The Souris Valley Theatre will have an earlier start than normal for its annual mainstage productions.
General manager Lyn Vilcu revealed the theatre鈥檚 schedule in an interview with Lifestyles last week. The first production will be Fitz Happens! by Mark Weatherley, which will run from June 21 to 24 and June 26 to 30.
Typically the first mainstage production debuts after Canada Day.
鈥淭hose were the dates that were picked,鈥� said Vilcu. 鈥淲e looked at July, but they just decided with everything going on, they decided to bump it up.鈥�
Fitz Happens! is a new Canadian musical comedy about a British aristocrat who has fallen on some tough times. After almost every club in England has barred him from entry, his uncle sends him to Canada to join the RCMP. He is assigned to the small town of Dry Gulch, Saskatchewan, which is close to the Canada-U.S. border, and rife with bandits and other criminals.
The other production, Dogbarked, is a play that will run from July 19 to 22 and July 25 to 29. A show by James O鈥橲hea, it chronicles the experiences of farming brothers Baxter and Roland, who are sitting on their front porch drinking beer and watching the world go by.
They try to get people to stop in their town. Eventually, two busy people from Toronto arrive in the community.
鈥淭he shows both look good, and they鈥檙e both Saskatchewan based,鈥� said Vilcu.
She noted artistic director Kenn McLeod has been with the theatre for several years, and Vilcu said McLeod has a good idea of what audiences in Estevan like.
鈥淟ast year we had all Saskatchewan talent, and people seemed to really like it, and the fact that they鈥檙e Saskatchewan-based shows this year is a bonus,鈥� said Vilcu.
The casts will be smaller this year, as one production has five performers and the other has four.
The theatre also has a few special events planned. The first will be psychic medium Jodie Rollins in early June. She will bring messages from those who have died to people in the audience, explain mediumship connections and answer general questions from the crowd.
Rollins will also conduct an intuition workshop on June 3 for those who want to develop and strengthen their intuitive abilities.
The theatre will also host a Dash for Cash fundraiser, based on the Amazing Race, on June 17; a ladies鈥� night fundraiser on July 7 at Rotary Hall; and a concert with Brad Johner and the Johner Boys on Aug. 18.
Summer theatre camps will return this year. The Act 1 camp, for ages six to eight, is scheduled to run from July 10 to 14. Act 2 will be July 17 to 21 for those nine to 12, and Act 3, for ages 13 to 16, will be July 31 to August 11.
Josh Wade will run the theatre camps, taking over from Joshua Pele.
The camps have become one of the theatre鈥檚 most popular attractions, she said.
鈥淭here have been calls coming in for the last two weeks already,鈥� said Vilcu. 鈥淧eople are trying to get in.鈥�
