Volume 2 Issue 1

April 2009 www.kaatzalakesideplayers.ca

Educating Rita Guaranteed to be a Hit!

Educating Rita
May 7,8,9
And

14,15,16
Curtain 8:00 pm
Matinee
May 9, 2:00 pm

—————————— Lindsay Anderson as “Rita” takes a lesson from “Frank” Eric Olson
South Island Zone By Doug Marner, Lake Cowichan Gazette.
The Kaatza Lakeside Players are changing one course for another.
Festival
The Players’ tee time for its spring production has been cancelled,
May 16—
16—23 but a new reservation has been made in an English lecturer’s office instead.
Mary Winspear Undaunted, the Players secured the rights to present Educating Rita,
Theatre, Sidney by British playwright Willy Russell, with Eric Olson as often soused academic
Dr. Frank Bryant and Lindsay Anderson as Rita Broderick, a young
Hosted by Peninsula
Players hairdresser seeking personal growth through an open university literature
course taught by Bryant.
“It’s a wonderful play,” said Dena McPhee, artistic director
for the Kaatza Lakeside Players. “It’s a comedy with a tragic twist.”
INSIDE THIS ISSUE The two actors, who have begun rehearsals as they prepare
Artistic Director’s Report 2 for the opening on May 7 in Centennial hall, are thrilled to be doing this play.
“This is a really good story, sort of a variation on Pygmalion,” said Olson.
Teens Speak Out 2 “It’s great to be working with Lindsay again.”
Do you want to be in 2 Anderson’s face lights up when asked about being able to do Educating Rita.
Theatre? Although she hadn’t heard of the play, which was made into a movie in 1983,
she’s getting a pretty good feel for it after three rehearsals.
President’s Message 3 “I think the audience will love this,” she said.
Community Theatre….. 3 McPhee said that because of the change, they are a bit behind
schedule with rehearsals that are Tuesday and Thursday nights in
Membership 4 St. Christopher’s and St. Aiden’s Anglican Church, but she’s not worried
because Anderson and Olson are quick studies.
Educating Rita runs from May 7 to May 16.
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1
TEEN THEATRE READY TO SPEAK ITS MIND
Artistic Directors Report
The third annual Playwriting /Performance Work-
shop for Teen Theatre is coming along well with
seven very bright and eager grade 10 girls. Work-
ing on sponsor Cowichan Lake Community Ser-
vices motto” Cowichan Lake is committed to being
the best place to raise a child” the girls are build-
ing their text and performance around their at-
tempt to form a youth slow-pitch team and tourna-
ment. Their research has given them lots of sub-
ject matter to deal with and they are having great
fun defining their roles. Performance will take
place Monday March 30th at the Centennial Hall
and will be adjudicated and re-worked by inter-
ested KLPS members. The final performance of
the day is planned for 7:00 pm and is open to the
public. Come out and support the future of per-
formance art in our community.
“Educating Rita” by Willy Russell is deep in the
creative process with Lindsay Anderson and Eric
Olson as featured cast. Tyra Hauck is once again
our trusty Stage Manager and Judith Quinlan is
having a great time lending her musical imagina-
tion to the Sound Design. A great group to work
with on what promises to be a delightfully funny
and thoughtful production May 7th to 16th. Any-
one interested in helping with props please give
me a call @ 250 749 3025. We also need an old
desk in good condition, lots of bookshelves and
books. Please let me know if you could loan us any
of the above. Many Thanks!
Dena McPhee
Email: garry_dena@telus.net
Phone: 250 749 3025
Do you want to be in Theatre?
We are seeking everyone with an interest in theatre
and its production. You don’t need to have previous
experience to join in the fun! Be a part of what it
takes to get a script to the stage. We have openings
in all the following areas:
• Backstage
• Set Design
• Set Construction
• Producing
• Lighting / Sound
• Front of House
• Costumes
• Collecting or Making Props
Contact Lindsay at: lindsaylee3@hotmail.com
PAGE 2
Heather Couch, Susanne Tardiff, Juliana Pool, Jordyn Wear
By Jordyn Wear
Every Monday and Wednesday afternoon at 3 o’clock, St.
Christopher’s and St Aidan’s Anglican Church becomes
the centre for a creative writing group called Teen Thea-
ter. Teen Theatre is a free program sponsored by
Cowichan Lake Community Services and run by Dena
McPhee of the Kaatza Lakeside Players.
We are currently in an eight-week workshop that allows
us to create a play out of our own ideas and opinions. The
participants will have to write a script, memorize their
lines and present it to an audience. This year, the general
topic for the writing of the script is, “Cowichan Lake is
committed to being the best place to raise a child. ”Agree
or disagree, the group members — Susanne Tardiff,
Juliana Pool, Melanie Messier, Shelby Jones, Julie Black,
Heather Couch and myself, Jordyn Wear — are encour-
aged to share their opinions about that matter and other
matters related to being a youth in Lake Cowichan.
At this stage of the program, we’ve discussed multiple
ways to create a play out of the ideas brought to the table
and we’ve managed to choose an idea and begin work on
bringing it to fruition.
Teen Theatre is not just about the finished product, it’s
also about the process that gets you there. It’s about the
chance to speak your mind without consequence or dis-
approval, to discuss things that matter to you.
It’s a chance to make new friends or connect with the
ones you already have. It’s a chance to have your voice
heard through the characters you create and a chance to
take on a different viewpoint when you portray other char-
acters.
It’s also a chance to shake off the stereotype that youth
today are not active participants in activities outside of
school — or at least good activities.
“It’s something new,” the group members all agree. “It’s
a way to express yourself.”
The finished play is scheduled for March 30 at Centennial
Hall. Until then, we have a lot of work to do. Hope to see
you when the curtain’s raised on our final, completed
project.
Jordyn Wear is a member of the Teen Theatre workshop.
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1
President’s Message
Hello to all our members;
As the end of our 08/09 season rapidly approaches
and our final production is in full gear I am reminded
how fast time flies when you’re having fun. It just
seems like it was yesterday that we were starting re-
hearsal for “Uh-Oh Here Comes Christmas”. Perhaps it
has something to do with the continuous presence
snow on the ground or maybe it’s just that I’m getting
old (I will go with the snow).
Our upcoming production, scheduled for May7th to
May16th, is going to be, I believe, one of our best
ever. “Educating Rita”, is an award-winning stage
comedy by British Playwright Willy Russell. “Bored
with teaching undergraduates English literature, Pro-
fessor Frank Bryant morosely reflects through a
whisky glass on his failed marriage and his attempt at
becoming a poet. His world is turned upside down by
the arrival of Rita, a hairdresser who has decided to
find herself by taking an Open University course.”
Directed by Dena McPhee, this delightful piece is sure
to entertain. The cast of two; Lindsay Anderson as
Rita, and Eric Olson as Frank, are working hard along
with Tyra Hauck as stage manager and Judith Quinlan
as sound technician, to get it right. Garry McPhee is in
the process of designing another one of his unique
sets, made more difficult by our decision to enter this
production for competition at the South Island
Zone/Theatre BC Festival in May. This means the set
not only has to give the feeling of a university profes-
sor’s office, but also be reasonably portable as well. I
am sure he will amaze us as always.
A big Bravo to Dena McPhee and Carrol Patrick along
with the support of Cowichan Lake Community Ser-
vices for their wonderful youth theatre performance
which took place on March 30th. It was a joy to be in-
volved and one can only hope it continues to be a
resource to our teens long into the future.
As always, the president’s message would not be
complete without the acknowledgement of the tre-
mendous debt owed to all the volunteers and support-
ers of community theatre in our area.
PAGE 3
President’s message continued……...
To the cast and crew of our fall production, the won-
derful front of house volunteers, Cowichan Lake Com-
munity Services and our dedicated board of directors,
thank you all. I would encourage, those who have
never been involved in an actual production to come
out and get involved. We would love to have you and
you just might discover a hidden talent you never knew
was there.
To our corporate sponsors and individual patrons, with-
out your support we could not continue to do what we
so love to do. We sincerely hope that you are as proud
of your contribution to community theatre as we are in
our association with you. We can only wish for your
continued support.
Lastly, to our audiences, there are not adequate
words. In the final analysis it is you whose support we
cherish most. Without you “there just ain’t know
show.” We hope you will keep coming back for more
and that we keep reaching that goal of entertaining
you.
Eric Olson,
As always; Break a leg…. Olson President
Email nerico@shaw.ca Phone: 250 749 3308
You know you work in Community
Theatre if……
1. You’ve ever driven around the back of stores
looking for discards that can be used for set
pieces.
2. You’ve ever taken time off your job to work on
the show.
3. Your living room chair spends more time on
stage than you do.
4. Your family is more than 50% of the staff.
5. You’ve ever gotten a part because you were
the only one who showed up for auditions.
6. Your kids deliver your lines better than you do.
7. You’ve ever heard the head of the set con-
struction say “just paint it black— no one will
ever see it!”
8. You’ve ever said, “Don’t worry— we’ll use duct
tape, if that doesn’t work, just hot glue it!”
 Support Kaatza Lakeside Players,
Players, MEMBERSHIP
Become a Patron of the Arts

