Theatrical group brings back classic

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/11/2011 (5239 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The North Kildonan Community Players  is ringing in the holiday spirit with its production of Scrooge, based on the Charles Dickens’ story, A Christmas Carol.

Laurie Fischer, co-founder of NKCP and its production director, has lived in North Kildonan since returning to Winnipeg with his wife, Cathie, in 1997.

“We actually did our first NKCP dinner theatre show at a church in North Kildonan. It was just to help them raise money, and the group evolved from there,” he said.

Scrooge will mark only the second time NKCP has run a Christmas show during its 14 years of operation.

The company has been practicing three times a week since late September to prepare for the opening night on Nov. 29.

Fischer said he is happy with the progress in rehearsals but is looking forward to what he thinks will be the biggest factor, ticket sales.

“Our main problem this year with ticket sales is that it hasn’t snowed,” Fischer said.

“So until it snows, and I don’t mean the little sprinklings we’ve had, nobody is thinking Christmas yet.”

But the 16-person cast of Scrooge is ready for Christmas and not worried about ticket sales.

This will be Savannah Shore’s first big production. Shore, 16, is playing the Ghost of Christmas Past, as well as four other parts, though she said she’s not too nervous.

“Sometimes I struggle with stage fright so I worry that I will get nervous and twitch on stage,” she said.

“But I have friends and family coming each night so knowing they’re there will keep me calm.”

The stage and production crew is a mixture of veterans and new faces to NKCP.

“It’s neat because we kind of have a following now,” Fischer said. “Some people have been in as many as seven or eight of our shows, and yet we have new people every year.”

Though Shore said she wasn’t immediately familiar with the story when auditioning, she loves her roles in the play.

“I didn’t know what it was about when I tried out for the part,” Shore said.

“So when Laurie told me I was to be the Ghost of Christmas Past, I looked at my mom and said, ‘Is that good?’ Then we rented the film and I fell in love with it.”

Scrooge runs from Tues., Nov. 28 to Sat., Dec. 3 at the St. Boniface College Theatre, 200 Avenue de la Cathédrale.

 Tickets for the holiday musical are $20.

For further information on the play or the NKCP, contact Fischer at 229-9507 or nkcp2011@gmail.com.

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