Students of the Monterey Middle School Drama Club celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday with two short Canadian comedy classics. Roman Numerals by The Frantics is first, highlighting the timeless reality of coping with change. Shakespearean Baseball by comedy duo Wayne and Shuster will follow second with the long-debated question, “What might have happened if the Bard was a baseball fan?”
The drama club students look forward to the upcoming shows after weeks of practice during lunchtime and after school hours. Director Mitch Barnes says live performances such as these give the students the opportunity to experience a sizeable stage and production, as they currently practice in Monterey Middle’s multi-purpose room.
“We have a tiny stage here, so it’s kind of a charge for kids to be there on that beautiful stage,” Barnes said.
Zofia, a member of the club, said, “You can really express yourself (when acting) and you don’t have to worry what other people think because everyone’s doing it.”
Olivia added, “You might be really funny, but in the play you might be shy, a character who’s like: Don’t talk to me.” Her classmate Katrina agreed. “It’s fun to try to be characters and convince the audience of who you are,” she said.
The drama club is enthusiastic about its upcoming performance and welcomes all to join them in celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday. The performance begins at 6:00 and will be followed by a short reception.
Corax Productions’ The History of King Richard the 1st Abridged is on at 7 p.m. Writers Corin Wrigley and Andrew Axhorn have pieced together the intriguing story of the reign of English King Richard the Lionheart, leader of the Third Crusade. The play is directed by Andrew Axhorn.
Broad Theatrics presents Radioland ’48 at 8:15 pm. Written and performed by Kirsten Van Ritzen, featuring Langham alumni Melissa Taylor and Robert Conway, and with direction/dramaturgy from Ian Ferguson, the play follows the story of four radio station employees as they desperately try to save their studio from closure. Radioland ’48 is said to be a “snappy farce with a dash of romance.”
The night closes with Circling the Drain by 3rd Age World Productions, written and directed by Oak Bay’s Terry Oliver. A cast of 7 doubles to fill 16 roles in covering the controversial “right-to-die” with black comedy.
