Prince George's award-winning local theatre production is getting set behind the curtain for a one-time-only encore presentation,
Pocket Theatre, the local community drama group responsible for staging the first and only P.G. version of the hit comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, will do a special showing of the play tonight.
This special presentation is a fundraiser event to help get them to the provincial competitive theatre event coming up next week in Chilliwack.
"We're hoping to offset the travel costs of going down to Mainstage," said director Dominic Maguire. Mainstage is the annual Theatre BC drama extravaganza. Plays from all over the province will compete, after winning regional competitions.
"The best part for us is, this gets us one more run-through with a live audience, so we are that much more prepared," Maguire said.
Their version of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike was as much a hit at the regional competition as it was in professional form on Broadway where it cleaned up at the Tony Awards. When Pocket Theatre presented it in Williams Lake at this year's regional event, it won six of 21 possible trophies.
One went to Maguire, who took home the outstanding director award.
Other Prince George trophies went to Katherine Trepanier for best supporting female actor, Adam Harasimiuk for best supporting male actor, Jody Newham for best performance by a female actor, and Pierre Ducharme was given an adjudicator's choice award for outstanding work by a male actor.
The group also won the award that counted most: the outstanding production citation that moved them on to the provincial round from July 2-9. The fundraiser and practice tonight happens at Theatre North West. Maguire was overtly thankful for their help.
"TNW is making it as easy as possible to loan us their space to do this show," said Maguire, since Pocket Theatre has no performance space of its own. "They are supporting us at such an amazing level you'd actually call them a sponsor. We can't say enough about how helpful TNW has been for us."
See Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike tonight at Theatre North West at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $20.
