Medicine Hat Firehall Theatre Society members are in the final week of preparation for their production of Disney's The Little Mermaid, coming to the Esplanade on Nov. 17-19.--NEWS PHOTO KENDALL KING
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat Firehall Theatre Society is making a triumphant return to stage with its production of The Little Mermaid, following two years of challenge and uncertainty.
The non-profit community theatre group has been operating in Medicine Hat since 1976, originally gaining traction for its lunch box theatre shows, which spanned anywhere from 10-60 minutes in length and, therefore, accessible to working Hatters.
Over the years, the scale of the group’s productions grew to include dinner theatre, pantomimes and full-length plays and musicals. And the group moved into a permanent theatre building. Yet, emphasis on public accessibility remained a central aspect of its mandate.
“It’s just a way to bring the community together,” society board member Luanne Schneider told the News. “People want to act, they want to direct and they want to bring some enjoyment to everybody.”
Prior to the pandemic, the group regularly put on productions and had already chosen The Little Mermaid for its next upcoming. But those plans ground to a halt with arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“COVID hit hard,” said Schneider. “Like everybody else, we had no shows and no casinos to help bring in any income … And we didn’t qualify for any COVID grants (because) you had to have somebody on payroll and all of our people are volunteers.”
By October, 2020, the society was at risk of permanently closing its doors, no longer having funds necessary to cover the cost of its permanent location. And when other theatre productions began returning to the city, Firehall remained dark.
“We made the decision to sell our building and go back to the community where we came from to get us through,” said Schneider.
While Schneider is saddened by loss of the building, she and the rest of the society’s members are determined to continue their long tradition of community theatre. And they decided the best way of doing so would be to pick up where they left off with The Little Mermaid.
“This is the first really big (production) that we’ve done since Mary Poppins (in 2015),” show director and longtime society member Deborah Deans said. “We have a full 14-piece orchestra with this show … And we’re using projections, which is the first time we’ve ever done that.
“We also have a really spectacular cast of actors that are dying to get back on stage after a more than two-year hiatus.”
Production manager Joey Matsen says feelings are a mixture of excitement and nervousness for the cast of approximately 30 people and crew of 60. But he’s confident they will put on a great show for audiences.
“It’s a big feat to get up on stage again,” said Matsen. “So, the one thing that we would ask of the audience is just to show an immense amount of support for the actors who are on this stage.”
Matsen, Deans and Schneider believe audience members of all ages will enjoy the show, especially children and those familiar with Disney’s Little Mermaid movie.
They invite children to dress in costume, as well as stay after the show for a meet-and-greet with the cast. They also encourage audience members to partake in various 50/50 draws and raffles being drawn for each performance.
With tickets almost sold out for several performances, the group also encourages Hatters to keep an eye out for its next production, yet to be announced.
The Little Mermaid will be performed four times at the Esplanade, with 7:30 p.m. shows nightly from Nov. 17-19. As well as a 2 p.m. matinee on Nov. 19. Tickets are available for purchase on tixx.ca.
