Submitted –
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
July 29, 2015
Media Contact: Ken Hildebrandt
604-504-5940
info@gallery7theatre.com
Gallery 7 Theatre Celebrates 25th Anniversary with 2015/2016 Season
Gallery 7 Theatre of Abbotsford, BC will be celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2015/2016, and to honour this incredible milestone, the theatre is presenting a full main-stage series of plays sure to delight, inspire and provoke thought. In addition, the theatre will be hosting a special workshop series for performers called The Actor’s Boot Camp.
“It’s hard to believe this organization is already 25 years old, yet here we are”, enthuses executive/artistic director, Ken Hildebrandt. “To celebrate this auspicious occasion, we’ve put together an exciting playbill that celebrates the amazing ability live theatre has to challenge us, entertain us, and somehow speak to our souls.”
The 2015/2016 season will feature the following productions:
- Around the World in 80 Days, a comedy/adventure by Mark Brown from the Jules Verne novel. On a whim, wealthy adventurer Phileas Fogg makes a bet with his friends that he can travel around the world in a mere eighty days. The problem? It’s 1872 and the airplane hasn’t been invented yet! Accompanied by his trusty servant, Passpartout, Fogg embarks on a journey unlike any other, dodging a pesky, ill-informed detective at every turn. Join us for this mad-cap adventure comedy featuring raging typhoons, runaway trains and stampeding elephants! Runs November 6 – 14, 2015 at the Abbotsford Arts Centre.
- The Giver, adapted by Eric Coble from the novel by Lois Lowry: In a futuristic, utopian society where there is no war or misery, and each citizen is assigned their role in the community by the elders, young Jonas is surprised to learn that he has been chosen to receive special training from The Giver, the keeper of all memories of true joy and pain. As Jonas begins his education, the darker hypocrisies of his perfect world are brought to light, and he is faced with a decision that could risk all he has, including his own life. This moving adaption of the award-winning novel for young adults explores what it means to grow up and to be human in an imperfect world. Runs January 29 – February 6, 2016 at the Abbotsford Arts Centre.
- Schoolhouse by Leanna Brodie. Set in 1938 in a one-room schoolhouse in the fictional town of Baker’s Creek in rural Canada, a young but precocious Melinda Linton is appointed teacher of an endearing yet rambunctious group of children. Quickly gaining the respect of her young charges, Linton is challenged by the arrival of a new student, a juvenile delinquent named Ewart who was sent to the community after doing time in Battenville Training School. Linton attempts to reach out to the young boy and struggles to help both the town and the student move beyond their fears and insecurities. Full of poignancy, humour and warmth, this play celebrates those incredible teachers who impacted us most, and tenderly explores ageless themes of rejection, compassion and redemption. Runs April 8 – 16, 2016 at the Abbotsford Arts Centre.
- Freud’s Last Session by Mark St. Germain, suggested by The Question of God by Armand M. Nicholi, Jr: On the day England enters World War II, famous psychiatrist, Sigmund Freud and young novelist and Oxford fellow, C.S. Lewis, engage in an intellectual and emotionally charged debate about some of life’s biggest questions: love, God, relationship and the meaning of life. As the discussion ensues, the two discover a respect for the other, despite the significant differences of opinion that separate them. A fictional story brimming with humour and insight, this play celebrates friendship and respect as two of the greatest minds from the 20th century tackle the biggest questions of all time. Runs May 20 – 28, 2016 at the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium.
Panic Squad & Friends, those masters of super-funny, super-clean comedy improv the whole family will enjoy, return to kick off the season on September 25th, 2015. Gallery 7 will also partner with Pacific Theatre of Vancouver to present Christmas Presence, an eclectic mix of seasonal music and story-telling, on December 19 at the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium.
In addition to a full schedule of productions, Gallery 7 Theatre will also be hosting a special workshop series called The Actor’s Boot Camp. This program of short courses will offer aspiring and veteran performers the fantastic opportunity to roll up their sleeves and explore their craft in a more intensive, more focussed way. Led by award-winning professional actress, Erla Faye Forsyth, courses will cover voice, movement, character development, script analysis and other important performance skills all actors should intuitively know and have.
“Our 25th anniversary season is as much a celebration of Gallery 7 Theatre and the importance of live theatre in our community as it is about the people who have worked with us and the people who have attended our shows through-out the years,” continues Hildebrandt. “This theatre would not have survived this long without the encouragement and support of so many.”
Season passes for the 2015/2016 Celebration! Season are now available at savings of up to 25% off regular ticket prices. Those interested in performing on-stage, working back-stage or volunteering elsewhere at Gallery 7 Theatre are encouraged to contact the organization for details on auditions, back-stage opportunities and other volunteer positions available.
For more information about this year’s playbill, to order season passes, to register for the workshop series, to become a sponsor or to get involved, please visit the Gallery 7 Theatre website at www.gallery7theatre.com or call 604-504-5940. The 2015/2016 Celebration! Theatre season is presented in part by Investors Group.
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Photo is by Dianna Lewis Photography.