Drama Time in Saskatchewan

The years just seem to fly by faster and faster, as it's time once again that I'm traveling to Saskatchewan for drama festival season!

First up, I'm the front-of-house adjudicator at the Saskatchewan Drama Association Region 2 festival in Moose Jaw this weekend. From April 3-5, hundreds of students, teachers, and parents from Moose Jaw and surrounding areas will gather together to present 8 one-act plays. I'm thrilled to be adjudicating this particular festival, as all of the schools competing are known to produce truly exceptional work. In fact, last year's Provincial champ, Admissions, came out of this region. The plays are an interesting mix of comedy and drama, old and new, published and original. I've read each script several times over so I know them fairly well, but I can't wait to see them brought to life. The productions rarely ever look like what I had envisioned, which is why I love the theatre so much. It's amazing how a director's interpretation of a certain script varies from what I see on the page. The plays are as follows: Him & Her (Vanier), Snow Globe (Vanier), The Romancers (Canora), Born to be Wild (A.E. Peacock), The Substitute (A.E. Peacock), Wanted: One Groom (Vibank), Baby (Riverview), Booby Trap (Cornerstone). I've judged a couple of these plays before, but I'm excited to see them all anew. The best part, and what I'm most looking forward to, is being able to meet the students involved and offer what expertise I can to further strengthen each production. I always learn a thing or two myself from the students, so I'm eager to see what they all bring to the table...or the stage, as it were. I know it's going to be an awesome 3 days of theatre!

Next, I'm thrilled to be traveling back to my hometown of Oxbow. The Region 1 festival is taking place April 10-12 in Carlyle, which is just a short drive from where I grew up, and I will have the extreme good fortune of seeing 3 of my plays in competition. Smarty Pants is being presented by Gordon F. Kells Junior Drama on Friday, April 11 at 2pm. This comedy was inspired by my sister, who is the best teacher I know because of how much she loves her job and students, and I'm delighted to have the chance to see such a young cast bring the play's zaniness to life.  Later that same say, at 7pm, Gordon F. Kells Senior Drama will be presenting Selfie. This is a brand new play that I wrote specifically for this group of actors and I'm absolutely chomping at the bit to see how they bring the characters to life. Many of the actors in the cast are graduating, and they've been in a handful of my plays over the years, so it was important to me that I send them off in with an important play with an important message. They've been keeping me updated throughout their rehearsal process, while also keeping many of their choices a surprise/mystery, but from what I can tell so far, they are all very committed to making it the very best it can be. I'm so proud of these students and know they will do a great job. Then on Saturday afternoon, at 1pm, Arcola High School is presenting Teachers on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. I have yet to see this play with an audience, but it has quickly become my most popular play this year, so I'm really looking forward to sitting back and (hopefully) watching the sparks fly. It's one of my sillier plays, and Arcola did a phenomenal job with another of my goofy plays a couple of years back (Note to Self), so I'm sure it will be a hoot! The other plays being presented are: The Moustache (Lampman), Hairball (Lampman), Dog Fleet (Oxbow), How to Kiss a Girl (Oxbow), Miss Beth (Redvers), 27 Reasons Not to Be in a Play (Moosomin). Region 1 is another region that consistently has strong productions (Lampman's excellent showing of Boy Meets Girl was runner-up to best production at Provincials last year), so I'm geared up for another excellent roster of plays this time around.

Naturally, the very best part of traveling back to Saskatchewan is getting to reconnect with so many of my friends and family. While I love living in Toronto and all it has to offer, there is nothing quite like coming home and feeling the safety that comes from knowing exactly where you are and how it shaped the person you've become. My family means the world to me and I'm most looking forward to spending time with them and sharing the experience of my plays together. I'm so proud of what I do for a living and I hope by seeing my plays they will realize what a huge impact they've had on me since the day I was born. A writer writes about what inspires them, and my family inspires me, so I hope they see pieces of themselves, and the influence they've had on my life, up there on the stage.

Check back for updates as the next 10 days unfold!