You can help solve a murder under the big top, unless you’re the murderer.
 The Windy Castle Medieval Faire is excited to present their third interactive murder mystery at the Westminster Community Centre (411 16 St. North) by No Frills, Saturday, April 13.

“There’s no excuse not to come. After all, who doesn’t want to run away with the  circus,” chuckled organizer Juanita  DeVos, dressed in her home made killer clown costume.
 Organizers are pulling out all the stops, bringing in a mini-midway, circus treats, clowns and acrobats.

 Everybody who joins the fun gets to play a character. You can choose which as well as how big of a role you want to play in the production.
“There are 80 different characters up for grabs,” said organizer Michelle Couper, noting they range from all manner of circus folks to various circus animals.
Couper is excited about the games.
“ There will be eight or nine games like duck hunt, balloon pop, fishing, skee ball, ring toss and fish bowls,” she listed.

“ We have four garbage  bags full of stuffed animals to give away as prizes. And there will be midway food, popcorn, corn dogs,  cotton candy. We’re even making gluten free hotdogs on a stick,” Couper continued.

Local acrobatic troupe Le Cirque Venteaux, including Donedin Jackson, Curtis Jestin, Stephanie Snider and John Hedinghan will be performing at the  Murder Under the Bigtop to give a preview of their performance at the Faire this summer.

 For the murder mystery portion of the evening, participants are invited to create their own costumes for the event.

“You can choose a character with less of a spotlight role,” she continued, adding they also need volunteer “carnies” to operate the games and food vendors.

The event is a fundraiser for this year’s third annual Windy Castle Medieval Faire, July 20 and 21 at their new location  on Highway 4 and Township Road 74.
“The goal of the Windy Castle Medieval Faire has always been to provide a family friendly event to get people  out of their homes and to have some fun. And who doesn’t love a circus,” added co-organizer Juanita DeVos, adding this fundraiser is an important event for the Faire as the proceeds pay for some of the Faire’s most fun activities including jousters.

The One Act Play festival returns to the newly renovated Sterndale Bennett Theatre, March 29 and 30.
To date five plays have been submitted including  submissions from Shakespeare in the Park, Two from University of Lethbridge Student’s and a couple from other community groups.

“So we’ll be going both Friday and Saturday as we currently have three long plays and a shorter one.  Could possibly do them in one night if we start early enough,” observed organizer Rita Peterson, in an e-mail.
 The festival was at Casa last year and was so popular that they had to turn people away at the door. This year, they are excited to be back in the newly renovated Sterndale Bennett Theatre for at least one day.

 The One Act Play Festival has been an important part of long standing theatre troupe Playgoers of Lethbridge’s mandate to develop actors and up and coming directors since the early ’70s
 All entries will be adjudicated by  adjudicator Richard O”Brien, who among his many accomplishments founded Red Deer college’s drama program.
“He’s been working in drama for most of his adult life,” Peterson said. There will be awards for best original script, best play, best actor and best actress. The winner can go to High River to compete in the provincial One Act Play festival May 3 and 4.

“Playgoers  of Lethbridge has been involved with the One Act Play Festival for at least 40 years,” summarized Peterson, who has participated in the festival as an actor in director many times.
 ADFA (Alberta Drama Festival Association) covers some mileage and accommodations expenses for the winner to participate in the provincial festival.
University student Tracy Wyman who has submitted an original script  called “Falling Through Time” which she will perform with Jocelyn Steinborn and Halley Gray.

“It is a series of three monologues by three women  talking about their memories and their lives,” Peterson described.
Shakespeare in the Park’s production of Edward Albee’s Zoo Story features Josh Hammerstedt and Cole Fetting, and several familiar faces from backstage including first time director Mary-Lynne  Muhly.

“They needed a director and I’ve been involved backstage with enough plays, so I volunteered,” chuckled Muhly, holding a rehearsal at her home.
 Fetting and Hammerstedt planned to perform Zoo story for last year’s  One Act Play Festival, but weren’t able to get it ready in time.

“Zoo Story is about a guy sitting on a park bench who encounters this interesting character and they have an interesting conversation,” said Fetting, a familiar face with Shakespeare in the Park and with several University of Lethbridge productions, who plays Jerry, who encounters Peter, played by Josh Hammerstedt.

 University of Lethbridge students go through the looking glass a little on their last main-stage production of the season, DADA Does Not Mean Anything: An Avant-garde Cabaret happening March 12-16 in the David Spinks Theatre.

“There are 11 different pieces. They began in my class in October,” said faculty administrator Justin Blum, he said, adding the pieces were inspired by the  DADA art movement of the early twentieth century.

“A lot of it was a reaction to World War 1,” he said.

“ We have a sound poem by Hugo  Ball,” he continued, adding  other pieces push the boundaries of space, lighting and  the theatre itself, so the production takes the audience into a dream state.
“ There are 14 people in the cast including six students who were in the class,” he said adding some of them are in multiple pieces.