The setting for this year’s Lampman Community Theatre (LCT) was a comedic journey revolving around small town living and being storm stayed at the local Legion.
Written for LCT by local author and playwright, Maureen Ulrich, “Storm Stayed at the Legion,” brought humour and a community together on Thursday to Saturday, Dec. 8 to 10.
“Earlier this year there were a few people talking about doing a community theatre production again,” Ulrich explained. “Around the same time the Legion was talking about doing a fundraiser, so we thought about doing a play at the Legion, about the Legion.”
Ulrich writes what she knows and worked in many local tales as she weaved through the story of the performance.
The play opens at Happy Hour in the Legion on Dec. 23, the day before Arthur McCrae’s funeral. Cybelle (Cherilyn Gress), Marilyn (Diane Fornwald), and Ellen Horton (Sandy Hanrieder) – daughter of McRae were in getting the Legion ready for the funeral and visiting.
Horton was the past president of the Legion, but had recently lost the position to CJ (Doris Trobert). For this reason, Horton is extremely tough on CJ when it comes to the operations of the Legion. She is also particularly hard on Lucy (Lisa Hanrieder) – a waitress at the Legion.
In the Lampman Legion the upstairs is often rented out for activities, while the downstairs is where people go to socialize during Happy Hour. In the play tap dancers were causing a commotion upstairs as those downstairs were forced to yell over the noise.
Later a tap dancer (Lindsay Johnson) stopped in to purchase a bottle of water. As she was waiting for the water, the tap dancer performed a solo beautifully.
Outside the Legion a storm raged and a lost couple (Christine and Jeff Thornton) is seen driving along in a white out. The wife quickly checks the roads via Facebook, which comes with various comments depending on who updated their status.
Watching the lines, out of their windows it all of a sudden disappears and their hopes of heading to a warm climate for Christmas are dashed when they hit the ditch and get stuck. Later they're found wandering into the Legion for a drink and a chat with their friends already storm stayed there.
Arriving for Happy Hour were some of the ladies’ husbands: Josh (James Trobert) and Bill Horton (Ed Fieber); as well as, Nick (Luke Bartsch), a bachelor who is attracted to Lucy.
The storm hasn't yet let up, but more people come and go from the Legion. Someone coming to drop off sandwiches (Laurie Fornwald) stayed for a drink and to sing Christmas carols.
Laughter abounded as the stereotypical hockey mom (Auldene Craig) stopped in for snacks as she's driving her kids to the rink. She gets word there are vehicles in the ditch on the way, so exclaims she better get going. Her hockey son, Billy (Matthew Getschel), came in as well and began singing a song that was cut off quickly by his mom, as the audience howled in laughter.
Ellen heads home in a whirlwind of feelings and while she's away a young man, Artie (Carter Branyik-Thornton), stops in at the Legion. It is later discovered that Artie, who left no footprints and didn't know what the Canadian flag looked like, was in fact Ellen Horton’s father Arthur McCrae, an angel sent to lead the group to a way to save the Legion. A key is found for a safety deposit box at the base of the Canadian flag along with Arthur’s dog tags.
CJ, as encouraged by everyone at the Legion, decides that she will enter the bank to check the box as she has keys and the alarm code. Ivanka (Brenda Fleck), a Russian woman, offers her a ride to the bank on her snowmobile.
Pregnant waitress, Henrietta (Stephanie Gress), in the meantime goes into labour and the very funny Constable Gunvorsen (Tamara Franklin) excuses herself to – instead of deliver a baby – check on the snowmobile sitting at the bank.
They all return to the Legion where everyone convinces Constable Gun to allow them to open the envelope from the safety deposit box. It turns out Arthur McCrae had bought stocks in Best Buy at a very early point in the business and shares are now worth hundreds of thousands of dollars – enough to pay for a new roof and keep the Legion running.
During the action, Carl (Glenn Gress), a neighbouring RM’s grader operator arrived. Banter ensued and laughter arose from the crowd.
Throughout the play musical performances were worked in as it was karaoke night at the Legion, showcasing the impressive number of talented singers in the area.
The crew was small, but successful with Debbie Hanrieder on sound and Jake Kautz doing the lighting.
Although the play featured music and brought much laughter, the performance was a reminder to support the Legion and to always remember you don't know what someone else is going through, so to be good to others.
