Footlighters Theatre Society’s 21st season concluded on the weekend with the locally written The Stepsisters’ Revenge, and the troupe is preparing for its 22nd season by holding auditions at 7 p.m. March 29 at the Sasquatch for The Secret of Charity Teach, the melodrama that will run in July.
The latest in a long string of summer melodramas, The Secret of Charity Teach will be the directorial debut for Jennifer Adams, who has had roles in many recent productions, including Cinderella and its sequel, The Stepsisters’ Revenge, Carousel and last season’s melodrama, The Great Ice Cream Scheme.
“I really love performing, but I’ve considered directing for quite a while,” said Adams. “I’m excited to see my vision for this play brought to life.”
As with any good melodrama, the play is rich in the required elements — unattainable love, secrets, deception and trickery. Pirates, ancient buried treasure, sight gags and physical humour add to the fun.
The Secret of Charity Teach involves Franklin Degwood, mayor of a town famous for the legendary Lost Treasure of Blackbeard, who is concerned about the need for a housemaid since his daughter, Darling, is busy organizing events for noble causes.
Charity Teach arrives, favourite feather duster in hand, hoping for work — and it’s love at first sight when she meets the mayor’s son, Sheriff Ernest Dewgood. But ne’er-do-well town councilman Simon Snarewell sets his eyes on Charity and determines that the town now has two treasures he wants to claim. And he has the help of the foxy Femoria Fatale and pirate professor Percival Woolsey.
The cast requires five men and three women. Auditions will be by cold readings from the script, as well as briefly singing. While not all performers will have to sing solo in the performance, leading actors will likely take part in a song or two.
As well as adding songs, new jokes will also be added, giving this old-fashioned melodrama a new twist sure to bring laughter to audiences of all ages.
“There will definitely be opportunities for performers to bring their own ideas to the show,” said Adams.
For more information, contact Adams at 250-431-8106.
The production of The Secret of Charity Teach will run July 7-9, kicking off a season scheduled to include Beauty and the Beast in December and And Then There Were None in March.
—FOOTLIGHTERS THEATRE SOCIETY
