Edwin Parr Composite School students will transform the Nancy Appleby Theatre into a place of fairy tales come to life, in their Nov. 1-3 production of The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon.
Colin Byers, drama teacher, said the full-length play is a comedy that attempts to incorporate as many of the Grimms’ fairy tales as possible, including classics such as Cinderella, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, along with a few more obscure tales including The Girl Without Hands.
“Of course, that’s an almost impossible feat. It highlights some of the ones a lot of people know,” Byers said. “It’s a pretty fast-paced comedy.”
“Like the original Grimms’ fairy tales, it’s not necessarily the Disney version of the plays. I don’t think it would be the choice for a much younger audience.”
Byers added the show is quite a big production, including close to 50 students from the main stage class and the drama technology class. Twenty-nine main stage students will take part in the fairy tales.
Rather than having the main stage class work on the production outside of class hours, Byers said they have actually been working on the production in-class. In the coming weeks leading up to the performance, they will be spending more time at the theatre polishing up the production.
“Just like any production, you’ve got to get it polished,” Byers said.
Shows will begin at 7 p.m., and tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors. Ticket sales will go right back into the drama program.
Tickets are on sale at EPC, at the Medicine Shoppe, Value Drug Mart, and will be available at the door. Byers said more vendors would be added to the list, and to stay tuned to the school’s Facebook page.
“My number one expectation is everyone will have a lot of fun with it (and) it’ll be a good laugh,” Byers said. “It’ll be a good way to engage an audience, because there is audience interaction with this play.”
“I think it’s a nice, light-hearted comedy that most people can relate to, and I think for the most part, maybe it’ll get people to come back and see more of our stuff.”
Filling a new role at EPC
While this is Byers third year at EPC, this is his first year taking over teaching drama from Bruce MacDonald, who retired at the end of last school year.
Byers majored in drama, and has been teaching since 2000. He taught drama in Ponoka, Barrhead and Westlock before joining the EPC staff in teaching media arts.
“I kind of wear two hats when it comes to teaching,” Byers said. “My other thing is media arts, which is photography and video animation, graphic design.”
“My last teaching role, that’s all I did, and now it’s nice to come back to the theatre,” he said. “Hopefully, I can combine those two things as well.”
Byers added he has taught a lot of film production, and he hopes to incorporate some acting for television and film at some point down the road into classes.
“I think for me, and the program, I very much like multimedia components so that’s what I like to incorporate into my live productions as well,” he said. “I’m already kind of brainstorming what I want to do next year.”
