Cyndi Lauper may have said it best: girls just wanna have fun.
In this spirit, the Kaatza Lakeside Players present Girls' Weekend written by Karen Schaeffer, and directed by Katie Nott — a fun treat local theatre fans will fall in love with just in time for Valentine's Day weekend.
This is the Players' first production of the new year and Nott's fourth time directing to date. She donned the director's cap in 2019 for the first time with the local theatre group's production of Little Scrooge, then after a forced hiatus due to the pandemic, the Players returned with Honk! in 2023, which Nott co-directed. She brought her vision back for a third time with last year's comedic gem Million Dollar Meatballs.
"It’s exciting and a great way to kick off the new year with a fun, fast-paced show that promises laughter and surprises," said Nott. "We wanted to start the year off with a fun romantic comedy that would bring lots of laughs and a bit of chaos, and Girls' Weekend was the perfect choice to deliver that lighthearted, high-energy experience for our audience."
In what has been described as a lightning-quick farce, four women travel to Dot Northwood's cabin in the woods to consume copious amounts of wine, laugh at their lives, trade stories, and chat about their book club’s latest selection — however by the time the third case of wine comes through the door there is more stewing than reviewing and chaos continues to ensue as more of the girls' secrets begin to unfold.
Dot (Nicole Malone) wants to party with her ladies all night like it's 1999 but is the first one to pass out. During Dot's inebriation, Carol (Gina Galway) secretly arranges for her husband to return after sending him home in a snowstorm. Meanwhile Meg (Nikki Berry) hides her affair with Dot’s son Stephen (Graham Fielding), and Ellie (Ayla Halusiak) decides to sneak off with a local guy. As the girls all go wild in their decision making they do their best to ply Dot with plenty of party favours to keep her in the dark that her girls only weekend is actually full of men. Rounding off the cast is Rick (Jon Degner), Bubba (Benji Nott), and
Sheriff Tom Lane played by Duncan Rhoades.
"My favourite part of directing Girls' Weekend has been watching the actors develop a true love for the arts as they bring these vibrant characters to life," said Nott. "Seeing their passion, and creativity grow throughout the rehearsal process has been incredibly rewarding."
This production, rated PG-13, opens at the Lake Cowichan Centennial Hall on Feb. 13, but fans of the arts can reward their sweetheart with a special Valentine's Day Dinner Theatre performance on Feb. 14. Attendees can opt for either a beef or vegetarian lasagna option, Caesar salad, and garlic toast starting at 6 p.m., provided by Jake's at the Lake for $54.98. There will also be a 2 p.m. matinee and a 7 p.m. performance on Feb. 15. Doors for the matinee will open at 1:15 p.m., at 5:15 p.m. for the dinner theatre on V-Day, and at 6:15 p.m. for their two 7 p.m. performances. Dinner theatre tickets will only be available online until Feb. 10, and all other show tickets can either be purchased in person at the door on Feb. 13 and 15 or through thelakesideplayers.ca.
Girls' Weekend is still looking for volunteers to help out backstage. If available, email the director at katie.nott@outlook.com or klpssocial@gmail.com.
"I hope the show inspires a new or renewed appreciation for the arts and live theatre," said Nott. "I also hope it encourages people to engage with and support their local theatre community."
