City Lights News
Highlights and Events September 1994

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Deadlines event publication: Printed Edition before the 15th of every month and Electronic Edition before the 20th of every month. Information & publication of events: Stephen Serenelli tel./fax (306) 922-1831 or E-mail to City Lights BBS (306) 763-1777 or Internet E-mail or write to: 978-2nd Street East, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan S6V 0G4 Canada

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PRINCE ALBERT ON STAGE

The story of theatre on the Prairies is, in itself, an interesting tale. Magicians, musicians and medicine shows toured the Western provinces bringing entertainment and news to the traders and then to the prairie settlers. The railways made it easier for professional theatre groups to travel the Western circuit and professional theatre became a good business. Prairie towns and cities built theatres and competed to attract top entertainers, but the larger centres were played by the more famous professional groups, leaving the smaller communities to entertain themselves. Live theatre thrived until the great depression, together with the invention of "talking pictures", marked the end of an era in professional theatre. The decline of live theatre was felt here when two local theatres (the Strand and the Orpheum) were converted to cinemas during the 1930s.

Recently, amateur theatre has made a strong comeback and has been active in Prince Albert for more than 30 years. The P.A. Community Players was founded in 1959 by Mary Moon and Nora Shannon-Hamill while StageStruck Players was founded in 1989 by Mary Moon. Rehearsals were held in the J.M. Cuelenaere Library basement (then a storage room) or the Arts Centre, and productions were usually held in school auditoriums. Dinner theatres, still very popular, were introduced locally around 1979 and were held downstairs at the Coronet Motor Inn.

Odyssey Productions (a semi-professional theatre company) made its debut on the local scene in 1992. Founded by Darryl Lindenbach and a 6 member Board of Directors, Odyssey Productions gave community theatre in Prince Albert a whole new meaning. Under the guidance of the Artistic Director, Darryl Lindenbach, "Driving Miss Daisy" was first presented in October 1992 at Ed's Inn on the Shellbrook Highway in the dinner theatre format. Due to the abundance of local talent and interest, in 1993 Odyssey Productions Second Stage was formed to provide theatre in the classical stage tradition (non-dining) and the first presentation was "Dreams of Broadway" at Carlton Cafetorium.

With this renewed interest in theatre and the abundance of artistic talent present in our community, it is hoped that Prince Albert will soon have a permanent central structure with adequate theatre facilities to satisfy the needs of present and future theatrical productions.

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