It's beginning to feel a lot like spring, and there are few signs the seasons are changing, quite like getting your ticket to the theatre. The Souris Valley Theatre box office opened on Monday, with tickets going on sale for the first time in almost two years, after the past two seasons were awash as a result of foul weather. The wet spring in 2011 left flood damage in and around the theatre grounds at the Woodlawn Regional Park location. But theatregoers can finally look forward to booking their seat for this summer's slate of performances. Advance tickets for A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline and I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change are available by calling the box office at 306-461-6869 or by ordering online at sourisvalleytheatre.ca Jocelyn Anderson, theatre administrator, noted nobody at the theatre had run the online box office before so people could expect some early bugs, but assured everyone that they will have any potential issues figured out soon. The season will kickoff with the Patsy Cline show running June 13 to June 23, while the second production is set to run from July 5 to July 28. Anderson said most work has been completed at the theatre."The concession is fixed up, and the mobile home is paid for, It just has to be delivered," said Anderson, referring to the new mobile home that will be used for dressing rooms. Following the hiatus of nearly three full years, the theatre will be opening earlier than it has in the past. Anderson noted the productions previously started in mid-July, but this year will get going by mid-June. "Everything will start moving a little earlier in May," she said, which will be in time for the first June curtain. The theatre was rolling out a mobile box office in 2011, before the flooding occurred. Anderson said it would be nice to get it out in the community for visibility reasons, but there are some things they need to make sure they have in place, like ensuring they have Internet access inside the mobile booth before they can set that up. There is a third play scheduled for the summer, called Rider Girl, but Anderson said that is being put on separate to their other shows. It is an independent production and tickets will be going on sale for it on May 1. The one-woman show will run from July 31 to Aug. 4. "We're not actually producing that one. We're bringing that one in, so it will be going on sale a little bit later," said Anderson. "We're still getting a tailgating party ready for Rider Girl."New theatre director David Leyshon, will arrive sometime in May, said Anderson, who noted rehearsals will begin in June. "Our summer students are going to be here in May. We're doing some school workshops in May and June for our summer theatre camps, so both of our summer students will be around. We'll be cleaning everything up, making sure it's ready for the shows."
