care of each other.”
To that end, he’ll be offering a yoga class once a week.
“I’m just starting out, but I feel like I have a lot to share.”
One of the characters local residents will recognize from previous Myers productions is Stephen the Art Star, who will be rapping during the performance.
“I’ve had enough of living in poverty so I’m going to share my experiences of trying to get out of poverty and do something. Just because you’re a successful artist doesn’t mean you’re making money, and I don’t think people realize how important the arts are to this town.”
But what about working class people? Well, that’s where Gary from Procter comes in.
“People forget that Nelson was a working class town, and it was built on working class people, and people don’t remember that. So we gotta represent.”
But don’t call him a redneck.
“I grow herbs for the market, like actual herbs, that’s not a euphemism for anything else. I’d say I’m a mixture of a hippie and a redneck, so like a hip neck or a red hip or I don’t know.”
A Beginner’s Guide to Nelsonia will be performed on Jan. 20 and 21 at the Capitol Theatre at 8 p.m.
