September marks the beginning of a new season of shows at the Ladysmith Little Theatre.
Located in the old Diamond School, 4985 Christie Rd., the volunteer group has been gearing up for the season opener on Sept. 26.
The Theatre group purchased the vacant school building back in 2013, after leasing it from the school district for 10 years. For more than 20 years a steady stream of volunteers has been captivating audiences with a varied assortment of entertainment including musical, drama, mime, comedy and almost everything in between.
The success of the Theatre is apparent in the fact that revenue from the group's shows will have paid off the mortgage on the building in another five years. At full capacity the theatre can accommodate between 70 and 80 spectators, depending on stage configuration and the arrangement of tables and chairs.
“For any one show, there can be anywhere from 40 to 80 different volunteers involved," said marketing director Christine Kemppi. "The jobs are many.”
Kemppi's job involves a number of tasks that bring the theatre to the attention of the community.
"With the help of Michael at BBMR creative.advertising and of course volunteers, I organize regular monthly eblasts to members, update the theatre’s website, social media posts, distribution of season brochures and other varied marketing related tasks.
The new 2024/25 season will be kicking off with a romantic comedy titled Now And Then.
“This play, directed by Jim Zurcher and written by Sean Grennan, tells a story of Jamie who, as he is closing the bar where he works, meets a last-minute customer," said Kemppi. "This customer offers Jamie and his girlfriend Abby $2,000 to sit and have a drink with him. What happens after last call that night is life changing for all involved. This romantic comedy focuses on the costs of the choices that we make.”
The play runs until Oct. 13.
“Prep for shows begins at least a year before they run," Kemppi said. "Plays must be reviewed before final selections are made. Directors, producers, actors, stage managers, designers and all of the rest of the production team must be assembled. Auditions are usually held two to six months prior to the opening of a show. Rehearsals begin, typically three times per week, shortly after a show has been cast.
“Generally speaking open auditions are held for each upcoming show. These are advertised in many different ways to get as broad a message out as possible.”
Kempii said the theatre has a play reading committee to select shows.
"They begin the task of finding plays for the next season, usually in August or September," she said. "By the following January, the play reading committee is asked to make recommendations to the directors. The directors will then meet, discuss possible plays and make the final selections so that they can advertise the next year's season before the current season is finished.”
The group are also mostly responsible for creating their own sets, for each performance.
"Those volunteers are a dedicated team," Kemppi said. "Some of the volunteers are also tasked with procurement of items for sets such as furniture, dishes, wall hangings, curtains and other household items to make all the acts as realistic as possible.”
Following the season’s opening show the next performance is slated to be We Will Rock You, a play whose script was written by Ben Elton with music written by Queen. The director is Mike Dietrich and musical director is Rod Alsop. This musical will run from Nov. 21 to Dec. 15 but will not run on Light Up night.
A Christmas Carol, the stalwart Christmas story will be at the Ladysmith Little Theatre on Dec. 18, 20 and 22. Written by Charles Dickens, it is being directed by local storyteller Steven Méthot. Méthot and local musicians present this dramatic re-creation of a Charles Dickens soiree and hear the tale as Dickens himself told it.
Once out of the Christmas break the Theatre group will be presenting the play Say Ahhh which is a “performance with a hysterical romp and a surprise ending,” according to Kemppi. Written by Michael Banks and directed by Lyndon Bzdel the show runs from Feb. 20 to March 9.
Have you ever wanted to be a doctor? Even for just a day? What could possibly — outrageously — go wrong? Say Ahhh answers that question.
The final performance at Ladysmith Little Theatre for the 24/25 season is Harvey. Written by Mary Chase and directed by Alan Holmes this is a chaotic comedy of errors, as everyone wants to know... who is Harvey? The performances run from April 24 to May 11, 2025.
“Ladysmith Little Theatre is always on the lookout for new volunteers who wish to bring their unique skill sets to the table," said Kempii. "There are many different tasks and many different skills and abilities needed, for any production. Some tasks will be under the spotlight but there are many more critical behind-the-scenes tasks as well. I love theatre for that very reason — there is something for just about anyone. And theatre folk are a lot of fun.”
Shows usually begin at 7:30 p.m. with doors open at 7 p.m. and matinees begin at 2 p.m. with doors open at 1:30 p.m. For more information those interested can call 250-924-0658 or email to ladysmiththeatre@gmail.com
