Six Great Plays in Five Days ofFestival 

A week of plays by theatre clubs throughoutthe region opens on May 4 at the North Peace Cultural Centre in FortSt. John when the 2010 Peace River Zone Theatre Festival takes to thestage. Six different shows from the communities of Tumbler Ridge, DawsonCreek and Fort St. John will compete for an opportunity to representthe Peace Region at the provincial competition in July. 

Tickets are only $10 adult and $8 studentor senior per show. Festival passes for all six shows is $48/$36

Performances during the week startat 7:30pm with the Saturday matinee at 1pm and Saturday evening at 8pm.Saturday evening begins with a Meet and Greet at 6pm and all Saturdayevening ticket holders are welcome. The Awards Ceremony will followthe evening performance. Adjudicator Andrew McIlroy from Vancouver willbe selecting all awards and the Best Production of the Festival. 

The first production of the TheatreFestival is I, Claudia by Kristen Thomson. This show that recentlyplayed to appreciative audiences at the North Peace Cultural Centrefeatures 15 year-old Karleigh Smith of Fort St. John. She is the singleactress playing four roles using masks. Original music by local musicianDayna Manning is premiered in the play. Director Oliver Hachmeisterof Stage North says, “ People will have this one last chance to seethe amazing work that Karleigh is doing in this show on May 4.”  

Solo actor Tom Kirschner plays 11 differentroles in Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll by Eric Bogosian on Wednesday,May 5. Tom is one of two main actors of Bridge to Broadway, a Fort St.John theatre company. The other actor, Dennis Szalai will be helpingto stage this production instead of acting in it. “One man shows arechallenging, but, as the only actor, I have the advantage of knowingall the characters intimately,” Tom said with his usual mischievoussmile.  

Playwright CynthiaLivingstone wrote and directed The Melancholy Minstrel scheduled for Thursday, May 6 at the Theatre Festival. The Fort St.John Players of the Association for Community Living are a troupe ofactors who have developmental disabilities and a great love of performing. The Melancholy Minstrel is the third instalment in the ‘Melancholy’trilogy, following on the heels of The Melancholy King and The Melancholy Wizard. A washed-up minstrel,Pete Boggs, seeks a Muse to rekindle his passion for music. Cynthiasaid, “This is a tale of finding love and inspiration right underour noses, in the course of everyday life.”

Elvis comes to town on Friday, May7 in Toronto Mississippi  by Canadian playwright Joan MacLeod.  An estranged father returns home after a long absence hoping to rekindlethe family spirit. The father, played by Blair Scott, is an Elvis Impersonatorand the young girl, played by Melanie Truscott, is a mentally handicappedteenager. The story is about hidden truths and the pain and joy of discovery.

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Stage North Director Terry Boyle said,“The play carries a whole range of emotions from passion to pain tocompassion.”

Saturday, May 8 at 1pm in the afternoon,Dawson Creek’s Dionysus Theatre will present Sylvia by A.R. Gurney. Sylvia is a comedy about a dog, played by a person.Director Darcy Frost said, “This is a great role for an actress whomust embody the 'soul' of a dog and anyone who has ever loved a dogwill relate to the play.” Amiddle-aged couple in Manhattan finds their empty nest marriage throwninto tumult when a Labradoodle-ish stray with a dog tag "Sylvia'bounds into their lives.  

Tumbler Ridge’s Grizzly Valley Playerswill present the last show of the Festival at 8pm on Saturday, May 8.Directed by Erin Hanna, November by Don Nigro is a story of AuntLiz trapped in a nursing home while her niece and husband try to stealand destroy her farm. Her life is further complicated by a colourfulcast of characters and memories of long ago. “The actors have takentheir roles very seriously in this drama. It will evoke many conflictingfeelings from those who see the show,” said Director Erin.  

For further information:

Contact Festival Chairman Jim Peltier250-787-0342 jpeltier49@gmail.com or