The Hat is back in Lethbridge.
 Hatrix Theatre, a new theatre company which has their roots in Medicine Hat, is bringing the comedy-murder mystery ‘ the Gazebo’ to the Moose Hall, Oct. 20-22.

“ It’s a comedic murder mystery about a man who writes murder mysteries, who  finds out his wife is being blackmailed  for something she did when she was younger. So he decides the best way to deal with the blackmailer is to bump him off ,” explained director Karoline Harker.

“ It’s called the gazebo because they bought a new gazebo and he thinks the best idea of disposing of the blackmailer’s body is to bury him in the foundation of the new gazebo, but everything goes wrong, which is where the comedy ensues,” she said.

 She has directed Alec Coppel’s The Gazebo before, but is glad to be doing it again in Lethbridge at the Moose Hall with the cast of 10.

“ We have our roots in Medicine Hat, which is why we call ourselves Hatrix, but we’ve picked up some lovely people in Lethbridge. And Playgoers of Lethbridge and  Lethbridge Musical Theatre have been very co-operative by lending us props and things,” she continued.

 The group has performed two full length plays as well as several one act plays and are working out of the Moose Hall.

“The highlight has just been working with all of these great people who have been so generous with their time,” Harker said.

Tickets are almost sold out, there are a few of the $10 tickets left for tonight’s show  and Saturday’s show, though Friday is all but sold out. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the door or by calling Brian Quinn at 403-315-9816

If you want to be in pictures, there is an audition for the upcoming short film, “House of Hobbes” on Oct. 21 at the University of Lethbridge.

The film is described as being about “ a bed and breakfast  owner struggles between love and his guest  eating creature locked in the basement.”

 The characters needed are Calvin, a man in his late 20s, early 30s who is a reclusive bed and breakfast owner conflicted by his loneliness and his anthropophobia (fear of people).

In a search for friendship Calvin has conjured a demon, Hobbes, but the unforeseen result was that now Calvin has to continue to keep Hobbes by feeding him the B&B guests.
 Problems ensue as he befriends Laurie (late 20s, early 30s) the new cashier at the local market, an outgoing and friendly woman  who gets along with everyone who tries to get Calvin out of his shell.

Other characters are Jack ( early to mid 20s) the big man on his college campus. Jack is arrogant and never takes no for an answer. He recently married his college sweetheart Kim. They are honeymooning in Calvin’s Bed and Breakfast.
 Kim is the proverbial princess. She is the superficial and flighty daughter of a wealthy Wall Street Executive who married Jack for the image more out of love.
Extras are also needed.
 Auditions are  6-8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 21 in W426 at the university (across from the David Spinks Theatre). Filming will take place over about four days  at the end of October and early November. For more information contact Josh at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Brad at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Everybody loves a comedy, so lots of people came out to audition for Morris Panych’s reinterpretation of Russian playwright Nikolai Gogol’s “The Government Inspector,” the first main stage production of the year for the University of Lethbridge.
 It runs Oct. 18-22  every night in the university theatre.

“He adapted  it from the Russian play by Gogol and really brought it out with  contemporary language and sensibilities,” said director Nicholas Hanson, University of Lethbridge prof and New West Theatre artistic director.

He has enjoyed directing this production, though he just finished directing both of New West’s summer shows.
“It’s a group of really funny and dedicated people who have come together to  create a really  vibrant play that the audience is really going to enjoy,” he said.

“We had an extremely high number of students who expressed interest in being part of it,” Hanson said.

Most of the cast are experienced veterans are  about to graduate, so they are looking forward to strutting their stuff. The Government Inspector happens in a small rural Russian town where the local officials love to embezzle, cheat, and steal – until news of a surprise visit from a government inspector sends them into a panicked frenzy.