The Studio Theatre’s production of Crimes of the Heart was right in the zone Wednesday evening on a solid tract for some awards at the Central Interior Zone Drama Festival coming up in the lakecity May 24-27.
The actors were sizzling in a performance super-charged with the kind of kinetic energy that gets audiences laughing and crying right along with them.
Three sisters and a critical cousin come together to deal with a series of compounding family crises in a dramatic story with comical overtones about how families deal with difficult situations, and not always connecting in predictable ways.
The set is an impeccable translation of the 1970s era in which the play is set in an old Mississippi family home.
And the southern accents aren’t bad either – charming in fact.
There was almost a full house for the Wednesday evening show and some tickets may still be left at About Face Photography or at the door for the play tonight, Friday, May 11, although Saturday night is usually sold out.
If you miss it this weekend there will be another chance to catch Crimes of the Heart during Theatre B.C.’s 2012 Central Interior Zone Drama Festival which has been moved from its original venue in Prince George to the Williams Lake’s Studio Theatre.
The zone festival takes place at the Studio Theatre, May 24 to 27, says member Michael Rawluk.
For the first time ever the 100 Mile House players are entering the festival. They are bringing their musical production A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum by Stephen Sondheim, Burt Shevelove, and Larry Gelbart.
The 100 Mile House performance is scheduled for Thursday, May 24 starting at 8 p.m.
The Kersley players are bringing two plays to the festival that will be staged Friday, May 25 starting at 8 p.m.
Kersley playwright Roy Teed is bringing his play Blind Date and the club is bringing their production of the short comedy, The Wedding Story by Julianne Homokay.
The Williams Lake Studio Theatre Society is also entering two plays, Norm Foster’s Office Hours that was on stage at the Studio Theatre earlier this year, and Beth Henley’s Crimes of the Heart that wraps up its regular run tonight and tomorrow night.
Office Hours will be on stage at noon on Saturday, May 26. Crimes of the Heart will be on stage Saturday evening, May 26 at 8 p.m.
The adjudicator this year is Amy Baskin who will provide brief public adjudications after each performance and more in-depth critiques for the cast and crew of each entry the morning after their performances, Rawluk says.
Sunday, May 27 the adjudicator will also provide a workshop for the entry chosen as best play that will go on to compete in the provincial festival this summer.
Awards are presented during a gathering after the set has been struck for the last performance on Saturday night, Rawluk says.
“Tickets are being printed and should be at About Face tomorrow or Saturday,” Rawluk says.
“And we are always looking for extra bodies to help.”