Bryan Laprise
After a 3-year hiatus, Performing Arts plays are finally back! Last year was the return of live performances, with Galt Drama's Trap and the showcase put on by Performing Arts last May, as well as the music concert.
The concentration put on two virtual plays during the pandemic, but this December, a group of 21 students will put on a live and magical Christmas performance. It will be presented the 14th, 15th and 16th of December.
An Enchanted Bookshop Christmas, by Todd Wallinger takes place in a bookshop where classic book characters come to life. Ellen (portrayed by Emma Picard), an astronomy professor that has recently lost her job moves in with her sister, Margie (Abigayle Tanguay), a bookshop owner, accompanied by her daughters Anna (Sophie Grandbois) and Bella (Anna Sapone). At night, we see the interactions between characters such as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, Tom Sawyer, the Nutcracker Prince and Ebenezer Scrooge.
The project is directed by the Performing Arts teacher and coordinator Lynsey Sylvester, along with her student director, Marie-Pier Stein and stage manager Hayden Pelletier.
Left to right: Stein, Sylvester and Pelletier
Sylvester revealed that An Enchanted Bookshop Christmas "stood out to me right away. As an avid reader and book lover, the idea of classic characters coming to life immediately piqued my interest. Reading through the script for the first time, I already started to dream up this magical, enchanted world in my mind. As a director, that's a pretty good indication that you've found your show! "
While the director is in charge of the overall planning of the production, Marie-Pier Stein's role as student director is to help produce the play by making sure everything runs smoothly and making sure the actors are comfortable in their scenes. She says she's most excited to "See our vision put out on stage."
Pelletier says, "[It] is such a fun and cute play. I love how there are characters from books and movies we all recognize. I'm excited to see how it looks and for the feedback from the community!"
Abigayle Tanguay, who portrays the role of Margie, enjoys developing the play alongside her friends. "My favourite part is seeing all the characters evolve over the months we're working on the play."
Anna Sapone, who plays Bella, one of the main characters, says, "I love the play. I think it's going to be one of Galt's best plays, especially since it's a Christmas play. I just think that Christmas plays are amazing."
Left to right: Norah Joyal, Mia Comeau, Emma Beaudoin, Allison Ticehurst, Jorgia Bennett
Auditions took place on September 7th. With rough blocking done, consisting of general entrances and exits on stage, the current stage of rehearsals is blocking where the cast develops their characters, their voice and movements. Future steps include tech rehearsals and run-throughs.
So mark your calendar for the comeback of Performing Arts plays this December 14, 15 and 16 at 7:30 pm in the Galt auditorium. The doors will open at 7:00 pm. Stay tuned for more information about tickets, as well as the official poster which will be designed by a Galt Visual Arts Concentration student.
You can expect to see "a wholesome, heartwarming story about a scatterbrained bookshop owner, her serious, successful sister and book-loving nieces," Sylvester adds. "It’s the perfect show for audiences of all ages to pick out characters that they know and love from other stories, plays, and even movies, which is always fun!"
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