BY JAMES FW THOMPSON
With another theatre season about to get underway, the question must be asked: how do I get involved in all this theatre?
Well, one way is by auditioning at CBU’s Boardmore Playhouse this Saturday and Sunday, September 15 & 16. It’s a great way to get involved, either as a new actor, someone who hasn’t been on the stage for a few years, or our local thespians just looking for their latest project.
“The Boardmore has a strong connection to both the CBU and local community,” says Todd Hiscock, artistic director and manager of the Boardmore. “Over the past fifty years it has provided a gateway for many actors, directors, playwrights, and technicians to gain experience in theatre. Many people will continue their involvement as a hobby while others have made it a career. In both cases, the Boardmore has sustained the creation of theatre arts in our communities.”
This year’s Boardmore season has some very diverse roles in some very interesting productions, bound to challenge actors of all ages and skill levels and give them a moment to shine under the stage lights. First up just in time for Halloween is “The Circle of Terror”, and brand new theatre experience devised by a group of creative mad geniuses and their twisted minds (I had it explained to me briefly the other day and it really does sound quite cool and fun).
Then, in November it’s “Girls Like That”–an award winning British play dealing with technology, young women, and the problems and power that can come when the two mix.
In January comes the intriguing “Marat/Sade” though the title in full is: “The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade.” That is by far the most interesting description of a play I have ever heard and it’s just the title! Imagine what will happen AFTER you read the program!
In the usual February-musical slot is something a little closer to home. “Home and Away—A Hockey Musical” a musical about, well, hockey. I’m noticing that these plays are very appropriately titled this year. Well done, playwrights!
Then there’s the festivals: the Elizabeth Boardmore One-Act Play Festival in March and the CBU Youth Drama Festival in April.
Wrapping it all up in late April/early May is a musical version of “Charlotte’s Web” the delightful children’s classic about the friendship between a wise spider and a naive pig. You know, that old trope.
But, beyond getting involved in some really cool sounding productions, auditioning for the Boardmore, while it seems like a frightening prospect (and in many ways, it is!) offers so much more.
“It is an exhilarating feeling to have done something that is so scary,” says Todd Hiscock, artistic director and manager of the Boardmore. “Once the audition is done—good or bad—the actor will be hooked and want to do it again. Participating in theatre, regardless of the level, provides a great sense of confidence for the individual – that is what I think a person gets most out of auditioning.”
Speaking from personal experience, getting involved in the Boardmore season of plays is frightening at the start, and incredibly worth it by the end. I am not exaggerating when I say my first audition many, many moons ago has greatly impacted and changed my life.
But, if you’re not looking for something life-changing and monumental, it’s also a fun time with fun people.
So, if you’re interested, contact Todd at (902) 563-1351 or email todd_hiscock@cbu.ca. You must book your audition in advance. Have a short (1 – 3 minute) monologue prepared (I find it helps if you do something funny; getting a laugh out of the directors couldn’t hurt, right?) and, if you’re interested in a role in either of the musicals, maybe a song or two.
Break a leg!
