Part of the mandate of the Dekker Centre for the Performing Arts is to encourage and foster local artists. To that end, the venue will host a unique showcase of talent this weekend, titled On Stage at the Dekker.
The showcase will feature 12 acts, selected from among auditions numbering 40. Rehearsals and collaborative work has been ongoing since the cast was chosen earlier this year,
At the group’s first organizational and informational meeting, which most of the performers were able to attend, they heard from producers Dianne Gryba and JoAnne Kasper who explained the intent of On Stage at the Dekker was to showcase local talent while encouraging a wider representation of the community as an audience.
Chair of the Dekker Centre board of directors, Karen Ulmer, who, as Kasper said, has a strong musical background, filled in the backstory of the project.
A year ago, said Ulmer, the retirement of David Dekker, general manager of what was then known as Rawlco Radio, prompted the Rawlinson family to make a $50,000 donation to the Dekker Centre in his honour. It was to be used in any way the board wanted – except for operational expenses.
While $10,000 was used for capital expenses, the board earmarked the remaining $40,000 to be used over three years to initiate On Stage at the Dekker. The hope, said Ulmer, is that it will be successful and ongoing as a way to reach out to the community. Gryba and Kasper were hired as producers and a call went out for auditions.
The aim is to “put on a really excellent show ... professional and entertaining,” she said.
At the same time, it will be family oriented and accessible to a wide audience at a ticket price of only $10.
Ulmer attended the auditions, held in January at the Dekker Centre, and was amazed at the range of talent.
“You guys are really special,” she said to the ensemble.
Kasper and Gryba, who, as artistic directors, have presented a number of shows at the Dekker Centre since the 385-seat facility opened in September of 2012, said the format of the showcase will not be that of a typical talent show. With the variety of musical styles, plus dance, that have been selected from among the auditions, they have the opportunity to use sets and staging to create a cohesive and interesting production.
They also encouraged collaborations as a key aspect of the show.
“We love to collaborate and we just assume everyone else does,” laughed Kasper.
Bringing a variety of talent together is also an opportunity for artists to get to know one another and “find out more of what’s out there,” she said.
Gryba added it was a great learning opportunity for everyone, including themselves, and they would love it if the performers found themselves making music together even after the event.
“People are always better together than they are on their own,” she said.
They suggested the showcase will feature a finale that will bring all the genres together.
The performers represent a wide array of performance styles, including country, rap, classical and pop. There will be singing, dancing, instrumental performances and more, including drawing on the cast’s, producers’ and others’ inspiration for staging, lighting and set design.
It will also be a chance to show off “what the Dekker Centre can do,” said the producers, who pointed out the technical possibilities offered by the theatre.
The theme of the showcase will be “Home.” A special tribute will also be made to the late Allen Sapp, Cree artist.
According to Ulmer, the showcase is part of a package that includes the initiative of featuring pre-performance entertainment at each of the “Dekker Centre presents” events.
“We started in October,” she said. “A local artist does about a half hour in the lobby as a pre-performance show.
“It’s another way to try to reach out to the community,” she said.
It provides artists an opportunity to perform in public, and, importantly, receive an honorarium for the performance in recognition of the value of their artistry.
Ulmer says the Dekker Centre for the Performing Arts is becoming more entrenched in the community’s mindset when it comes to entertainment.
“I do think people are getting the message and people are decommissioning from driving to Saskatoon for a concert.”
With the cost of gas, dinner perhaps, and tickets priced higher or at least same as at home, not to mention having to turn around and drive home afterwards, the Dekker Centre becomes even more attractive, she indicated.
The Dekker Centre season features high calibre artists booked by centre management, many of which are Canadian, and it aims deliberately for a varied menu.
When people ask if they consider cutting out certain genres because not as many people attend, Ulmer says no.
Some genres may not be as popular as others, but for every show they might drop, there would be a hundred fewer people coming away from the Dekker Centre saying, “that was amazing!” said Ulmer.
The season package, winding down now for its second edition, is another way to reach out to the community with a variety of offerings.
