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Vol. 17, No.15, Wednesday, March 9, 2022 www.LamontLeader.com
Chipman Players’ production provides can’t miss fun
Several members of the cast of “Never Trust a City Slicker or… Two Skunks and a Trunk,” perform a scene for the first time in two years. The play was presented Mar. 5 at the Chipman Community Hall. The Chipman Players acted and ad libbed their way through the two act performance and thoroughly entertained the audience who had also feasted on a fine meal prior to the presentation. There are four more performances before the troupe calls it a season for another year.
Struggling through Covid protocol during rehearsals, Chipman Players’ hard work pays off BY JOHN MATHER It was hit and miss whether the play would go on for a while, but the Chipman Players proved the old adage, the show must go on, Mar. 5, with its first production of “Never Trust a City Slicker or … Two Skunks and a Trunk.” “Basically we really started rehearsing at the end of January and beginning of February,” said Chipman Players president Keiron Willis. She said it was tougher than normal to conduct rehearsal because of the various Covid pandemic restrictions still in place, but with social distancing and masking they were able to spread out in the Chipman Community Hall and have in-person rehearsals. “We masked a lot and were able to all be together,” she said. “If anyone had any symptoms they weren’t allowed to come in to rehearse.” She said there was never any thought of trying to rehearse via zoom
or any other internet programs for this production, the first for the Players in two years. The Chipman Players will host four more performances of the play with dinner March 11, 12, 18 and 19. The premise of this year’s production is a group of unemployed and broke actors living at a boarding house run by a miserable woman and her equally miserable son. One of the actors has a trunk containing some of her father’s unproduced plays. As it turns out, one of his previous plays (unbeknownst to the daughter) hit it big-time in Europe. Now others want to steal the trunk to get an unproduced play which could bring in big money. As the plot develops, much hilarity ensues, especially since the Players’ bring a healthy supply of ad libbing to the production. It’s the ninth production in the history of the troupe. Willis admits there was a lot of
doubt whether this year’s performance could take place. “There’s was a lot of doubt, but we felt we could start the process in February,” she said. “I knew I could keep the cast safe with masking and distancing. “But when were were rehearsing, we knew the sale of tickets only takes about a week and by then Premier Kenney had stated he was going to ease the restrictions so we decided to go with it. “We figured if we had to, we could have used the exemption restrictions program and keep masking and distancing in place during the performance.” “This is so awesome,” Willis said after the Mar. 5 performance. “These guys really wanted to go ahead with the performance, so we did.” She adds that just because of the antics, people can come to all five performances and see a different show
each time. “That’s what makes it so much fun for both the cast and the audience,” she concludes. For Willis, taking part in live theatre is something she has always wanted to do, although she’s the first to admit she has little in the way of formal training. “I’ve always thought the theatre was amazing,” she said. “I didn’t know if I could do it, but after our first production of “Pony Expresso” I was hooked … like a bad drug. “So I did more and more with the Players and got more and more involved. “I started reading and learning the ups and downs of how the theatre worked… blocking and things like that.” Tickets are still available and can be purchased through any member of the Players. or by calling Mo at 780-363-3823 or Keiron at 780-363-2457 and at the Lamont Home Hardware and Chipman Market.
