SDA Provincial Festival 2015: Day 2

Day 2 got off to another great start with another great workshop, this time with students from Riverview, A.E. Peacock, Clavet, and Sacred Heart. After that, I was so happy that my aunt drove several hours to have lunch and join me at Southey's performance of my play. My cousins Melissa and Jared were also there, and although I wish I had more than an hour to visit, it meant the world that I got to see them and share this experience with the people I love most.

Now onto the plays, which were all terrific!

I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT - Robert Southey School - It's always special any time I get the opportunity to see one of my plays performed, but this production was special in a way that went above and beyond my wildest expectations. This play features 32 characters played by 11 actors and I was blown away by the cast's ability to portray each of them as a distinct individual. I'm so proud to have had my words brought to life by such an amazing group, and it was abundantly clear that their theatrical achievement had an extremely profound impact on the audience.

A.M.L. - Carrot River Junior Senior High School - Carrot River has delivered, and continues to deliver, the most inventive productions I have ever seen on the provincial stage. They also strive to present a wide variety of styles and genres. A modern comedy one year, nostalgic drama the next. This year they really pushed the envelope and tackled an extremely challenging, abstract script that pushed the actors, designers, and directors into entirely new territory. The result was utterly spectacular. The ensemble of actresses came together like a beautiful symphony of voices and the stunning visual design was second to none.

NO PROBLEM - McNaughton High School - I was really taken with the number of strong actors in this cast. There was not a single weak link in the bunch and they totally attacked the material with confidence. The sound design was equally impressive, with every important moment highlighted by a perfectly chosen effect. I'd also like to send a shout out to the follow spot operator. It's a tough thing to be steady and accurate with a follow spot, but the young man behind the light nailed each and every one of his many, many cues.

ROMEO REVISED - Vanier Collegiate - This has to be one of my favorite one act plays ever written and Vanier knocked it right out of the park. The two leads, Jake Heisler and Abbi Flanagan, left not a single comedic stone unturned. Their physical comedy abilities were nothing short of astounding, and the command they had over the audience meant that every person in that auditorium was glad to spend 20 minutes in the palms of their brilliant and hysterical hands.

PRESSURE - Rosetown Central School - The opening visual was so creepy that practically the entire front row fell out of their seats. That's the sort of visceral reaction that every director dreams about, so to have elicited such an immediate and involuntary audience response must have made each of this production's three directors smile wickedly from wherever they were located in the house. Note to self: pocket flashlights and white masks are all it takes to make a startling visual impact and scare the hell out of an audience.