CENTRE WELLINGTON – Coming soon, the Centre Wellington Children’s Drama Club (CWCDC) will present performances of Peter Pan and In the Bleachers at the Fergus Grand Theatre.
In the Bleachers hits the stage on April 20, and Peter Pan will play on April 27 – with performances at 2pm and 7pm.
The first performance will feature 23 students in grades four to eight from CWCDC’s Tuesday night group. The second will feature 22 students, same ages, from the Monday night group.
In the Bleachers
An original play written by longtime CWCDC director Gerard Gouthro, In the Bleachers is a “slapstick comedy,” said Monday night group producer Paige Christopher.
“[Gouthro] has been working alongside the kiddos to work on their comedic timing, how to deliver punch lines and how to wait for the audience to respond to jokes.”
The comedic play takes place on the bleachers of a hockey game.
“The bleachers are going to be up on stage, and the audience is going to be ‘the rink’ looking up at the stands,” explained Christopher.
A new usher wants a day off to go on a date, and her friend convinces her that it will be easy to simply switch places and that “nothing ever happens in the bleachers,” Christopher said.
Not wanting to give the entire plot away, the producer said “a lot of shenanigans” unfolds as people in the bleachers cheer for their local hockey team – the Centre Wellington Whoopees.
Peter Pan
Written and directed by Katy Chapman, a non-Disney-fied version of Peter Pan will play the weekend following In the Bleachers.
“This will be [Chapman’s] second year with the Children’s Drama Club,” said Christopher.
Chapman had a goal of teaching students different acting skills such as contact improv and shadow work.
“She’ll be putting a modern spin on it,” Christopher explained.
“So, there’s not going to be any Indians per se. Tiger Lily is going to be portrayed by a girl named Lily and there’s going to be Lost Girls and Lost Boys. So, it’s very modernized.”
She added the storyline will be similar, but Chapman added “a few twists to it as well.”
“This is [the kid’s] passion, and they love just being themselves and acting silly and just letting loose and having fun as kids,” said Christopher.
Join the club
CWCDC is a co-op run club with a waitlist of about a year to get in.
“It’s a lottery depending on if the kids this year age out,” Christopher explained.
When kids sign up, parents also sign up for a role to help out with the production “in one way or another.”
Once in the club, children can stay in it until they finish grade eight, when they graduate out of the club.
“I love that the club is run that way because after the productions [are] all said and done, the kids get so excited and so proud of themselves,” explained Christopher.
Tickets to the two shows are already selling fast. They are available for $20 for adults and $15 for seniors and students at fergusgrandtheatre.ca or by calling 519-787-1981.
