100 Mile House thespians are getting another chance to return to the stage next year with a production of Four Old Broads.
This comedic mystery is being directed by first-time director Patrick Aubert and is set to go to stage this April. Aubert is preparing to host auditions at St. Timothy's Anglican Church in mid-December and is encouraging the entire community to come out and audition.
"I would be really happy to work with people who have never had any acting experience," Aubert said. "We're always looking for new members. The 100 Mile Performing Arts Society is a great organization and we try to bring theatre alive in the community. This would be an excellent opportunity for someone to get on stage."
A long-time member of the theatre community, Aubert has 40 years of experience behind and on the stage, most recently in last March's production of Murders in the Heir. Aubert said he has thought about taking on directing many times in the past but it was only when he moved to 100 Mile House that he saw a chance to try it.
"It seemed to me there were not a lot of people coming forward offering to direct so I just thought it would be a great opportunity to do it," Aubert explained. "I have the time and there seemed to be a need."
Aubert chose Four Old Broads, by Leslie Kimbell, after getting excited when he first read the script several months ago. He noted that the characters are extremely well-written and even though it's a comedy, the characters feel like real people.
The play follows the adventures of retired burlesque queen Beatrice Shelton attempting to organize a vacation with her pious best friend Eaddy Mae Clayton. However, first, she'll have to outsmart Magnolia Place Assisted Living's evil nurse Pat Jones with the assistance of the forgetful Imogene Fletcher and the death-obsessed Maude Jenkins as they try to figure out why so many patients are disappearing, all while fending off advances from retired Elvis impersonator Sam Smith. If they do they might just be able to go on that Sassy Senior's Cruise after all.
"The play basically centres around four older women and they are powerful women. They really create a presence in their characters and they make statements," Aubert said. "I'm really excited to cast (the play) and get people into these roles and see it come to life."
Aubert said that while the majority of the characters are on the older side, he's not letting that dictate his casting. He noted that you can do a lot with makeup and if a younger actor is suitable for any given role, he'll cast accordingly. That being said he noted there aren't typically a lot of roles for women of a particular age and this play goes against that trend.
"My hope is I'll get a number of women who will come out who may not have had an opportunity to audition much in the past and cast them," Aubert explained.
There are seven roles in Aubert's production, with Aubert limiting auditions to actors over the age of 18. He noted that the play is suitable for a general audience but is not a family play, like A Long Time Ago... the society's pantomime.
Auditions will be held at St. Timothy's Anglican Church on Thursday, Dec. 12 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 14 from 10 am. to noon. Aubert said they are also asking actors to be available on Saturday afternoon from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in case of potential callbacks. To audition Aubert said actors just need to prepare a short one to two-minute monologue and be willing to read lines from the script.
Four Old Broads is set to run from April 3 to April 12, 2025, with rehearsals getting underway on Jan. 4, 2025. Anyone looking for more information can reach out to the 100 Mile Performing Arts Society via simplymasteryPerformingArts@gmail.com.
