Canmore’s Pine Tree Players Theatre has announced it will host the Southern Alberta One Act Play festival in 2016.
The community theatre’s board of directors unanimously voted to host the theatre festival with the event being held April 29-30, 2016.
High River usually hosts the regional event, but Pine Tree Players has been reaching out since 2013 to have the honour of hosting the two-day event.
“We told them we would be happy to help out and host it given the opportunity – then we were approached out of the blue – I think Canmore is an amazing place to host this event,” said Pine Tree Players president Anita Szabo.
“We then, of course, took the offer back to the Pine Tree board and we had to discuss the implications on our one act plays and our spring show. But we were honoured and we really wanted to make it work, so it was a unanimous decision to accept by our board.”
Szabo added due to the Bow Valley’s already existing abundance of tourism, Canmore is a perfect fit for the event. “It’s such a hub, Canmore is such a unique little bubble and it’s a hub of talent of every shape imaginable with so many creative people here and, of course, we have The Banff Centre not very far away,” Szabo said.
She added, traditionally Airdrie productions have a strong presence at the festival, and that have regularly walked away with top prizes, with High River, of course, having annual entries, along with Strathmore.
“We’re also hoping next year, because it’s hosted here, that we’ll also get entries from Cochrane,” Szabo said. “Cochrane has been absent the last few years from the scene, but because it’s nice and close, hopefully they will be back.”
Pine Tree is presently deciding which local venues will be suitable to host the productions, as Pine Tree Players use the Canmore Miners’ Union Hall.
“We’re negotiating with Cornerstone Theatre and we’re looking at the (Canmore Collegiate) high school, but our one acts will be at Miners’ Union Hall. But once we have six to eight different theatre companies, Miners’ is tough and I would extend the invitation for anybody who wishes to support us with a venue – we are looking and we really hope to get some sort of a corporate sponsor, and step up and help us out there,” Szabo said.
She added one of the most exciting aspects of the festival is to offer locals the opportunity to see new talent at the event.
“We get new directors, actors and involve a ton of people from the community who have never been involved before,” Szabo said. “Maybe they were too afraid to audition for a major role in a major script, and this is a great opportunity to be in a one act play and it’s a great introduction to directing or acting.”
Pine Tree Players is currently asking for submissions for actors and volunteers, and members to sit on the committee. Please contact Anita Szabo at [email protected] for submissions, or email volunteer coordinator Nina St. James [email protected].
