Lots of locals in 'Lady' play
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, March 3, 2015
By Sheila Runions
Banner Staff
For the past two months members of Strathclair Drama Club have been meeting once or twice a week to memorize lines and music, learn choreography and staging, and try on costumes. There are another two months of rehearsals ahead for the 42-member cast. A full 25 per cent of those actors are from within the coverage area of Rivers Banner.
Making their debut on the stage at Bend Theatre are Erin Brown of Oak River and Eva Stevenson of Brandon, formerly of Kenton. Erin is a chorus member while Eva has the role of the leading lady, Eliza Doolittle. Stage veterans are Terry Radcliffe of Cardale, sisters Dana and Brittany MacDonald* of Brandon but formerly of Rivers, Chris Martin of Rapid City and his daughter Rowena, all of whom are chorus members. Rivers’ Stan Runions is the second-leading man in My Fair Lady; he plays the role of Hugh Pickering, the gent who assists Henry Higgins (Minnedosa’s Jim Comrie) in educating Eliza. Sheila Runions, also of Rivers, will dye her hair gray and will have wrinkles drawn on her face so she is adequately aged for the role of Mrs. Higgins, Henry’s mother.
Professor Higgins studies language and accepts a bet by Colonel Pickering that Henry would not be able to teach a poor woman who earns a living selling flowers, to become a lady not only in posture and dress, but also in improved speech. The musical centres around this bet and all the frustrations and triumphs which are part of the process.
As always, the drama will be accompanied by a live orchestra, which includes Rapid City’s Shirley Martin and her son Duncan, who now lives in Brandon. The musicians also practise each week to ready themselves for perfection during the April 20-25 production.
Tickets for the 33rd annual musical will be on sale the end of March and for the first time in the club’s history, they will begin selling tickets on a Saturday. Typically public sales open on Monday, but because so many people take time off work to ensure their purchase, the club has made this change in hopes of better accommodating their customers. Hot pink posters can be found in towns throughout Westman or watch this paper for an ad announcing sale dates and ticket prices.
* The MacDonald sisters are also the choreographers.
