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Red Deer Players perform original script readings to widen membership

Theatre group still plans to stage a full fall production
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A scene from Air Raids and Siren Songs, a 2017 Red Deer Players production written by local playwright Blaine Newton. (Contributed photo).

The Red Deer Players are evolving to help the original works of local playwrights reach an audience.

The local theatre troupe is expanding to do new script readings before live audiences this fall in the Snell Auditorium of the Red Deer Public Library, through a partnership with Friends of the Public Library.

The idea of the Breaking Cover series is for the Players to grow in a different direction — and hopefully attract new members before launching a fall stage production, said the group’s chair Lori Lane.

Red Deer Players was formed in 2014, mostly as a vehicle for English pantomimes. The group took on more serious, non-musical productions, including Twelve Angry Men and Calendar Girls, in recent years.

“Our mandate is to be the first choice for quality, thought-provoking theatre,” said Lane.

After the 2016 death of a founding member Carole Forhan, an enthusiastic volunteer who was willing to take on any role to get plays to stage, the Red Deer Players are needing to regroup. Lane had to cancel a planned spring production of the play Frost/Nixon because of a lack of supporting volunteers.

She’s hoping community members will come out to learn more about the group at a series of events this year.

On Friday, May 25, veteran local actor and artist Paul Boultbee will be speaking, in a TED talk-style about his experience in films, on stage and in creating visual arts.

This spring or early fall, the Players will present the first scholarship, in memory of Forhan. It will be open to young people wanting to pursue theatre studies. More information will be available on the group’s website, www.reddeerplayers.com.

On Sept. 23 , the first play reading will be held in the Snell Auditorium. This will be followed by new script readings every eight weeks. Lane said local actors will create characters as they read the lines to give the playwright — and the audience — a good idea of how the play will sound if it’s fully launched on stage.

Lane noted these kinds of readings are very popular in Edmonton and will fill a gap in Red Deer, since the demise of the local Scripts and Work program.

The Red Deer Players still plan to bring a full-scale production to stage in November, once the group is rejuvenated with new members. Lane expects the play will have name recognition.

Anyone interested in learning more can email reddeerplayers@gmail.com, or contact members through the group’s Facebook page.



lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com

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