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Doherty 'full steam ahead'
It is October, my favorite time of the year. While some, like fellow theatre pal Arlene Irwin, are all about Christmas and start putting up their decorations in November, I really get excited when the Hallowe’en stuff is unearthed in stores, coupled with the crisp feeling of fall in the air. Libra is my sign and I love October.
I have strangely been fascinated with the creepy since I was a little kid. I constantly signed out the same Host Your Own Hallowe’en Party book when I was in Grade 1 and wrote stories about ghosts and haunted houses. My interest was in everything to do with the holiday: costumes, trick or treating, decorations, stories and the monsters. I am sure that the Calgary book mobile librarian found it odd that this little shy blonde girl was so unusually morbid.
As an adult my interest has continued - I still write spooky stories and I now make pilgrimages to the costume stores with my family to look for cool additions to our collection of skeletons and more for our closets. Truthfully, though, it is the bins labelled “Hallowe’en” that are threatening to take over our garage that are the most troublesome; that and the reality of the frightening addition to the scale when I buy Hallowe’en chocolate bars too early.
Since becoming Artistic Director of New Vintage Theatre my love of the terrifying has found a further outlet. I plan an annual Hallowe’en spooky play reading at Pulp Fiction Coffeehouse which packs the Buffy The Vampire Slayer cool hangout. This year we will be reading Dead Serious by Doug Greenall on October 15 at 7pm. I first saw this play ten years ago at Vertigo Theatre in Calgary and I would count it in my top five scariest theatre experiences. There is audience participation at these events - this year we will ask you to wear your scariest item of clothing - it is a very fun, free play experience that allows you to hear the play before you might possibly see it in one of our upcoming seasons.
But as is the case with most of the things I plan, my ideas have grown like Audrey II and I now have two more opportunities for the fun people of Kelowna to come out and get scary with New Vintage.
Our soap opera, which runs on a monthly basis, will be hosting our Hallowe’en Episode (#4) and Party on October 25. Our soap stars will be revealing more spooky secrets of the real events “down by the lake” and all patrons will be able to visit our Soap Stars to go trick or treating and will be eligible to win big in our costume contest. Doors for this improv comedy show open at 9pm that night and tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door.
The main event, however, is the Okanagan Premiere of Marty Chan’s thrilling thriller, The Bone House, directed by Matt Brown, the award winning director of The Woman In Black, from Vernon. This play is like nothing you have ever seen or experienced before and has created a tremendous buzz of excitement in cities throughout North America. I was able to see the play twice when it first opened at The Edmonton International Fringe Festival many years ago and I always wanted to do it. Now I get my chance as I am actually in it with the hypnotic Brad Hull and compelling Cory Armour. Our rehearsals are intense, fun and yes-scary. Tickets are going fast for this show which runs at The Black Box Theatre from October 23-28. All shows are at 7:30pm, except on October 25 when our show is at 7pm. If you love horror movies, True Detective and campfire stories this play is for you.
Come and check out our events and hang on with me and my New Vintage co-conspirators as we take you to some terrifyingly fun heights this month - www.newvintage.ca
Free Play Reading of Dead Serious is on October 15 at 7pm. Wear your scariest article of clothing and RSVP to [email protected]
Episode #4-Hallowe’en Episode & Party is on October 25. Doors open at 9pm. Costume contest, trick or treating and photos. Tickets, $10, available from www.selectyourtickets.com or $15 at the door (cash only).
The Bone House runs October 23-28 at The Black Box Theatre. Tickets, $20, available from www.selectyourtickets.com or $25 at the door (cash only).
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
