On March 23, the Medstead area was hit with a hard snowfall. Roads were shut down and early dismissal was called for as busses could not run after 2 p.m. In spite of winter鈥檚 last hurrah the Medstead Drama club stayed true to the adage, 鈥渢he show must go on.鈥�
A crowd of roughly 80 people were certainly happy that they did. At 7 p.m., the school gymnasium was full of excited theatregoers. The event of March 23 was the dessert theatre, held one day prior to dinner theatre. The tables were full of enthusiastic parents, friends and local citizens.
The event was split into two plays with an intermission for the service of dessert. Firstly, Frankenstein Slept Here by Tim Kelly was performed. Solid acting and good humour engaged the audience for the duration.
The proverbial curtain dropped as intermission came about. Guests fed on brownies, cannoli, red velvet cake and more, kindly contributed by teachers and parents.
The second play, entitled The Morgue the Merrier, by Pat Cook, was then performed as the audience settled into their eerily decorated tables, whilst enjoying their tea, coffee and desserts.
At the finale, credit was given to all those that made the event possible as the crowd applauded.
The plays were directed by Lisa Knot and Brett Goller. As to what made these plays special, Asha Pederson, who played Lydia in the Morgue the Merrier, indicated, 鈥淭his play involved a lot more teamwork, everyone had a big role.鈥�
The lighting was done such that scene transition was seamless. Props and decorations were saturated throughout the event, from the entrance to the stage itself, and allowed the attendees a truly immersive experience.
Without surprise, the Medstead Drama Club will be competing in April, performing the Morgue the Merrier. According to Knot, the dinner and dessert theatres serve as a fundraiser of sorts for the upcoming competition. Special thanks was given to families for transporting the actors to and from, to students and staff of the school for set up and tear down, and the many volunteers who helped with meals and desserts.
Small villages like Medstead rely on extra curriculars to engage youth and provide opportunities. Events like this are not possible without the extra work and care of community members and staff of the school. Medstead Drama Club gave special thanks to Stacy Hill and Kelly Schneider for meal preparation, Amanda Klassen for table decorations, to Greg Knot for lighting and Chris and Giselle Weber for prop design and construction.
The time taken and support shown for the youth of the community well embodies the positive effect of these programs. The applause at the finale showed, too, that hard work and dedication breeds success.
Photos by Corrina Murdoch
