Grab a friend, bring a lawn chair and pray the rain holds off.
The Williams Lake Studio Theatre Society is presenting outdoor theatre Thursday, Aug. 5 to Sunday, Aug. 8.
Comprised of three short 15-minute plays, “Garden Shorts,” is being presented at the UBC Alex Fraser Research Forest on Fox Mountain at 795 Campbell Road.
Theatre-goers will sit down to watch one play, then pick up their lawn chairs and move to the next one.
READ MORE: Williams Lake Studio Theatre plans outdoor theatre event for August
Actors Kathleen MacDonald (The Teacher), Curt Sprickerhoff (The Good Samaritan) and Mimi Searls (The Jumper) and director Cathie Hamm said pulling together Playwriting 101: the Rooftop Lesson by Rich Orloff was fun.
“It was different to do a play that was short as opposed a two-and-a-half hour play,” Searls said.
Sometimes acting is complicated, but in some ways it’s the easiest part of a play, added MacDonald.
“All the stages, sounds, directing — that stuff is amazing. Sometimes we have the easiest job.”
Working with MacDonald, Searls and Hamm was the part Sprickerhoff enjoyed the most, he said.
“I was lucky that Cathie cast us all together because it’s been so much fun working on the play.”
Hamm said as experienced actors, the three knew what they had to do and she praised them for their willingness to do the action scenes.
The play explores the best way to tell a story and ends up doing just that.
Louis and Dave, by Norm Foster, features three first-timers. It was Kate Bertenshaw’s directing debut and the first time Donatien Cyr (Louis) and Kristian Volkmann (Dave) acted in a WLST play.
The play follows the antics of two long-time friends out cruising on a Saturday night making cat calls to the women they see along the way.
“I thought having two guys in a car would be a COVID-friendly option,” Bertenshaw said. “We were supposed to have simple sets and this one stood out to me. I also like the play because it is Canadian.”
Volkmann just graduated from Maranatha Christian School and is hoping to go into theatre in the future so being in the play was a good experience, he said. .
Cyr acted at Maranatha previously, and it was his former drama teacher who recommended he audition.
“I came here and it was an amazing learning experience,” Cyr said. “Everyone always said I am a great actor back then, but I am seeing some of the older actors here and I’m just chum compared to them.”
Audiences will enjoy witnessing Dave muster the confidence to finally reveal that he is an intellectual and always has been.
Snocky, by Jules Tasca, contains some adult content, and is strategically staged in the most romantic area of the property with a small lake in the background.
Actors Veronica Larson (Madeline), Gabriel Zamorano (John) and director Sheryl-Lynn Lewis said creating the play relied on trusting one another.
It is about a man and a woman trying to have an affair, but when they meet up in a hotel room for a morning tryst, things start to unravel.
“Sheryl-Lynn was instrumental in making it come together,” Larson said. “The words on the page were funny, but literally every rehearsal it became funnier and funnier to us.”
Zamorano said trust was important because the characters had never met up before and had to build play intimacy through choreography.
“Each kiss and every caress is all choreographed so it is done in a safe way,” he said.
Equally as important are the play’s comedic elements, he added.
Tickets purchased for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening’s performances, have the option to include dinner from Mint & Lime Catering Co. for an additional cost, although food orders have to be in preferably by Wednesday, Aug. 4, or Thursday Aug. 5 at 4 p.m. by the very latest.
Show time is 6:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday also have matinées beginning at noon, but without the food option.
Tickets are available at The Open Book at 247 Oliver Street and will not be available at the door.
Some water bottles will be provided, but people are encouraged to bring their own.
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