Local theatre fans were treated to a quirky comedy as Gordon F. Kells Junior Drama Group previewed their entry for Moosomin's Regional One Drama Festival in Carlyle, Wednesday, March 25, and garnering the cast and crew awards. Jillian Hietanen was awarded Runner-Up for Best Visual for a play. Matthew Forcier received a special acknowledgement for Sound, and Jillian Hietanen and Madison Hourd received an accolade for Props.
Anna Doty, Jillian Hietanen and Payton Humphries were also recognized for their acting ability.
“The Absolutely Insidious and Utterly Terrifying Truth About Cat Hair” by Bradley Walton featured a cast and crew of students from grade seven through nine, as well as some new additions from CES's grades five and six.
“It's something special this year, having CES students in our cast and crew, (and Kyle Bye from Manor),” said Thomas Broccolo, who directed the play with Justine Stephanson. “With this age group, comedy seems to work. It's lighthearted and in this case, it also gives the kids a chance to be creative.”
“We wanted to find a play the cast and crew could have fun with,” adds Stephanson. “We wanted to harness the imagination and energy of a young cast.”
Broccolo and Stephanson offered the audience an authentic festival experience, as both the set-up and takedown of the set was timed, as it is in competition. Stage manager Faith Nelson, prompter Sheredin Slykhuis, sound tech Matthew Forcier, lighting tech Kelly Hume, and prop manager Denita Shepherd, assisted by cast members, demonstrated their festival-readiness.
The 25-minute play is a hilarious exploration of the pervasive power of cat hair. Brenda (Jillian Hietanen) is the owner of the adorably devious Butterball Snowflake (Anna Doty) and Snugglefluff Milkshake (Sydney Flynn). As the plot progresses, the question arises as to who really owns who, as the kittens and their unstoppable supply of cat hair threaten to overtake Brenda's life.
Helping to make sense of the absurd events on stage were narrators Madison Hourd, Judah Wardrope, and Payton Humphries.
Even the intervention of Brenda's best friend, Frankie (Kyle Bye), and the cleverly-costumed Lint Roller (Brayden Hill), Granola Bar (Kendra Schultz), Vaccum Cleaner (Emily Nelson), and Masking Tape (Faith Nelson) are no match for the sinister and silly onslaught of cat hair, played by Tori Chapman, Emily Bouchard, Kaysha Turner, Jason Hietanen, and Brandon Fleming.
The entire cast and crew tackled both the comedic timing on stage as well as the play's physical comedy with confidence and ease, making this year's GFK Junior Drama Group a company to watch.
