SURREY — What happened to winter this year? Mind you, I am not complaining that it’s looking like beach season.
Vancouver’s Bard on the Beach has been wildly successful at Vanier Park. Closer to home, Crescent Beach in South Surrey last year hosted another very successful Shakespeare-in-tents-on-a-beach event. Beach House Theatre may not rival Bard on the Beach for number of tickets sold, shows produced or actors employed, but it has been an unqualified success, and tickets to the shows are in demand. Hooray!
This year, Rick Harmon informs me that there will be no Shakespeare at Beach House Theatre. “We are moving away from Shakespeare this year, doing Oscar Wilde’s play, The Importance of Being Earnest,†says Harmon, a founder of BHT. Well, Rick, I hope this will be just as successful as the previous Shakespeare productions. Sure, Earnest is arguably one of the greatest comedies ever written, and is Wilde’s most famous and successful play.
Harmon ran a fabulous drama program at Earl Marriott Secondary for the whole of his teaching career. Some graduates from the program have gone on to professional careers. All who embraced the program are dedicated theatre-goers. This is a good thing, Rick. So I am going with you on this one. After all, who wouldn’t love a satirical romp poking fun at Victorian society?
It isn’t summer yet, and Beach House Theatre is not yet set up at Crescent Beach. But it is time to audition! The Importance of Being Earnest requires a cast of 10 non-equity actors.
Beach House Theatre is community theatre – all volunteers – and that means affordable tickets.
This summer, Beach House will also stage Munsch Upon a Time, a new play written by Debbie Patterson based on some of Robert Munsch’s most popular stories. The production will be directed by Courtney Shields, who performed in the company’s two previous Munsch plays. It is a high-energy, fast-paced show intended for young audiences, and requires three versatile non-equity actors to play a variety of roles.
Auditions will be held on Sunday, March 29 and Monday, March 30 between the hours of 7 and 10 p.m. Callbacks will be at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 12 at Alexandra Neighbourhood House, 2916 McBride Ave., at Crescent Beach. Parking is a challenge, but if you elect to audition and dedicate your summer to the project, you will have to rise to this challenge.
Rehearsals will commence in early June for The Importance of Being Earnest and late June for Munsch Upon A Time, with shows running from Aug. 11 to 16. To setup an audition, email auditions@beachhousetheatre.org, stating your preference of audition day (either Sunday, March 29 or Monday, March 30). Also specify the show, or shows, for which you are auditioning. A confirmation email will be sent with your audition date and time. For more information, call 604-312-0072. Not auditioning? Discover more about Beach House Theatre on the company’s very fancy website, Beachhousetheatre.org.
Elsewhere, auditions for Bard in the Valley are also on March 29 and 30, for the company’s 2015 production of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost, directed by Mandy Dyck. The audition does not require an appointment. Actors wishing to audition are asked to arrive at Douglas Park Recreation Centre, 20550 Douglas Cres., on March 29 at 12:30 p.m. or on March 30 at 7:30 p.m., to hear an outline of the production, performance expectations, rehearsal commitments and to complete the audition form.
Everyone auditioning will be asked to do a cold read from the script, and some will be asked to read for specific roles. Do not send digital headshots or resumes, but do bring a printed hardcopy headshot and resumé to the audition, along with the audition form.
This is a non-equity production, everyone welcome. For more information, contact producer Diane Gendron by email, info@bardinthevalley.com. Bard in the
Valley is not staged at the beach, but it is Shakespeare – not a bad way to spend your summer.
