Theatre-goers from the Westlock area often have to go out of town to see shows, or wait and hope a big artists stops in this neck of the woods.
Once a year, however, talents actors from right in the area get together to put on a show. That time of year is once again upon is, with the Westlock Rotary’s presentation of Ole Koot’s Campfire – The Cruise premiering this weekend.
Writer/director Bunnie Arth said this will be the third and final installment of the Ole Koot series, to which she never even anticipated writing a sequel.
“I didn’t have any plans when I wrote the first one,” she said, “but it went well, and afterward with the cast I could see some ideas about going out with the hunters in the wintertime. I thought there’s a whole new scenario there.”
After the first sequel, Ole Koot’s Campfire – The Hunters, Arth said she thought it would end at two. A friend of hers suggested doing a third installment to make it a trilogy, and eventually it came to pass.
“I though this would be great to end Ole Koot on a high. Everyone’s enjoyed them, and they’re really going to enjoy this one,” she said.
The most recent installment features many of the characters from the hunting trip going on a cruise together, which is funded by Ole Koot’s winnings from a reality show he inadvertently took part it.
For those familiar with the series, it will come as no surprise that things don’t really work out as planned.
Arth noted that if she hadn’t been able to get Rex Vollema, who plays Ole Koot, on board, then the show would never have happened. As it turns out, she was in Honolulu and decided to call Vollema to see if he would play the role a third time.
“If I didn’t have a character who suits Ole Koot as well as Rex does, I probably wouldn’t have written the show.”
Fortunately for fans of the series, Vollema accepted.
While there are many returning characters for this show, there are plenty of new ones as well. Arth had the challenge of working with 35 different performers to bring this show together.
“Not everybody can be there every night, so that does cause some major challenges,” she said, “But that’s just something you have to work with when you know you’re going to be working with that many people.”
This will be the 16th show she’s directed for the Westlock Rotary Dinner Theatre, and the fourth she’s written herself — a process that took eight months.
“When I have to write my own, it takes a long time. You don’t just put it together overnight,” she said.
Despite the challenge and hard work, Arth said it’s a very satisfying. She added she’s feeling quite relaxed going into the coming run of shows; after all, she has decades of experience with theatre, having directed shows for the local drama society as well.
The show and dinner runs seven nights: Oct.14, 15, 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29, and tickets are $50 or $45 depending on the seat. Matinees, with no dinner, will run Oct. 16 and 23, with those tickets selling for $20.
Arth suggested the show is appropriate for ages 14 and up.
Tickets are available at Arth’s Fashion Centre. For more information or to buy tickets, phone 780-349-6406.
