SDA Provincial Festival: Day 3

The 2013 Saskatchewan Drama Association Provincial festival came to a close today with 3 entertaining and very diverse productions.

SAYING GOODBYE by Ken Reimer - Presented by Charlebois Community School - This original drama, written by the director, was very nicely executed by the students from Cumberland House. It's been a pleasure to watch talent level from the Northern Region grow tremendously since its inception 5 years ago. Each year the plays from up north have become increasingly stronger and this was far and away their best showing to date. The small cast of 3 were clearly passionate about their play, and their focus was a clear indication of their commitment to the material. Drew Thommes was especially strong, bringing a touching honesty to his performance.

WHAT CAME FIRST? - Written and Presented by North Battleford Comprehensive High School - This ambitious collective got off to a tremendous start by virtue of its stunning (and large) set. The entire design of the show -- from the set to the props to the costumes -- was a strange and effective amalgam of past, present, and future. The complicated lighting plot also added to the surreal atmosphere, and we as an audience were never quite sure what was coming next. After the show, I thought to myself that the title could have been The Kitchen Sink because so many creative ideas were piled into 60 minutes. A very special mention to Allysha Dyck for the stunning puppets she designed for the production. In particular, a chicken (which, FYI, came after the egg in this story) that was not only beautiful to look at, but had such a strong character unto itself that it barely needed a puppeteer to bring it to life.

ADMISSIONS by Colleen Neuman - Presented by Cornerstone Christian School - This moving drama had a very clear message about Heaven and God that left the audience with a very warm feeling inside long after the lights came down. All told, it was the perfect way to end the festival. Very simply staged, the focus was on the acting, and all 3 actresses in the play were exceptional. I remembered one of the actors, Chantal Morin, from her performance 4 years ago at Provincials in the play A Thousand Cranes. Here she took on 4 separate roles, but it wasn't until after the play and I had looked in the program that I realized they had all been played by the same person. The simplicity of the production added immeasurably to the overall impact it had on the audience. The last line of the play takes a moment to sink in, and I know there were many teary eyes in the house when the lights came up for the curtain call.

After the performances came the final adjudications, immediately followed by the awards ceremony. Congratulations to Cornerstone Christian School for taking home Best Overall Production for Admissions and Lampman School for snagging runner-up for Boy Meets Girl: A Young Love Story.

I'd like to send a special congratulations to the extraordinary cast and crew of Vamp Ire from Carrot River Junior/Senior High School; Philip Wiens, Kristy Skalicky, and Josie Dean all came home with very well deserved accolades for their enormous contributions to the play. Their production, and the overwhelmingly positive response it garnered from the audience, was easily the most fulfilling experience of my entire career. I know that it will be remembered by many for years to come and I am incredibly grateful to have shared that experience with an audience of hundreds, all blown away by what they created.

To Emmett Shortt, Samantha Baraniski, Taryn Freemantle, Kristy Skalicky, Philip Wiens, Samantha Fast, Kyle Morris, Cassidy Miller, Tristan Holmen, Rashelle Parcher, Lydia Sauder, Jory Chometsky, Josie Dean, Jessi Gaja, Dana Palmer, Maddy Hiebert, Robyn Holdstock, Erica Weighill, Kristian Skalicky, Weston Dyck, Clayton Dyck, Rhett Stevenson, Clayton Collison, Ashley Lewis, Corbett Merrett, Asia Temple, Tracey Morris, Serena Palmer, and the one and only Dean Armstrong: thank you for bringing my words to life better than I ever thought possible. I am truly humbled by your talent and proud beyond measure to know you all. You are truly amazing and I will never forget everything that you've done for me.

And that's a wrap, folks! So until next year...

Blackout.