SDA Festival: Day 1 (Cont'd)

There were four plays tonight so the back of my shirt is a bit sticky from sitting for so long. However, they were well played and a joy to watch. I’d also like to point out what a phenomenal audience the students are this year. Cell phones were tucked away for the most part, and everyone was an active participant. One usually thinks a play is made up of actors and stage crew, but the audience is every bit a part of the show. So to the audience here in Regina, way to go!

BABEL RAP by John Lazarus, presented by Lumsden High School – I would need three hands to count the number of times I have seen this play. It’s a Canadian one act staple, and for good reason. It’s a challenging play with two characters on a set that restricts their movement greatly. The two young men in the leads did a great job with the pacing, which is key when the blocking is limited. This group also added a nice touch by including a non-speaking chorus of angels at the beginning. I would have liked to have seen them appear throughout the play, though. Given that it was such a nice touch, I think they could have been utilized more.

THROUGH THICK & THIN by Keyanna Burgher and Katie Cotter, presented by Vanier Collegiate – This musical drama was a take off on Alice in Wonderland, and falling through the rabbit hole was represented by an eating disorder. Not only was the show well conceived and beautifully staged, it was written by two of the students. Rarely have I seen a student written production so solid and sure of itself. And the presence of a band on stage is one of my favourite choices when watching a musical because I think it connects them more closely to the actors. This was a really good show with phenomenal performances all around. My only quibble is that the main actors wore microphones. If Ethel Merman didn’t need a mic, nobody does. But I’m in the minority there because most every musical uses them nowadays.

SASKATCHEWAN NIGHT LIVE by Leanne Griffin and the Hanley Composite School Drama Students, presented by Hanley Composite School – Yet another student original, this sketch comedy show spoofed everything from Glee to the Slap Chop. To be fair, I am not generally a fan of parody, but this group walked a nice line between being politically incorrect and obscene. Sometimes it stepped over the line a bit, which was off putting to the audience around me. The hot topic sketch was the take off on the Slap Chop. I’ve seen this sketch done similarly by Second City, but the two actors pulled off the joke and thankfully cut it short before going too far. All in all, their energy was great and it made a strong impression on the younger members of the audience. I did feel a bit old, though, when a few of their spoofs went right over my head. I guess I’m out of touch with pop culture nowadays.

PROMISES by Guy Michaud, presented by Walter Murray Collegiate – This lovely drama about friendship relies heavily on strong chemistry between the two leading characters. Felix Turcotte and Rowan MacLachlan truly seemed like best friends, which made the message of the promises involved in friendship ring loud and true. During the last few minutes of the play, as the leading character dies from AIDS, I saw tissues coming out of purses and men disguising their tears as a runny nose. I loved the simplicity of this particular production, as well as the subtle touches of fantasy added by Turcotte, who also was the student director. It was very mature production that struck a chord with the entire audience.

So the evening was a hit and look forward to more tomorrow!