With a late start to its 1999/2000 season, Fort Frances Little Theatre will spend much of its time rebuilding this year, club president Cathy Richards said yesterday.
Richards, who was acclaimed president at the club’s annual meeting Monday night, said numbers have been down the last few years, both in terms of actors and theatre-goers. As such, Little Theatre has to take a more “active direction” to address this problem, she noted.
“For one thing, I think this is the year to do [workshops],” she remarked, adding Little Theatre may have a line on some grant money to bring in drama professionals from outside the district.
“Things I would like to see is someone come in and work on improv, get the ball rolling on that,” Richards continued. “Bring someone down on directing or acting 101–it’s always nice for a refresher.”
Only two shows are planned for this season, with the first one–a traditional English pantomime of “Cinderella”–tentatively scheduled for February.
And the club is looking at staging a comedy for its spring show.
Little Theatre had planned to perform “Cinderella Waltz” early in the new year but that was axed because not enough males turned out to fill all the roles.
Richards said this reduced schedule will allow more time for “ditties”–small shows or presentations for group gatherings. In fact, she said she’s already been approached by one service group to give a talk on what Little Theatre is about.
“I think we have to talk ourselves up a bit,” admitted Richards, who is joined on the club executive by vice-president Brian Hagarty, treasurer Joyce McCormick, and secretary Mark Elliott.
“Maybe we need to be in people’s faces more,” she stressed.
For Richards, the key to Little Theatre’s rebuild is planning. She noted there is a greater infusion of culture in Fort Frances now then there was when the group put on its first dinner theatre here years ago. And while that is a good thing, she said it also means Little Theatre has to be better prepared.
“We’ll take a real strong look at which direction we’d like to go for plays in the next year–auditorium versus dinner theatre versus kids’ shows,” Richards said.
“We have to be the forerunners,” she stressed. “Organized and efficient, with getting some dates and plans out so people can go around us.”
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
