The game will be afoot when members of a local youth theatre troupe mount a production of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes later this month.
Torchlight Theatre’s SPARK Youth Program will bring a selection of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective’s classic adventures to life on the stage, and artistic director Chelsea Restall said the cast and crew have been hard at work since the end of 2019 preparing.
“They’ve been in rehearsal since November,” she said. “They took a little break for Christmas, and then they were back at it the first weekend of January, and they’ve been working pretty solidly ever since. They rehearse about eight hours a day on Saturday.”
SPARK Youth Program is meant to inspire youth to pursue performing arts, Restall said. While the majority of performers come from Airdrie, it also attracts youth from Calgary, Irricana, Crossfield and other parts of the region.
“[The program] was created to give kids an opportunity [to get] a taste of what theatre is like,” she said. “We try to give them the costumes, the sets, the lighting, sound effects and the whole works.”
Even if the kids don’t continue as actors, Restall said many participants learn skills and character traits such as communication, creativity and confidence that help them as they mature.
Airdrie is fortunate to have a great deal of camaraderie in the arts community, she said, and many SPARK actors are performing elsewhere, whether it’s Bert Church High School’s annual drama production or with other community theatre groups like Nose Creek Players.
“I find that the youth in our [program], they’re really hungry for the experience, so they’re looking for it wherever they can find it,” she said.
The annual production is audition-based, meaning actors don’t necessarily have to have taken part in SPARK classes to secure a spot on the cast.
“We did want to give the kids a taste of what professional theater was in that regard,” Restall said. “They learn what the nervousness of auditioning [is like] and that you don’t always get chosen. That’s part of the whole art form.”
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes comprises a cast of nine actors, ranging in age from 11 to 17. According to Restall, the actors come from Airdrie, Crossfield and Calgary, and have a range of experience on the stage – many have acted in previous Torchlight Theatre productions, while some are performing for the first time.
When it comes to youth productions, she said, audiences can sometimes have low expectations for the quality of the show and might be surprised by the cast’s acting abilities.
“I think you kind of have to be careful of that because these are some pretty talented students. Especially some of our students that have been around for a couple years and have done a couple productions with us,” Restall said. “I think kids today have such a wealth of emotional depth that people don’t expect from them.”
With the amount of effort the young actors have put into the production, she encourages the community to show its support by attending one of the three shows.
“They really deserve an audience,” Restall said. “You’re going to get a very entertaining afternoon or evening of theatre. The kids have put in a lot of hard work and their best performance always comes out when they have an audience.”
Shows will take place at 7:30 p.m. on March 12 and 13, and a 2 p.m. matinee on March 14, at Torchlight Theatre’s new home at the Polaris Centre for the Performing Arts, located near CrossIron Mills mall. Tickets are $20 for general seating, and $15 for seniors and children under 12 years old, and are available at torchlighttheatre.ca
Ben Sherick, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @BenSherick
