Rivertown Players bring free theatre to local parks

By Keiko Bolen, Kamloops Arts Council

Making their grand debut at Art in the Park this July 1st, the Rivertown Players are an acting troupe composed of postsecondary theatre students focused on creating accessible, free, family-friendly performances for our beautiful community. Under the tutelage of a local theatre professional, the students create a full-scale production from scratch, which they then perform live multiple times a week. From scripts to sets to costumes to direction, the students are involved in every aspect of theatre production and learn just what it takes to mount a series of plays on a tight schedule. This year the Rivertown Players are focused on telling stories with heart; a few central themes of the show they have put together include embracing differences between one another, treating everyone with kindness and respect, and acknowledging and accepting when we need to ask for help. They hope that these topics resonate with their audience and that they are able to take these ideas home with them and apply them to their real life. While the performances are primarily targeted at children, the Players aim to make their shows enjoyable for all ages and have incorporated humour they believe will have everyone chuckling, regardless of age. These completely free performances will be available all over Kamloops, including the Northshore and Downtown TNRD libraries, as well as several popular parks such as Riverside Park, Albert McGowan, Prince Charles, and Brocklehurst Parks, to name a few. Performances are typically 30 minutes long and are presented three to four times a week on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, meaning there are ample opportunities to catch these talented individuals at a location near you. With interactive songs and games as a warm-up before transitioning into their entirely selfcrafted plays, every performance has the opportunity to be unique. Most guests enjoy the shows so thoroughly that they return to each viewing daily!

The best way to catch the Rivertown Players is to follow them on Instagram and Facebook at @