Dysfunctional family to unravel on stage

Battlefords Community Players are in rehearsal for February’s performance of a play the Halifax Daily News calls “Funny, pointed and exquisitely crafted.” 

The show, Drinking Alone by Norm Foster, features actors John Butler, Jill Jones, Bernie Cardin, Lisa Bilanski and Danielle Barrett and is directed by Fraser Glen, assisted by stage manager Cindy Coupal and script assistant Gift Madojemu. Props are being handled by Mary Lou O’Bertos. Set decoration is by Judy Bishop and set construction is by BCP’s “go to” guys Bob Horrell and Bill Wells. 

Rehearsal began at the end of November, and the show will run as dinner theatre Feb. 12, 13 and 14 at the Western Development Museum and as a show only event Tuesday, Feb. 10.

According to producer Donna Challis, “What continues to be good about this past couple of years is the number of new people joining and taking on leadership roles in areas very new to them.  This is great for the future of BCP and helps in building of our 2014-15 season, which is well underway.”

Coupal is one of those new people. As stage manager, she aims to keep everything organized and running smoothly.

This is her third involvement in a play. She was a prompter for the first play in September, filled in one night for the stage manager of the second play and is stage manager for the current production. An educational assistant and member of the family who owns Carpet Superstore, Coupal said she got involved with BCP for a new experience.

Assistant manager Madojemu is Coupal’s right hand. She is also new to BCP. She works as a health promotion specialist with Battle River Treaty 6 Health Centre, having moved here in October. She used to act in her home country of Nigeria, so when she saw the BCP production in October, she said, “Oh, my goodness, I need to get plugged in.” 

Director Glen says the stage managers also do a capable job of filling in for actors, sometimes two at a time, who are missing during rehearsal. 

“The other major thing they will do is be in charge of entrances, so that entrances are timely, that actors aren’t missing their cues.”

They will also be in charge of making sure sound cues happen at the right time.

“Timing is a very important thing,” says Glen.

Glen, a dentist with Battlefords Family Dental Centre, is not new to BCP, but this is his first stint as director of a full length show. For the past 15 years he’s been primarily an actor and has done some stage managing.

“This play I saw at least 10 years ago at Persephone [Theatre in Saskatoon] and I really liked it a lot.”

As part of a playreading group picking the plays for this season, he asked Challis to acquire Drinking Alone.

“I said if they need a director, I would consider doing it, with some trepidation,” he laughs. “But in any event, that’s what happened.”

Barrett moved to the Battlefords in June of 2013 from Kamsack, where she says she did “a lot of acting.” This is her first time acting with BCP, and she is on the board as well. She’s currently on maternity leave from her position as agronomist with Cavalier Agro in Meota. 

Cardin has acted in several plays with BCP and has also directed during his five year involvement with the group.

He works as a contractor and, during renovations to the BCP clubhouse, he took care of painting the exterior.

Butler, also a contractor, has been in enough productions that he can’t remember exactly how many. But he knows he loves it.

“For however long I’m on stage, I get to be someone completely different every time, and that’s kind of a cool thing you don’t get to do in your daily life.”

He says, “The most fun is when the character is not even close to your personality ... because then you get to really invent something.”

Bilanski, a registered nurse, has been in a number of productions as well, her first being Writer’s Block in 2012.

Jill Jones, an RCMP officer, has done one play with Cochin and two with Battlefords Community Players. She was in Sight Unseen, the first of this season, starring with another RCMP officer, Shane Chafe.

“We haven’t had an RCMP officer involved for 15 years because of shift work,” notes Challis.

Drinking Alone by renowed Canadian playwright Norm Foster is the third production for Battlefords Community Players in their 2014-15 season. It’s the story of the dysfunctional Todd family. In the very first scene we learn that thirty-something son, Joe, has hired a woman from an escort service for a very special purpose. Sister, father and stepmother join the fray and things begin to unravel.