A group of Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School drama alumni have come together to form the 100 Mile Youth Theatre.
The initiative, with the support of the 100 Mile Performing Arts Society, is the brainchild of Sarah Carter, Klaudie Slosarkova, Emma Jackson and Katharina Wetzig. Carter, the theatre’s president, said they all want to give youth aged 12 to 18 the same chance to put together a play that they received in high school.
“We developed so much socially and academically through the drama program and performance art, so we wanted to give that opportunity we had to other kids,” Carter said. “This is our first year so we’re trying a few things out and it will take a bit to figure out what lands and works with our community. This year we’re running it as a play in our community.”
Carter graduated from PSO in 2022 and just wrapped up her second year at Simon Fraser University’s School for the Contemporary Arts where she’s on track to receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts. She said that she has a passion for theatre and learns something new about it every day.
“In my program, we really learn how to be artists and make our own performance art. I’ve really found out what type of art I like to make through that,” Carter explained. “Right now I’m really passionate about immersive performance art and audience interaction… finding a connection with people through art.”
As she’s explored theatre more, Carter has noticed the drama program that PSO offers has changed. Her class production of Beauty and the Beast in 2022 was the last time the high school has done a play. Even then, Carter recalled that the drama teacher who started the production with them left halfway through the year with Nicole Jackson, PSO’s secretary, taking over directing.
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Because PSO’s drama program is now operating on a smaller scale, Carter said she and her friends felt there was a gap in the local theatre scene they could fill. That’s why they decided to run their own theatre program this summer.
“We wanted to give youth in our community an opportunity to put on a performance and learn all the valuable life skills they get through that experience,” Carter said. “Especially in a community such as our own, which is a rural community without a lot of youth spaces, having somewhere where kids can get to know each other and learn these life skills through theatre is a great opportunity.”
When Carter and her friends reached out to the 100 Mile Performing Arts Society for help she said the group provided them with a lot of support to get started. Likewise, the Lone Butte Community Hall has also helped by providing them with an affordable venue to run the program.
Carter said the program is kicking off with auditions on Wednesday, June 5 at 4 p.m. at the Lone Butte Community Hall. It will consist primarily of some improv games and light line reading, to give Carter and the others a sense of their actors’ abilities.
If you’re unable to come to auditions, Carter said youth can still join the program. All they have to do is email 100mileyouththeatre@gmail.com and let them know how they’d like to participate. There is a $20 fee per participant to cover the cost of insurance and script fees.
Once they know how many actors they’ll have, Carter said they’ll select a suitable play and begin rehearsing twice a week throughout the summer. Even if you don’t feel like acting, Carter encourages young people to get involved, noting there’s always a place for them backstage.
Carter said their play will consist of three shows, one on the evening of Aug. 23 followed by a matinee and another evening show on Aug. 24. Tickets will be $15 while the exact times for the show will be announced later this summer.
“This is something I think has a really great opportunity to grow into something that could be really great and bring the community together,” Carter remarked. “This could be very beneficial to youth in our community and our community as a whole.”
