After having been postponed once already, Nose Creek Players (NCP) production of Alice in Wonderland has again been put on hold, with no future date set.
“We had to make the difficult decision to once again postpone the show,” said Robin McKittrick, president of NCP. “We postponed it indefinitely because it is certainly uncertain times.”
According to Chris Stockton, artistic producer for Bert Church LIVE Theatre (BCLT), Alice in Wonderland was originally scheduled for May 21 to 23 as part of the theatre’s 2020 season but was suspended when BCLT was shut down due to COVID-19.
The production was rescheduled to November, but with restrictions limiting the number of audience members at BCLT to 100, Stockton said there was too much uncertainty for the theatre and the troupe to justify putting on the production.
“We don’t know how many people we’ll be able to seat in November, and the financial logistics of trying to put up a show when you’re limited to 100 seats is pretty tricky when you’re looking at royalties and props and set and costumes,” he said.
McKittrick agreed questions around the sustainability of the show were one aspect of the postponement. Mounting the production requires a significant investment to build sets and purchase costumes, he said, and with limits on the number of tickets that could be sold, there was uncertainty if the production made financial sense.
“Productions are expensive endeavours, so we have to consider that,” he said.
NCP also exists to be a safe space for performers in Airdrie to create and express themselves, he said. Normally, McKittrick said that means creating a space that is inclusive and emotionally supportive. In this case, the company had to consider the physical safety of its performers, crew and audience.
“We can’t proclaim that we’re champions of safe spaces if people aren’t physically safe, if there’s that risk,” he said.
According to Stockton, both BCLT and NCP decided it was prudent to postpone the production indefinitely.
“I know it’s a show they still want to do and it’s a show we’d love to have in our space,” he said.
“My heart goes out to NCP because no one ever wants to put a show on pause for something that’s not their own doing. It’s hard when your hands are tied.”
McKittrick said the postponement was disappointing for all involved, and with no date set for when the production will be mounted, there could be challenges once NCP gets set to take the stage in the future. People’s lives change, he said, and some people currently involved in the production may not be able to take part once the future date of the show is set. This could mean recasting parts.
“The cast and the crew is entirely made up of volunteers,” he said. “It’s just one aspect of people’s lives. The reality is, there are probably people that won’t be available, which is really unfortunate because anytime we come together to create, it becomes like a family.”
The postponement of Alice in Wonderland is among the latest batch of local events that have been shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stockton said BCLT falls into the category of “the experience economy”– which includes tourism, sports and performing arts – that has been particularly impacted by the pandemic.
“We’re all in this really tricky place where most things we do depend on gatherings and depend on people coming together,” he said. “That has been one of the most difficult things for those of us in the arts because that’s the magic of it. That’s the magic of experiencing something for the first time – experiencing it together with a group of people.”
Despite the postponement and cancellation of events all year, Stockton said he believes there is still an appetite in the community for productions like Alice in Wonderland.
“If Netflix subscriptions are any indication, people crave the arts and they want entertainment and they want social gathering,” he said. “People want to do those things safely.”
Though disappointing, Stockton said postponing the show clears up any uncertainty for ticketholders about the show’s status.
Anyone who has already purchased a ticket is encouraged to contact BCLT to be refunded. Because the date of the production is now unknown, McKittrick said this is the best thing for ticketholders to do, and tickets can be repurchased once the date is established.
Ben Sherick, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @BenSherick
