CANMORE – Ah summer. Warm weather, the kids are out of school, hordes of friends and family and visitors are everywhere in the valley – and live theatre again takes the Stan Rogers Stage at Centennial Park.
Once again, Pine Tree Players is teaming up with Artists’ Collective Theatre for the Canmore Summer Theatre Festival, featuring The Bard’s Romeo and Juliet (with a twist), July 4-7, and Calgary playwright Eric Pettifor’s The Apple Kingdom, July 4-8, for the younger crowd.
The Apple Kingdom, a musical fairy tale in one act, won awards for outstanding actress, director and outstanding production at the Calgary One Act Play Festival, and outstanding actress and actor at the Alberta One Act Play Festival in 2013.
Romeo and Juliet, of course, needs no introduction.
“It is the Shakespeare script, in the dawn of Aquarius,” said ACT artistic director Amanda Liz Cutting. “So picture Hair and Romeo and Juliet had a baby; that’s our show. There’s lot of great late ’60s, early ’70s music in it, a ton of disco dancing and vintage costumes, a lot of them provided by Hello Vintage here in Canmore.”
There are 24 performers in all, with about a 50/50 split between PTP and ACT (some actors appear in both shows) and the co-production again is one in which ACT performers and technical people work in a mentor/mentee relationship. Apple Kingdom is suitable for all ages, while Romeo and Juliet is recommended as 13+ as there is adult content and sexuality.
Apple Kingdom runs as 2 p.m. matinees, with R&J at 7 p.m.
“Our hope is that next year people who are being mentored will become mentees, with fewer from Calgary coming out.
“We’re mentoring an amazing crew here in Canmore, with four stage managers being mentored by one of our (ACT) managers. We’re really trying to pass on professional skills, so they have extra support in the area.”
“Apple Kingdom is steampunk and edgy, while Romeo and Juliet is flower power all the way, set during the Vietnam War (ie. Benvolio is a war veteran). The adaptation is the same, with contemporary music, (some by local Ellen Braun who penned originals) and styling.
“The reason I chose to do that is a lot of people think R&J they groan. And a lot of people miss the humour. I don’t call it a tragedy until the very end. It’s very funny, very light hearted, lots of jokes, and near the end, some people die.
“It’s not as tragic as many think, it’s a lot more fun and interactive.”
For the classic balcony scene, a large treehouse will be erected just offstage, where the folk festival dancing area is located.
As far as The Apple Kingdom goes, said Cutting, “I like to say it’s like a PIXAR movie where there are jokes that adults will get, and lots of things that will entertain kids, but you feel like you’re being pandered to.”
Being an outdoors venue, on the grass in front of the Stan Rogers stage, actors come and go from all directions, which makes the action more immersive and Cutting describes the festival as a “special event where theatre happens.”
The grounds open an hour before performances, so people can take a picnic and enjoy Centennial Park prior to the shows. There will be kiosks and a canteen with cotton candy, popcorn and fun goodies, with healthy snacks.
R&J has been trimmed to an hour and half, as Cutting reduced some of the preamble before Romeo and Juliet typically take the stage, while The Apple Kingdom will run about an hour, with kids encouraged to get up and dance and enjoy the prince and princess, a talking lizard, a live band, and a witch who teaches that in the long run, kindness is the most important thing that a human can possess.
For the actors, the age range is from 8 to 50+. “We work really hard as a company to ensure it’s inclusive. I think theatre is effective when there is a representation of yourself on stage,” said Cutting.
“We have a range of experience and this is almost like a school; it’s almost a two-month intensive where we’re teaching them physical warmup, vocal care, physicality of character building, fight choreography, it’s a chance of a lifetime for people to be able to experience it.
“I feel we’ve built a family of 24 people, plus crew and everybody works together and supports each other.
“And we have age appropriate actors. Our young Juliet (Cirdan Monteith on July 4 and 6) is 14, and Romeo (Liam Brett, July 4 and 6) is 16. And we have adults also play those characters in Ben Francis and Sarah Keith. I think it’s almost a record for this show to be produced and age appropriate; it’s a lot of monologue and a of lot lines, and daunting for youth.
“But there’s something about the honesty in being the correct age. It’s been a privilege to work here and continue to help grow this theatre community.”
The Apple Kingdom is being directed by Shelby Reinitz, who was in Alice in Wonderland last summer, along with haunted house Hamlet and is Lady Capulet in R&J. Reinitz also runs DIY Theatre in Calgary.
“This is a really cool mix of mentors and mentees, and this is a really great opportunity. It’s a great partnership. We have six leads and an ensemble for about 18.
“We have locals working with professionals from Calgary and we’re really focusing on character development and movement and singing. They bring so much energy to rehearsal every single time and it’s been an honour working with everyone.”
In Apple Kingdom, there is movement, dance, fight choreography and acting for all involved.
July 4 is pay what you can by donation for both shows, while tickets are available at www.eventbrite.ca. Festival passes can be purchased for a special rate.