Please note - Kaatza Lakeside Players Society is a New members are always welcome to join.
Registered Charity. TAX DEDUCTIBLE RECEIPTS will be Your continued assistance on and off stage, is
issued for all contributions. We thank you for your sup- always appreciated. Share your skills and con-
port! tribute to your community through theatre in
the Cowichan Valley. Membership entitles you
PATRON - $1,000 to our newsletter and a special “bonus” at
shows, not to mention the new friends and
• Lifetime Membership experiences awaiting you. Don’t miss your
chance! Get involved!
• Two tickets to each KLPS production for life
Annual Family Memberships: $25 ( 3 or more
• Preferred Seating
in the same house)
• Program Acknowledgment
Annual Individual Memberships: $10
PLATINUM MEMBER - $500
Annual Youth Memberships: $5
• 5 year Membership
Mail to:
• Two tickets to each KLPS production Kaatza Lakeside Players Society

• Preferred Seating Box 1356, Lake Cowichan BC V0R 2G0

• Program Acknowledgment Board Members

GOLD MEMBER - $250 Chairperson Eric Olson
Vice Chair Lindsay Anderson
• 2 year Membership
Treasurer Patsy Egan
• Two tickets to each KLPS Production Secretary Carrol Patrick
Director Kathleen Grass
• Preferred Seating
Historian Bertie Egan
• Program Acknowledgment Artistic Director Dena McPhee
SILVER MEMBER - $100 Technical Director Garry McPhee
• Preferred Seating
• Program Acknowledgment
Check out some theatre websites
• Two tickets to the next KLPS production
www.theatrebc.org
KLPS Gift Certificates now available www.communitytheater.org
Contact Patsy Eagan apegan@shaw.ca www.shape.bc.ca (Safety & Health in Arts)

Membership
Enclosed find cheque(s) in the amount of $_______ payable to the Kaatza Lakeside Players Society
PO Box 1356
Name_______________________________ Lake Cowichan BC
V0R 2G0
Mailing Address______________________________________________________________

Phone_________________________ Email________________________________________