South Simcoe Theatre (SST) has staged plays for more than 50 years. The theatre, housed at the Old Town Hall in Cookstown, was forced to halt productions in March of last year. It remains closed until rules to stop the spread of Covid-19 change to make live in-theatre productions viable.
Still, the indomitable creative spirit lives on and the theatre will be offering its popular Four Play: a Showcase of Play Readings live via YouTube beginning 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19 and continuing once a month in the proceeding three months, March 19, April 16, and May 21.
This is designed to entertain the viewing public and to raise money to keep this fully volunteer-run local theatre operating. It is a pay-what-you-can event.
Four Play usually takes place over four days in conjunction with the Wing Ding Festival in Cookstown, the first weekend in June. A call for plays goes out in September of the previous year, a selection is chosen by the Reading Committee, directors engaged and auditions held. Once actors have their roles, the play is rehearsed six times before the performances.
Daniel Galea, chair of the Four Play Committee and the secretary of the board of directors comments on the new initiative: “Things have been different behind the scenes with this format, but the only change for our viewing audience will be moving from the Town Hall seats to their living room couches.”
The plays chosen for each month are ones originally scheduled to appear in June 2020. All are by Canadian playwrights, and most by local ones. They vary in length so some YouTube showings will include more than one play.
Hebfield’s Finest, written by John Daniel of Orangeville and directed by Noah Hollinshead will be presented on Feb. 19.
Actress Rosalind Naccarato has a role in Hebfield’s Finest and is enjoying the experience with this new format. Regarding rehearsing via Zoom Naccarato said: “Obviously rehearsing in person is more fun but the directors have really stepped up to the challenge of creating a fun and engaging virtual theatrical experience. We have been treating it more as a film or T.V performance rather than a stage performance so we have been playing with different camera angles to make it interesting to watch.”
Naccarato won the ACT-CO (Association of Community Theatres - Central Ontario) award for Best Performance by a Female in a Leading role-Comedy last spring for her role in the SST production When The Autumn Moon is Bright.
She said the online experience “has been an awesome challenge for me because I am a very physical actor who is used to using my environment and body language to tell a story and it has made me focus more on my character intentions instead.”
The depth of talent and experience of a long-standing theatre allows for successful new experiences. Galea is co-producing Four Play with Sandy Bishop. Bishop has been involved with Four Play productions for years as a director and an actor, as well as producing. She is narrating Hebfield’s Finest on Feb. 19.
SST also welcomes back seven directors with previous Four Play experience. Galea says, “Our biggest hurdle was locating a program that could handle streaming our productions out to our audience, moving live theatre from the stage to people’s living rooms.”
Lesley Coo is stage manager for all the Four Play YouTube productions and introduced a program called StreamYard to SST that addresses that issue. Galea said, “Her expertise has been invaluable.”
All the creative thought and work put into the SST YouTube Channel means the audience just needs to get comfortable in their own homes, sit back and enjoy great “live” theatre. Following Four Play tradition, there will be an opportunity for audience members to ask the playwrights questions.
To access/subscribe to the SST YouTube Channel.
Performances are offered live the first evening and remain accessible following that date.
To make a donation any time:
e-transfer [email protected]
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Rosaleen Egan is a freelance journalist, a storyteller, and a playwright. She blogs on her website rosiewrites.com
SST Four Play: A showcase of play readings schedule
Friday Feb. 19 @ 7:30 p.m.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLV5eKAA7PQ
Hebfield’s Finest (Written by John Daniel, Directed by Noah Hollinshead)
Friday March 19 @ 7:30 p.m.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E86NfcizDA
After Mourning (Written by Mike Czuba, Directed by Diana Poulsen)]
Alexa The Liar (Written by Guy Newsham, Directed by Chelsea-Alana Stephen)
Friday April 16 @ 7:30 p.m.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0JVaITXKxM
Mourning Belle (Written by Nathan Heydon, Directed by Chandra Pepper)
Friday May 21 @ 7:30 p.m.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_76SuEAmsJI
Celestial Notes (Written by Robin Pond, Directed by Nancy Knapp)
A Tooth For A Tooth (Written by Trudee Romanek, Directed by Devon Humphries)
Jesus & The Body Snatchers (Written by John Kenwell, Directed by Trudee Romanek)
