Drama Beat

U of L examines mental health issues in online production of 4:48 Psychosis

Wednesday, 17 March 2021 10:33 Richard Amery

The University of Lethbridge explores the timely issue of mental health in their online production of UK playwright Sarah Kane’s last play “4.48 Psychosis,” which runs March 17-20. The cast of 4:48 Psychosis. Photo Submitted
“ It’s one long soliloquy enhanced by movement and dance,” summarized Jay Whitehead, who directed the production with Mia VanLeeuwen.

They worked with the the 11 cast members to develop and film the production with proper social distancing and health safety precautions in place.

“It’s a very abstract piece of theatre that explores mental health issues and self harm,” Whitehead continued, noting the work is a soliloquy of the thoughts of the character as she wakes up at 4: 48 a.m.
“ It’s a play that has been on my mind for a while,” he said adding Covid 19 has got a lot of people thinking about and talking about mental health issues.
It was Kane’s last play before she committed suicide in February 1999. It was first staged in 2000.

New West Theatre continues online Alberta play reading series with story about dementia

Saturday, 27 February 2021 15:31 Richard Amery

New West Theatre continues their mini online play reading series on March 4 with a reading of Calgary based , Lethbridge raised playwright Col Cseke’s “Jim Forgetting.” Ashley Thomson will be part of New West Theatre‘s online play reading of Jim Forgetting, March 4. Photo by Richard Amery
Ashley Thomson and Calgary actor Mike Tan play Jim and Donna, a middle aged couple coping with Jim’s early onset dementia.
“Casting for this play is key,” said New West Theatre artistic director Kelly Reay, praising the actors.

“ It was challenging to cast a middle aged couple. But they really do the roles justice,” he said adding he has worked with both actors before.
“Jim Forgetting” is part of New West Theatre’s mandate to support Albertan and Canadian playwrights
Reay has known Cseke for 15 years, so he is excited to revisit Csekes’s work.

“I saw this play a few years ago in Calgary and it stuck with me,” Reay said.

Quaint, Quirky and Queer festival going online

Wednesday, 10 February 2021 13:28 Richard Amery

The Quaint, Quirky and Queer Festival in Southern Alberta goes on online in less that two weeks. Jay Whitehead from Theatre Outre. Photo by Richard Amery
Theatre Outré artistic director Jay Whitehead is excited to present three big events happening, Feb. 18 to20.
“The Quaint, Quirky and Queer Cabaret is an excellent opportunity for the community to gather in person, but obviously we can[t do that this year,” he said.
“But we have three big events happening online.

Whitehead will premiere a play he penned called 333 via Zoom at 7 p.m. Feb. 18.
Theatre Outré veterans Brett Dahl, Nick Bohle and Halifax actor Garry Williamson will be reading Whitehead’s play.
“ 333 tells the story of three men at a bathhouse in Toronto which the police raided in 1981. It’s based on a real life event. It‘s an important part of queer history in Canada that isn’t often talked about,” Whitehead said, noting he wrote it last year.

“ It’s something that's been on my mind for a long time, but I banged it out over Christmas. It spurred the Canadian pride movement,’” he said.

New West trying new idea with online reading of Meg Braem’s “Flight Risk”

Saturday, 23 January 2021 13:33 Richard Amery

As the arts community waits for things to get back to normal in the midst of Covid-19, New West Theatre is trying out a few more new ideas.
So on Jan. 28, they are hosting a live online play reading of Calgary based playwright/, former U of L professor Meg Braem’s “Flight Risk.”

Erica Hunt performing with New West Theatre. Photo by Richard Amery
“It’s an opportunity to engage our audience even though we can’t be on stage until summer when we can be outside again and it puts a spotlight on an Albertan playwright,” said New West Theatre artistic director Kelly Reay, who will be directing this pilot project.

Local actors including New West Theatre veteran Erica Hunt plus Terry Gunvordahl and Alison Dereght will be reading “Flight Risk,” the story of 99-year-old Second World War veteran Hank Dunfield, who forms an unlikely bond with 22-year-old nursing student/ caregiver Sarah.

“Hank Dunfield is found wandering aimlessly through a field in the early hours of the morning, five kilometres away from his residence at Ponderosa Pine Lodge. Six weeks away from his 100th birthday, the lodge recruits Sarah, a nursing student, to help keep Hank safe, comfortable and in the building while they plan a grand centenarian celebration. There’s one problem…Hank doesn’t want to live that long,” according to New West Theatre.

“I want to emphasize it is not a romantic relationship,” Reay said.

Local film maker tests out crowd funding for new short film, “Aperture”

Friday, 18 December 2020 14:51 Richard Amery

Lethbridge film maker Blake Evernden is learning and relearning different skills for his new short film “Aperture” including starting his first crowd funding campaign.
“ I’ve never done crowd-funding before. I was always a little bit nervous about it, but a lot of friends have already supported it,” said Evernden who has been making short films and full length features for15 years, including his most recent film “Prairie Dog.”

Blake Evernden is putting on a crowd funding campaign for his short film Aperture. Photo submitted
In addition to relearning how to shoot on 16 mm film, he is also test driving crowdfunding
According to Evernden’s Indiegogo page, which has already raised over $2,000 towards the $3,000 goal:
“Aperture is the story of an aspiring experimental filmmaker, Marcus Wilson, who captures what he believes is a murder through the lens of his 8mm camera. He quickly becomes obsessed with capturing this killer’s identity on film and his pursuit leads him through increasing surreal interpretations of urban deserts, towering industries, and darkened suburbs, all the while risking losing himself in his own film.”

He intended to start shooting the film next week, but decided to delay it until the new year because of Covid restrictions.
“ We’ve been doing a lot of pre-production,” he said, adding the shoot will only take a couple of days in Lethbridge and Magrath, after which the footage will be sent to Toronto for final processing and returned by May ideally. The first $2,500 of the crowd funding is earmarked for film stock, development, shipping and 2 K transfer. The next $500 will cover transportation and food costs for the crew.

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