Keeper of the Forest at South Kamloops THE SCHOOL’S SPRING PLAY WILL BE AT SAGEBRUSH THEATRE FROM MAY 4 TO MAY 6

SEAN BRADY STAFF REPORTER sbrady@kamloopsthisweek.com

An original play from a local playwright will be presented on stage by South Kamloops secondary students in early May.

Kamloops playwright and actor Cheyenne Scott wrote Keeper of the Forest for Amy Fonseca’s drama class, which is preparing for the play’s run from May 4 to May 6 at Sagebrush Theatre.

The action/adventure play includes a cast of Grade 11 and Grade 12 students from the school, led by Fonseca, who connected with Scott before the pandemic, hoping she would speak to the class.

Although the collaboration didn’t happen until three years later, the two connected and Scott ended up writing an original play for the class. Scott’s work includes local flora and fauna, as well as the forces that disturb it, such as the pine beetle and forest fires.

In the play, a teenager has been gifted with powers as keeper of the forest, charged with protecting the land from a raging inferno.

Fonseca said the play leans on themes of friendship and community to tell its story.

“Not only do I have a community in my cast, but it’s like being represented locally in the play itself,” Fonseca said.

Grade 12 actor Deidrich Orton, 17, plays Hawk, who protects the valley and serves as the right-hand-man for an army. While Orton has a role on stage, he is also the play’s fight choreographer.

“I’ve been trained in how to use a lot of weapons,” Orton told KTW. “I do a lot of martial arts and also a lot of stage fighting. It’s right up my alley, I’ve just never taught it before.”

Orton has the acting down, first taking the stage at age five. What’s new for him is the choreography and teaching his fellow classmates — something he has found fulfilling.

“Seeing it take shape was like an epiphany for me, like, it’s coming together. This is going to be spectacular,” he said.

Kathleen Loughton, 18, will play one of the play’s main characters, Chick.

“Chick is very passion- ate, I would say, compared to Chuck, who is very timid,” Loughton said.

Loughton plays the more boisterous half of a pair of twins, convincing her sibling to come along on an adventure. Now in Grade 12, Loughton said she wanted to push herself in her final year, taking on one of the main characters in the spring production.

“You practise when you’re in school, in class, and then after class, at home. It’s a lot,” she said. “But still really fun.”

Grace Cassidy, 16, plays the other half of the pair of twins.

“Chuck wants to be a jokester, but isn’t really very good at it. Chuck has a tendency to use humour as a coping mechanism,” she said.

On top of steering a character trying to prove herself, Cassidy is also working on sets and costumes for Keeper of the Forest, including a leveractivated growing plant, a pair of papier-mâché snake heads and a trio of skirts for witches.

“It’s the first production I’ve been in that my little cousins can see and they’re always asking me about theatre and stuff, so I’m really excited,” Cassidy said.

Tickets for the world premiere of Keeper of the Forest are $15 for adults, $12 for students and $12 for seniors.

They can be purchased at the South Kamloops front office at Munro Street and Ninth Avenue in Sagebrush or online by emailing keeperoftheforesttickets@gmail. com. Showtime each night is 7 p.m., with a matinee on May 6 at 2 p.m.

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N O T I C E O F D I S P O S I T I O N

Pursuant to Sec tions 26(3) and 94 of the Community Char ter, S.B.C. 2003, Ch. 26, the City of K amloops (the “City ”) is disposing of 372.9 m2 of surplus road adjacent to 320 Tranquille Road, legally described as: Road to be closed shown on Bylaw Plan EPP122055, dedicated on Plan 1169, DL D, Gp 2, K (Formerly Lytton) DYD (the “Proper ty ”).

The City is transferring fee simple title of the Proper ty to 320 Tranquille Developments Ltd , to be consolidated with 320 Tranquille Road, for consideration in the amount of $205,450. For more information, please contac t David W. Freeman, RI(BC ), Assistant Development, Engineering, and Sustainability Direc tor/Real Estate Manager, at 250-828-3548.

Saturday, April 29