New production company pulling out all the stops

Charleswood

Wolseley

Osborne Village

St. Boniface

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This article was published 24/04/2024 (558 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There’s a new community theatre company in town.

Hood & Dagger Productions is a new venture launched by theatre-loving husband-wife duo Brian and Crystal Hood.

“The vision behind our company is to harness the power of community collaboration in order to thrill people’s hearts and minds,” Brian explained. “Community is a purposeful word in that. We want theatre to be more than theatre, and involve others in the community, vendors and not-for-profits, so that when people come together, it’s more than just seeing a show.”

“We’re hoping to provide opportunities for people who maybe have never acted before, while providing mentor opportunities for those with experience,” Crystal added. “It’s a safe, inclusive space where anyone is safe to try new ideas and collaborate.”

The Hoods, who live in Charleswood, has some experience with theatre. Brian, who grew up in Beausejour, Man., was bitten by the community theatre bug as a child, then studied film and theatre at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. Crystal, who grew up in Nova Scotia, holds degrees in music and business. After relocating to Winnipeg a number of years ago, the two took part in a community theatre production in Selkirk, Man., in 2022 and fell back in love with it.

“It reinvigorated our spirit, to meet people, to be out in the community,” Brian said. “That was the impetus to starting our own company here in Winnipeg.”

“The pandemic had been really hard on me, so being part of that group, my faith in humanity was completely restored,” Crystal said. “My mental health was transformed. It was a magical experience. That’s why I’m putting all my spare moments into this group.”

Hood & Dagger will debut on the local stage with its production of Journey to the Centre of the Earth,which will run from May 30 to June 2 at Westminster United Church’s concert hall (745 Westminster Ave.). The show is adapted by John de Lancie from a script by Nat Segaloff, based on the classic novel by Jules Verne.

“It’s an adventure, combining the nostalgia of a radio play with a live studio audience — we have a pianist, sound effects, and some audience participation,” Brian said. “It’s going to be a great time. We have a great diversity of ages and experience involved.”

“Cast and crew have jelled so well,” Crystal added. “It’s been better than we ever could have hoped.”

Any profits from the show will be donated to the Westminster United Church, in order to pay for roof repairs for its sanctuary. Additionally, the traditional band at the Scandinavian Cultural Centre will be performing a 20-minute set before each show, while Whodunit Mystery Bookstore will have a table at the event.

But the Hoods aren’t stopping there. Hood & Dagger has two more shows lined up for its season: Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, which will run from Nov. 7 to 10 at the Martial-Caron Theatre in St. Boniface, and Gossip, a noir from Canadian playwright George F. Walker, which will run from March 13 to 16, 2025 at the Gas Station Theatre in Osborne Village. Local musicians and vendors will also take part in each show. Auditions for those shows will be open in June and the fall, respectively.

“It’s one of our strategic priorities, to have a season,” Crystal said. “We want to show that we mean business, that we’re here to stay. We really want to show our future thinking, with a full 16-month budget, to get people excited.”

The focus on genre plays is also by design.

“We’re trying to focus on thrillers, adventure stories, murder mystery, film noir, and science fiction,” Brian explained. “We saw that as a gap, locally. I think that’s something else we’re doing differently.”

Tickets for Hood & Dagger Productions’ upcoming Journey to the Centre of the Earth productions are $20, while season tickets for Hood and Dagger’s upcoming season are also available. To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit hoodanddagger.ca