Hurry Hard - it's a term often used in the game of curling but you don't have to be a sports fan to understand the comedy when Theatre NorthWest presents the play of the same name during the stage reading that takes place Saturday at 7 p.m.
This is what entertainment looks like during the pandemic with limited seating and actors seated six feet from each other as they read a script during the two-hour performance.
Theatre NorthWest has already hosted two stage readings and are offering them on an almost weekly basis until the end of November.
The arts and entertainment industry has taken a hard hit and the only local non-profit that offers professional theatre said it's struggling but gets by with the support of the City of Prince George, the BC Arts Council and Canada Arts Council.
"I'm no medical expert but covid is here and it's here for a while," Marnie Hamagami, general manager of Theatre NorthWest said.
And the theatre will do everything they can in an adapted, covid-friendly way until things change and they can get back to offering full stage productions, including a full version of Hurry Hard! by Kirsten Da Silva that's offered Saturday in the stage reading, Hamagami added.
"Stage readings are not interactive as there is very little movement from the artists," Hamagami said. "They are sitting on their chairs, reading from their scripts and they don't come into close contact so for us this has been a great way to reintroduce theatre into our community as we all learn to navigate the new world we live in."
Bradley Charles, who has been working at Theatre NorthWest for the last two years, is the director of the Hurry Hard! stage reading.
"We've had a really good time putting Hurry Hard! together," Charles said. "It's a very physical show so there's been a lot of focus on translating physical comedy to a stage reading where the actors are all socially distanced."
It's a hilarious show, he added.
"The artists have really stepped up and everyone is really excited to be back in the theatre," Charles said. "So we're all just making it work."
Hurry Hard! is a show about a curling club with a men's and a women's team and each one is short members for the big bonspiel so they have to find a way to bring together a team, which brings with it a lot of comedy, Charles added.
"We're encouraging people to come and see what we're doing and see how it's different and how it's still working," Charles said.
For tickets to the show visit https://tickets.theatrenorthwest.com/TheatreManager/1/tmEvent/tmEvent177.html
