Townsman Staff
In the immediate wake of a successful dramatic season, Cranbrook Community Season announced what is in the pipeline for 2017/18. CCT board members Terry Miller and Trevor Lundy gave out the details at an event Wednesday, May 24, at the Studio Stage Door theatre downtown.
Miller spoke of how building a season is always a challenge, but the audience is always there to give their support. “And the audience supports us because we try to do high quality work,” he said.
Comedy, family, marriage and relationships are the themes of the coming season.
Long-time director Paul Kershaw is returning to the stage, mounting “I Do I Do,” a two-person musical by Tom Jones and Harry Schmidt, which focuses on the ups and downs of a couple throughout 50 years of marriage. Production set for October, 2017.
The winter play, set for February, 2017, is by Neil Simon — “Plaza Suite.” This three-act comedy is set in the same New York hotel room, but each act is a different story with different characters. CCT is bringing three new directors on board —Michelle McCue, Thom McCaughey and Barry Coulter — with each directing a different act and different actors.
Brenda Babinski’s Open Book Productions is returning in April, with a staged reading of “The Producers.”
The Neil Simon theme continues into the spring. Bob McCue is directing the classic “The Sunshine Boys” in May.
The above productions are all taking place at the Studio Stage Door, 11th Avenue South in Cranbrook.
There is another CCT project in the works, to be directed by Terry Miller and presented at the Key City Theatre in January. Stay tuned for details.
And the Chautauqua multi-performance event is back for another Sam Steele Days weekend. Sam Steele festivities are moving this year to Balment Park from the downtown core.
On Wednesday evening, Trevor Lundy also announced a new event which will cap off the season in May, and will henceforth be held every year following the CCT season.
An awards night will celebrate the season past, Lundy said, with awards in 10 categories to be voted on by CCT members.
“Hopefully, in the future it will grow to encompass the whole Cranbrook Kimberley Theatrical community,” Lundy said. “Turner and Adler Productions, the Off-Centre Players, the high schools …”
The awards themselves are to be called “The Buds.”
Auditions for the upcoming season are to be held Monday, June 5, and Sunday, June 11. Details will be announced at a time in the near future.
Lundy is the director of “Lucy,” one of last season’s challenging plays which focussed on a young woman with autism. “Lucy” was remounted this past weekend for ajudication, in the competition to represent the Kootenay Zone at Theatre B.C.’s Mainstage Festival, the annual province-wide theatre competition. Miller said by the end of the month it should be known if “Lucy” will get the nod.
Other productions for 2106/2017 included Open Book Productions’ “Spamelot,” “The Weir,” directed by Terry Miller, and “On Golden Pond,” directed by Elizabeth Ross. “On Golden Pond” sold out its entire run.
Melodie Hull also presented Chautauqua during Sam Steele Days, 2016.
Watch these pages for upcoming details on Cranbrook Community Theatre’s cast calls.